Southern Kuriles: "Islands" card game

Any time when the subject of the disputable for Russia and Japan Kurile Islands is mentioned — no matter while having a mug of beer in a smoked up pub or during the “roundtable” in the shining halls — there are always some know-it-all persons (be it politicians or the average men) who know for sure what to do with these islands. It's same as with a football: few people are actually playing, but millions are, allegedly, know everything about the matter.
There are several wide-spread myths about what Russians should do with the Islands, which are situated so far even from the citizens of the Russian Far East that they are perceived like something abstract and almost unachievable for most of Russian citizens.

The first myth: these islands are four rocks in the middle of the ocean, which no one actually need.

The second myth: Russians may bargain these islands for a while and then profitably sell them to Japan for a huge amount of money, which later can be used to enrich Russians.

The third myth: Russians have to give up the islands, because they are not actually their — they've just allegedly occupied them during the transient war against Japan in August 1945. Note that nobody's talking about the returning of the Southern Sakhalin, which was occupied at the similar time. Perhaps, because Japan doesn't demand it, does it?

Everything is mixed up in these myths: views of the average citizens, plans of politicians, dilettantism of the journalists and even some of the scientists. The idea of selling the islands for a big sum of money can be easily rejected. Nobody in Japan is going to actually buy the islands. They are not willing even to discuss this matter! It is so because the Japanese demand to “return” them their “Northern territories” as they call the Southern Kurile Islands.
Not so bad a solution is to turn the Kuriles into a ecotourist paradise . Probably it could help not only to stop the border quarrels, but also to improve ecological situation in the region.
http://www.win.ru/en/school/2910.phtml