Japan Space-Time Strange Chronicles

Northern Territories Rescue Operation

This is the third chapter this month. As announced, this chapter will be about the Northern Territories.

- Kazuhiro Kasami

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January 15, 2019

1st Regional Coast Guard District, Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

The 1st Regional Coast Guard District, which guards the area near the Northern Territories in the northeast, was monitoring for any contact from the Northern Territories today. The Japan Coast Guard is not alone. The Ground, Maritime, and Air Self-Defense Forces based in Hokkaido were also on early alert, maximizing their various warning networks in anticipation of some kind of action from Russia. However, more than two weeks have already passed since the transference, and for some reason there has been no contact from the Russians living in the Northern Territories.

"I wonder what's going on?"

"If we can't afford it, I would have thought they would have contacted us sooner..."

These are the conversations that have been taking place every day at the 1st Regional District for some time now, and after ten days, everyone began to think something was wrong. Finally, on this day, two weeks after the transference, they received a notice from the government.

"What did the government say?"

Sakaguchi, head of the Otaru Coast Guard Headquarters, notified all personnel of the government's request.

"I will read out the notice from the government."

- The fact that more than two weeks have already passed since the New Year's Day transference, yet no action has been taken by the Russians is very strange.

- They have discussed this with the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and they suspect that the Russians in the Northern Territories are for some reason unable to contact them, or even move around.

- The Russian government has been waiting until now to make contact the Russians, but if they fail to notice any emergency situation, it will be a serious problem from a humanitarian point of view.

- Therefore, since they have obtained permission from the Russian Embassy, they would like the Maritime Self-Defense Force and Coast Guard to go to the Northern Territories to make contact with the Russian Navy in the Far East and the Russian Federal Security Service.

Upon receiving the notice, the 1st District immediately dispatched four patrol vessels: Esan, Shoretoko, Horobetsu, and Tsugaru, which had come from Hakodate to Otaru in support. Five vessels from the MSDF were also to participate: the destroyers Hamagiri, Ōyodo, and Chikuma, which are based in Ominato, and two minesweepers, Sugashima, and Notojima. In addition, two P-3Cs from Hachinohe Air Base were to be deployed to monitor the situation.

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4 hours later

10 km off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan

Haibara, a captain of a P-3C belonging to the Hachinohe Air Base, asked his subordinate tensely.

"What do you think about the government's daring to contact the Northern Territories from our side this time?"

The subordinate who was asked about this question responded.

"At the very least, considering what the fishermen have said, that they were not seen any Russian vessels while fishing in the vicinity of the Northern Territories up until now, there must be some circumstances that prevent the Russians from moving their vessels."