From his living room in the coastal town of Rausu in eastern Hokkaido, Mr Kimio Waki gets a splendid view of the blue waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula - and a painful glimpse of the island he used to call home.
The 77-year-old, who was mayor of Rausu from 2003 to 2015, has been living in the town of 5,000 people since 1948. But he still recalls fondly life on the island of Kunashiri, which is 25km across the strait and visible on a clear day.
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