Ryutaro Hashimoto, state minister on issues pertaining to the disputed islands north of Hokkaido, said Tuesday he will inspect some areas of the Russian-held islands from the air on Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference, Hashimoto said he will board a helicopter at Nakashibetsu airport in eastern Hokkaido in order to carry out the aerial inspection.
After seeing the islands from the Japanese side, Hashimoto is expected to hear the views of former residents of the islands in Nemuro, eastern Hokkaido.
The territorial row over the four islands -- Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai group of islets -- has prevented Japan and Russia from concluding a peace treaty. The islands were seized by Soviet troops near the end of World War II.