This is Iturup (also known as Etorofu-tō (択捉島) in Japanese). I used to joke to my Japanese friends, “Why do you want these islands back so badly? Do you want to live there? No? So, what’s the big deal?”

“The natural resources,” they say.

Out of curiosity, I googled Iturup and found these absolutely stunning.

Now imagine if this and other disputed islands in the Kuril chain had remained in Japanese control after WWII. The beach today would surely be covered with tetrapod blocks, the white cliffs enveloped with concrete.