Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the 2014 National Rally to Demand the Return of the Northern Territories, held in Tokyo.

The National Rally is held every year on February 7, which is Northern Territories Day, as an event for related members of the public and private sectors to gather at a single venue to call for further and broader development of the national movement for the return of the Northern Territories, and to express a strong resolve to demand the early return of the Northern Territories to the people both inside and outside Japan.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"I paid an official visit to Moscow in April of last year, which was the first such visit by a Japanese Prime Minister in ten years, and have held talks with President Putin of Russia on four occasions through October of last year. Carrying in my heart the thoughts and passion held by everyone attending this National Rally, I will head directly to Haneda Airport from here and depart for Sochi on the government airplane. Tomorrow, I will be holding my fifth talks with President Putin.
I am determined to persistently pursue the negotiations in order to ultimately resolve the largest outstanding issue remaining between Japan and Russia, the Northern Territories issue, and conclude a peace treaty with Russia, while strengthening the overall Japan-Russia relationship.
As President Putin and I have agreed, I must say it is extraordinary that a peace treaty has not been concluded between Japan and Russia to this day, 68 years after the end of World War II. I will address this matter by bearing in mind that the former islanders are aging and that the early resolution of the Northern Territories issue is imperative.
The Northern Territories issue is a matter for the public as a whole, and in order to push the negotiations forward, it is necessary that the government and the people of Japan unite their efforts. I would like to ask for your continued strong support and cooperation towards the resolution of this issue."