1980s Soviet metal pin of Korsakov (Корсаков), a town in the Sakhalin (Сахалин) region in the south of Sakhalin Island, Russia.
During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, the Battle of Korsakov took place off the town in August 1904. In 1905, Japan conquered Sakhalin in the late stages of the war, and southern Sakhalin, including Korsakov, was handed over to Japan in 1905 after Russia's defeat in the war. The Japanese renamed Korsakov as Ōtomari (大泊), a translation of the Ainu words "Poro-an-tomari" (big harbour). Thousands of ethnic Koreans were brought to Ōtomari as workers, and Korsakov's present-day Korean population is descended mainly from those labor conscripts. In 1946, the town became part of the Soviet Union.
Up until the 1990s, Korsakov was a major base for the Russian Far Eastern fishing fleet. It was the home of the Base for Ocean Shipping. However, it went bankrupt during the post-Soviet recession and thousands of fishermen employed continued their work for private fishing companies, which usually operated small fishing boats not far off the coast, often without licenses. The catch of crabs was sold in Japan for hard currency, mainly in Wakkanai (Вакканай), a twin city of Korsakov since 1992.
Learn more about the close relation of Korsakov and Japan HERE
excellent
MEASUREMENT
2cm