The purpose of this study is to explore how the Northern Territories Issue has been explained in high school textbooks in Japan. Content analysis of 160 textbooks that received official authorization in 1951-1998 shows that there have been distinct periods in the way in which this issue has been explained to students. A major finding is that variations in the scope of coverage and methods of explanations in the texts reflect the changing character of Japanese nationalism during the period under study.Analysis of 13 Soviet Union/Russian history textbooks that were published between 1961 and 2001 was also carried out in this project. The analysis shows that these textbooks reflect changes in broader government policies including the ebb and flow of nationalist sentiment. Comparison of learning materials in these countries provides readers with an understanding of national perceptions of this issue as articulated in the two national education systems.