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MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAR. 10: Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Monday he will visit Crimea to gauge local opinion in the wake of its annexation by Russia almost a year ago, despite the Japanese government's urging him not to do so. Hatoyama will travel to Crimea from Tuesday to Thursday, a source accompanying him on a trip to Moscow said. The Japanese government has been urging Hatoyama not to travel to Crimea, fearing that if a former prime minister enters the territory with a Russian visa, it could conflict with Tokyo's stance that Russia unilaterally annexed the territory against international law. Japanese officials also fear Moscow could exploit his visit in its efforts to justify the annexation. Hatoyama told reporters in Moscow he wants "to take a look at" whether the annexation was justified. "Facts haven't been delivered to Japan accurately. I would like to see myself how residents are feeling," he said. "An opinion poll showed that residents expressed their wish for annexation," he said. "What's most important in democracy is what local residents feel." Hatoyama said he has had "various consultations with the Russian side" about his plan to visit the Crimea. "If we are at loggerheads with Russia, it will be all the more difficult to get the Northern Territories back," Hatoyama said, referring to the islands.