A planned revision to the curriculum guidelines for high schools stipulates for the first time that the Takeshima islets of Shimane Prefecture, the Senkaku Islands of Okinawa Prefecture and the northern territories off Hokkaido are an "inherent part of the territory of Japan."
The move follows the stipulation of such descriptions in guidelines for elementary and junior high schools announced in March last year.
The descriptions have already been included in an "instruction manual" to accompany the high school guidelines. By including the descriptions in the guidelines -- a legally binding document -- the government aims to counter countries such as South Korea and China, as well as further enhance education pertaining to the nation's territory.
Four subjects -- comprehensive geography, geographical exploration, public affairs, and politics and economy -- will specify that Takeshima, the Senkakus and the northern territories are an inherent part of Japan.
Descriptions using the specific names are also included in the subjects of comprehensive history and Japanese historical exploration. Descriptions on territories have thus considerably increased compared to the current guidelines.
The Liberal Democratic Party and other entities tried to include the descriptions in the previous revision to the guidelines. However, the inclusion of Takeshima in an instruction manual for junior high schools that was released in July 2008 eventually led South Korea to temporarily withdraw its ambassador from Tokyo. As a result, the descriptions were not included in the high school guidelines announced in March 2009.
South Korea has since made efforts to appeal to international society, including arranging a visit by then South Korean President Lee Myung Bak to Takeshima in 2012, and repeatedly deploying its forces to conduct military drills in waters around the islands.
In addition, Chinese government vessels have continued to intrude into Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands. A Chinese nuclear submarine sailed into the contiguous zone around the Senkakus in January.
According to a survey made public by the Cabinet Office last October, 59.3 percent of respondents said they were concerned about Takeshima. The figure represented a dramatic decline of 7.6 percentage points from the previous survey in 2014. Regarding the Senkakus, 62.2 percent of respondents were concerned, a drop of 12.3 percentage points from the previous survey.
In consideration of the situation, the government intends to include descriptions on the territories in a document with legally binding force to ensure that education on territorial issues is thoroughly conducted and that students' interest and understanding are deepened.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
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