Despite the fact that the Takeshima islands are inherent territory of Japan both historically and also in light of international law, South Korea has been illegally occupying the islands. To work toward resolving the issue, it is essential to tenaciously conduct enlightenment activities, including enrichment of education on territories.
Shimane Prefecture and other organizations held a ceremony in Matsue on Thursday to mark Takeshima Day. The Japanese government officially incorporated Takeshima into Shimane Prefecture on Feb. 22, 1905. In connection with this, the prefecture designated Feb. 22 as Takeshima Day in an ordinance enacted in 2005.
Yuhei Yamashita, a parliamentary vice minister of the Cabinet Office, who attended the ceremony as a government representative, said: "The current situation is extremely regrettable. It is a crucial matter closely related to the sovereignty of our country and we will seek to resolve the issue calmly and peacefully." This is the sixth straight year that a parliamentary vice minister has attended the ceremony.
Kiyoshi Takata, head of the Cabinet Secretariat's Office of Policy Planning and Coordination on Territory and Sovereignty, also attended a relevant symposium for the first time. It is natural for the government to engage with the matter actively.
It is unacceptable that South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement about the ceremony, saying that Seoul "strongly protests unjustifiable territorial claims being repeated."
Shimane Prefecture has been promoting research and study activities concerning Takeshima and has engaged in information dissemination. Early this month, the prefecture released data showing that it imposed tax on sea lion hunting around Takeshima in the prewar period. This is a valuable document that corroborates the prefecture's exercise of administrative power over the island. The prefecture's steady efforts must be lauded.
Drive home Japan's position
It is worrying, however, that in a public opinion survey conducted by the Cabinet Office last summer, those who answered that they are "interested in" Takeshima accounted for 59 percent of respondents, a drop of about 8 percentage points from the survey taken in 2014.
The government opened last month the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty -- a museum offering a look at Takeshima and the Senkaku Islands -- in Tokyo. It is imperative to step up efforts to galvanize public opinion on territories, including the northern territories occupied by Russia.
It is also essential to teach correct historical facts clearly at elementary, junior high and high schools.
Since the Edo period (1603-1867), Japan had used Takeshima for fishing and other purposes. In the San Francisco Peace Treaty signed in 1951, Takeshima was not included in the territories Japan relinquished.
However, South Korea set the Syngman Rhee Line unilaterally in 1952 and has since defiantly stationed guards on Takeshima.
The South Korean military conducted training last June to defend Takeshima and announced a plan last October to establish the "headquarters for defense of strategic islands."
Beyond not complying with requests for negotiations, it is really hard to understand that South Korea regards Japan as something like a potential enemy. This makes no sense at all. Without overlooking South Korea's self-righteous behavior, Tokyo must convey Japan's position repeatedly to Seoul.
North Korea's art troupe, which visited South Korea in connection with the Pyeongchang Olympics, performed a song in which it deliberately changed lyrics to mention "Dokdo," the Korean name of Takeshima.
Caution must be taken against North Korea's provocative attempt to use Takeshima for anti-Japan propaganda.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 23, 2018)
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