뉴스레터

It was in March 2005 that Shimane Prefecture of Japan enacted ‘Takeshima Day’ as an ordinance. Shimane Prefecture began to promote international publicity on Dokdo, marking Dokdo as a Japanese territory in textbooks and Defense of Japan(Annual White Paper) after the enactment of the ordinance.

Japan claims the sovereignty over Dokdo, saying, "Even if we look at historical facts, Takeshima is Japan's territory under current international law." And they say, "Korea is making Takeshima occupation a reality," and that they will cope with it from a long-term perspective. The differences between Korea and Japan are always stark: It is time to reexamine Japan's attitude and response to the territorial issue of Dokdo.

15th Takeshima Day Ceremony

<The 15th ‘Takeshima Day’ event>

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 1:30 p.m., ‘Takeshima Day’ was held in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. It was an event that was attended by 400 invited guests, including organizers and lawmakers, and 100 ordinary citizens. It was held in the first part ceremony and the second part symposium. In the ‘Takeshima Archives’ in the prefectural building, a special exhibition was held to display the winning works of Takeshima Writing Competition, which middle school students participated in.

In the aftermath of the Covid-19 spread, most participants wore masks. After the welcoming speech of the governor of Shimane Prefecture(organizer), the chairman of the Shimane Prefecture Council(the chairman of the Takeshima and Northern Territory Return Request Movement Association), guest congratulatory speeches continued.

The contents of the congratulatory address were all similar. They claim that Takeshima is a Japanese territory under historical and international law and that Korea has illegally occupied it, and mentioned the achievements of Shimane Prefecture and the Japanese government after the enactment of Takeshima Day Ordinance. This was followed by a certificate of appreciation for those who collaborated on research on Dokdo, and a reading of a special resolution by the chairman of the Shimane Prefecture Council to establish Takeshima territorial rights.

At the symposium on the theme of ‘Takeshima Day 15 Years of the Ordinance,’ Masao Shimojo(下條正男) Professor Takashoku University was the host, and Senator Yoshitaka Shinto(新藤義孝) was the member of the House of Representatives, and the Cabinet Office of the Kingo Toyota(豊田欣吾) was the panelist. The presenter's questions and panel presentations were mainly conducted in accordance with the government's activities related to Dokdo and future development directions. Among the 'performances' mentioned in the guest speech earlier, there were many mentions of the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty. More than 7,000 visitors visited the site within a month of the re-opening of The National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty, and they are seeking ways to strengthen related education and publicity through the site.

The leaflets Japan has created to promote Takeshima

(source: Homepage of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

<Expanding from local events to national events>

On March 17, 2005, in Shimane Prefecture, the ordinance of the council proposed to set February 22 as Takeshima Day was passed with the approval of many members of the Shimane prefecture council. As a result, the first Takeshima Day event was held on February 22, 2006, and the 15th event was held this year.

Since the first event, the external form of the Takeshima event has not changed; it has been conducted on the same scale and in the same way every year; however, the internal form seems to have changed a lot. I remember no central government officials or lawmakers who participated in the first Takeshima Day. However, in recent years, a number of central government officials and lawmakers have participated in the event as guests.

In addition, it seems that the participation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe(安倍晋三) was requested. In this regard, one audience protested to the panel attending the symposium, "Why did Abe not attend?" And the central government official replied with the intention that "that day will come soon." In other words, the reason was that the enactment of Takeshima Day led to the establishment of the Cabinet Secretariat’s Office of Policy Planning and Coordination on Territory and Sovereignty and the opening of the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty. If Shimane Prefecture performs more in connection with the central government in the future, the prime minister will not be able to attend.

The first Takeshima Day event was held amid indifference and criticism from the central government of Japan and the surrounding Shimane Prefecture; but 14 years later, the situation has changed to 180 degrees. Takeshima Day seems to be on the way to expanding to events of the entire Japanese people, which was an event limited to Shimane Prefecture. I felt like I was about to get out of the way.

The stuffed sea lion on display at the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty in Japan