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“East Sea” removed from Korean-Japanese friendship monument in Tottori Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shinbun is reporting that a monument in Koutoura, Tottori Prefecture, which was built to celebrate the friendship between Japan and Korea, has been altered:

The monument originally had the phrase “Sea of Japan (East Sea)” written on it, but somebody decided to remove the “East Sea” part from its face. According to the Chugoku Shinbun, citizens of Tottori Prefecture pointed out last year that there was no need for “East Sea” on the monument, so the potion was removed in March. The Koutoura town Commerce/Tourism commision has stated that “Sea of Japan” is all that the monument needs. The removal was likely in response the attempts of South Korea’s nationalist government to convince the international community to remove the name “Sea of Japan” from their maps and use the Korea-centric name “East Sea” as the new international name for the body of water.

[via Sparkling Korea]

Update: The Yomiuri Shinbun’s English language site has posted this story:

The Kotouracho municipal government in Tottori Prefecture has scraped away the Korean name for the Sea of Japan–East Sea–from a monument celebrating the town’s ties with Gangwon Province, South Korea.

The monument was erected by the then Akasakicho municipal government in 1994 to commemorate a historic incident during the Edo period (1603-1867) in which the Tottori Domain rescued a drifting ship from the province in the sea near the town.

28 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - May 9, 2007 at 4:02 pm

Categories: Anti-Japan, Politics Tags:

the overthinker

This is ridiculous. The article implies that the town removed the words, but if so, they did a very bad job – this looks like random vandalism.
Wahoo

The rest of the world don’t care about “Sea of Japan” and “East Sea”.
But obviously Japanese care how the rest of the world think.

When it comes to issues such as Japanese history, comfort women, etc, clearly Japanese don’t care how the rest of world think but only focus on them within domestic scope.

Later on, Japanese young generation will be proud because the rest of world call it “Sea of Japan” but be very confused and angry because the rest of world never respect Japan except for its money, they talk about over and over about what Japanese did WWII and but never apologize and distortion of history…

I saw the limit of Japanese Spirit.

ponta

Not many Japanese know the issue of the sea of Japan unlike Korean people.
There is nothing emotional about this issue for Japanese because all they have to do is to point out the historical facts. The Japanese spend little money on the issue of the sea of Japan and Dokdo.
As for the apologies, Japanese government apologized several times.
It is just that some Koreans do not want to admit it, saying it is not sincere.
Some people claim it is not sincere to demand more apology when they have no intention to accept apology. IMO, most Japanese just want to move on.
As for the rest of the world, as of now, it seems , relatively speaking, they see Japan favorably.
http://www.marketingcharts.com/topics/branding/college-students-clueless-about-brands-origins-462/
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060204/kyodo/d8fi7opge.html
Oh, yes, Korea is an exception.

Wahoo

What do you feel from the above picture of the burn monument???

Anger, isn’t it?

I also feel a burn peace.

Common, if Japanese is not emotional about the name, please let those poor Koreans win over this stupid name ego contest and call that small pond of sea as ” East Sea”. And there may be a little respect and peace.

Also, you are ridiculous about URL. Are you proud because people think SamSung is “made in Japan”?

IMHO,( in my humble opinion), there has been something going on between Japan and Korea. This may be from sometime 100s years before WWII. So far based on what I learned, it is always Japan that did evil. Japan invaded Korea. Korea seems never invaded Japan.
Japan also invaded China while China never invaded Japan.
What’s wrong with Japan? Why can’t Japanese leave a peaceful Koreans alone? And Japan invaded US as well.
Tell me if Korea or China ever invaded Japan.
So who is the bad boy in history

This may be the reason Japan government tries to erase the history of what bad boys have done.

http://www.japanprobe.com James

“Tell me if Korea or China ever invaded Japan.”

Koreans and Chinese subjects aided the Mongols in their attempt to invade Japan.

Not that it matters at all, because all those events were long long ago, and the people involved are no longer alive. Sadly, some people cling to backwards ways of thinking in which they somehow believe that people alive today should be judged by the actions of what long dead people from that country did to long dead people of another country.

Wahoo

I am 100% sure Mongols forced them.
As Japanese forced Korean men to join Japanese military.

But in memory or view of invaded country, the scar of invasion lasts generation after generation. If the invasion happens freqeuntly and specialy from nighboring country, it would remain very long.

If the Mogol’s attempt were successful, Japanese would understand better Korean’s feeling.

Claiming Dokdo as Japanese land means to Korean much more than just ownership claiming over small Island. This is also hard for Japanese to understand.

Respect, honest, and understanding are key to overcome this misusage of “nationalistic ego”.

It is not important who said first but how to end with a respect.
ponta

Actually Korean king suggested Mongol to invade Japan.
http://toron.pepper.jp/jp/middle/image/genkou1.jpg

Claiming the titile of Dokdo means a lot to many Koreans because it is a symbolo of their nationalism and it is not based on historical ground. It is very hard for Japanese to understand how they can claim the title without basis and they can be so be so excited about it.
Wahoo

Ponta

Stop saying historic ground.
If you keep saying, you will find the whole Japan is from Korea.
So Korean may claim the whole land of Japan belongs to Korea

Specially for Dokdo, I think there are lots of evidences even in Japan. There is a Japanese map showing Dokdo is not part of Japanese Land.

ponta

As for the URL, I am not sure if you have read them.
“The top 3 countries cited as making quality products were Japan, the US and Germany:”
“Japan viewed most positively in world poll, “

concerned Filipino

“Claiming the titile of Dokdo means a lot to many Koreans because it is a symbolo of their nationalism and it is not based on historical ground. It is very hard for Japanese to understand how they can claim the title without basis and they can be so be so excited about it”

LOL, and the historical basis for naming it “Sea of Japan” would be?
ponta

The basis would be it has been called the sea of Japan among various nations.
the overthinker

The Europeans who so named it.

Sonagi

“…the rest of world never respect Japan except for its money, they talk about over and over about what Japanese did WWII and but never apologize and distortion of history…”

Korea and China are not “the rest of the world.”

the overthinker

…they are to the Chinese and Koreans….
Wahoo

Are you saying it is ok for Chinese and Korean to hate Japanese ???

If Japan can not get a respect from neighboring counries, what do you expect from the rest of countries?

Do you see how close relation UK and US have?

ponta

There is a big difference between “Chinese and Koreans hate Japanese” and “it is okay for Chinese and Koreans to hate Japanese.”

daniel

What a very very bias article. First, Korea does not want the international community to stop using the name “Sea of Japan”- it wants the international community to use both names. And second, the name “East Sea” is not “Korea-centric”, it’s rather, a neutral name for the Japan-centric “Sea of Japan”. Even old Japanese maps display the current Sea of Japan/East Sea as the “Sea of Chosen (朝鮮海)” while naming the Pacific Ocean as the “Sea of Great Japan (大日本海)”.

Also, yes, the Japanese government has apologised for its past actions, but their apologies have never been sincere, and the actions of some government officials shows this ever too clearly. Japan should learn from Germany and her sincere, real approach rather forcing out a hollow “sorry” every now and then.

http://surfin-english.blogspot.com Jamie

It’s known as the Sea of Japan because A) everyone knows what it means because it is the Sea surrounded by Japan and everyone knows where Japan is, and B) because that is the most popular name for it. Japan called the sea the Sea of Chosen because they were talking from their own point of view. They didn’t call it the Japan Sea, because that would be stupid. Every sea around Japan would be the Japan Sea, but Sea of Chosen explains which one is meant. What Japan called it in the past is also irrelevant, because we don’t care what they called it. We have our own name.

Calling it the East Sea only makes sense if you live in China, Russia, or Korea. Making the rest of the world call it, “Sea of Japan/East Sea” is silly, because we don’t care, and we already have a name for it. You call it what you want to call it, we’ll call it what we want to call it, and everyone will be happy.
the overthinker

The Koreans can of course call it whatever they want – no one, not even the GOJ, is trying to stop them calling it the East Sea. The problem is what it is to be known as internationally. The “Japan Sea” label was NOT chosen by Japan; it was given to the body of water by European explorers, who no doubt decided that as it was defined as a sea by the existence of Japan, that would be a good descriptive name for it. So it doesn’t matter WHAT either Japanese or Korean maps call it: we are not discussing the Japanese or Korean names for it (unless Korea wants Japan to stop calling it Nihonkai). The issue is solely what the international appellation shall be.

Using both names – is this anything like “teach the controversy” for ID as a way to sneak it in under the guise of fairness?

And you have some sort of magic Sincerity Meter for evaluating Japanese government apologies? Perhaps you can quantify a few of them for us: there’s quite a selection to start from.

concerned Filipino

Is the Sea of Japan surrounded by Japan? Not entirely. Part of it is closed off by the Korean peninsula. A large part of it is bounded off by Russia. So I guess, by your logic, it could be called the “Sea of Russia”, couldn’t it?

I’m not arguing one way or the other. I’m just pointing out what I believe to be an error in your reasoning.

And no, we can’t have “we’ll call it what we want, and you call it what you want.” We need a standardized international name. Here’s an idea: how about neither?

Actually, I don’t think the issue should be so important, and I don’t think the Koreans should be making such a big deal out of it, but I also don’t like the way that the Japanese have been acting “superior” to the Koreans because of it.

“Using both names – is this anything like “teach the controversy” for ID as a way to sneak it in under the guise of fairness?”

LOL, and I guess, instead of this, you’d rather we use the far better plan of simply calling it “Sea of Japan”?

ponta

“I also don’t like the way that the Japanese have been acting “superior” to the Koreans because of it”
Or do some Korean feel the Korean have been acting “inferior ” to Japanese?
No race are superior to, nor inferior to a specific race.
the overthinker

No, because without the Japanese archipelago there would BE no sea – it would be the Pacific Ocean. The sea is created by the existence of Japan. Without Japan there is no sea. In the same way there is no Sea of Whatever-Land-Doesn’t-Lie-Off-California.

And yes, I would prefer the simpler plan of calling it “The Sea of Japan”. Since the only people who have a problem with that English name are the Koreans, and you don’t see the French insisting everyone calls the English Channel “The Sleeve”. As stated before, the issue is NOT one of Korea trying to force the Japanese to call it the East Sea, or the Japanese trying to force the Koreans to call it the Japan Sea. The issue is what it is known as internationally.

Where have the Japanese been acting “superior” and how?

nobu

Calling the body of water Japan sea or East sea is purely a geographical matter. Does it have anything to do with Japan-sincere-apology thing? All we have to do is to ask the whole world which name is more logical, convenient and not confusing.
Steve

Wow, ‘scraped’ away? Looks more like they blow torched it away… If anything, this looks like vandalism then a correction/removal.
Pingback: More on the removal of “East Sea” from a Korean-Japanese friendship monument in Tottori Prefecture : Japan Probe
John

The Japanese people talk. 97% map of the world does ‘ Sea of Japan ‘ as marking it does abandon. But Korean people talk. That 3% map of the world starts ‘ East Sea’ marking does. like this well! it turns and well! 20 first time it is not caught. Only moment the hour invest. show the force of the Korean netizen quite in Japan//日本の人々は話す。世界の97% の地図はそれに印を付けて断念すると同時に’ 日本海’ 。しかし韓国の人々は話す。示す世界の開始’ 東海’ の3% の地図はこれをよく好むこと! それは回り、湧き出る! 20 初めてそれはつかまえられない。時ただ時間は日本にショーを韓国のnetizen の力かなり投資する//日本人谈话。世界的97% 地图’ 日本海

http://www.japanprobe.com James

But Korean people talk.

And they do it through terrible machine translation, failing to write anything that makes sense.

Great work.

Sam

Comment by James: “But Korean people talk.. And they do it through terrible machine translation, failing to write anything that makes sense”

Isn’t all that translated from Japanese? How is it Korean?

“East Sea” removed from Korean-Japanese friendship monument in Tottori Prefecture

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