Japanese textbooks to mention territorial claim
The Yomiuri Shinbun reports that the Education Ministry has released curriculum guidelines that include teaching children that the Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima), are Japanese territory:
The Education, Science and Technology Ministry will incorporate a description of the Takeshima islets in the Sea of Japan, over which Japan and South Korea claim sovereignty, as “Japanese territory” in its handbook on the revised curriculum guideline for social studies classes at middle schools, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Saturday. It has also been reported that South Korea’s foreign minister has met with the Japanese ambassador to voice his government’s displeasure with the news.
The previous curriculum guidelines and handbooks have only referred to the territorial dispute between Japan and Russia over the Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and Habomai islands, known as the northern territories in Japan.
The Takeshima islets, which are under the administrative jurisdiction of Okinoshimacho, Shimane Prefecture, are known as Dokdo in South Korea.
In South Korea, where every child is taught to sing Dokdo propaganda songs and some schools even sanction anti-Japanese hate artwork about the dispute, the new move by Japan to teach children that the Japanese government claims the territory is being seen by the media as the starting point of a ‘new row‘ over the rocks.
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It’s certainly not uncommon for textbooks already to refer to Takeshima as “Japan’s definite territory” (日本固有の領土).
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Japan shouldn’t stoop to the same low level as nationalistic Koreans. What’s wrong with just saying “Takeshima is an uninhabited island claimed by both Japan and Korea”?
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just bomb that piece of rock to the sea ground and no more problems…
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Maybe they can use it as the new US navy base?
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lol actually its just a huge rock in the sea^^ i dont think you can do anything with that.. its just to be able to put military/coast guard vessels in the waters around the rock and so nearer to japan/korea
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which country is the rock geographically closer to?
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Ulleung-do is closer to Dokdo/Takeshima.
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The reason why Japanese say “take it to international court” is because they have nothing to lose while Korea has everything to lose so Korea isn’t risking. Also the importance of these islets is that it involves a whole maritime zone.
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Korea has nothing to lose because according to Japanese claim, Korea is not supposed to have anything about Takeshima in the first place.
The best site I know that examines the both claims is
http://dokdo-or-takeshima.blogspot.com/
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What about Korea’s claims that dates back to Shilla period, while Japan’s claim only dates back to 1905? I read some of the contents of the blog and it seems that the creator of the blog is no one else than Gerry Bevers, the infamous troll who reside in Korea and badmouth about it all the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ke2NpT6m4w
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Just visit Gerry’s blog, which has comment section where you can discuss.
His blog has references to Korean claims as well as Japan’s claims. Korean sites has no comment sections.
Gerry is not a troll but he is one of the best researcher on Dokdo/Takeshima.
He was fired from a university just because he uploaded posts on Takeshima /Dokdo and because Korean nationalists got angry at his debunking Korean myth.
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As I said, I al;ready read some of the content and it seemed one sided. Why waste my time reading this blog from that guy? And what myth?
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Your classification of him as an “infamous troll” shows that you are already biased enough not to change your mind, so yeah, there probably isn’t much point in you reading it.
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Did you read his comments on marmot hole or occidentalism.org? He even reside in Korea and teach to Koreans in an university with a straight face while with ill intentions towards Korea. What is the world’s perception about this issue? Even though most people are ignorant about it, they will think it’s Korean because their common sense is saying so except for those who have a political agenda because of communist threat coming from the north or because they are shallow japanophiles.
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Yes, I read his comments, and yours are way out of line. You seem to think that any critique of Korean nationalism is criticism of Korea itself.
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The reason I said you should visit Gerry’s site is because you can discuss the topic in depth out there:Japan Probe is for general readers.
Korean nationalists use ad hominem attack on Gerry because they
can not refute Gerry.
If you are not afraid of the truth, just visit it and people will welcome you.
Are you afraid of rational discussions that will lead you to the truth about Takeshima/Dokdo?
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Asking to read someone’s blog whose character I repudiate is asking too much, no? And it has nothing to do with being afraid to the truth which Japanese cannot show. Gerry’s scheme is this: pointing out the flaws that every book or record has to prove his point. But the more and more he tries, the opposite of his objective becomes clear.
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Not too much, because the forum is open: nobody will block you, He will welcome sincere criticisms.
In other words, he is debunking Korean myth.
That’s what you refuses to do, despite the open invitation to a discussion.
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“As I said, I al;ready read some of the content and it seemed one sided. Why waste my time reading this blog from that guy? And what myth?”
This is because Korea’s arguments have been DEFEATED time and time again ad nauseum. It’s just so painfully obvious and hence, it’s the reason why Korea won’t show up to the ICJ.
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By the way the reason it should be taken to international court is because it is the most civilized way and fair.
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The best site that I know examines the both sides of the claims is
http://dokdo-or-takeshima.blogspot.com/
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Um, well what language do they speak on the Island? If it is Japanese then its part of Japan if it is Korean then it is part of Korea, if it is its own language then its independent. If no one lives there then it doesn’t matter.
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It’s not an island – it’s just a couple rocks. The only people on the island are an ultra-nationalist couple that settled there not long ago, some lighthouse staff, and a South Korean police unit. The rocks cannot support any crops and there isn’t much fresh water, so they have to be supplied from the outside.
“ultranationalist”<<<<<,laughable… Do you know the couple?
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Apparently there is no permanent population any more. Not a surprise, since they are really little more than rocks.
http://www.korea.net/News/Issues/issueDetailView.asp?board_no=5729
What is interesting and more than a little nationalist is all those Koreans who have changed their address to “San 1-37, Dokdo-ri, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea.”
There are of course firm historical reasons for Korea not to be overly fond of Japan, but they lose a lot of sympathy when such things as this are encouraged:
http://uqmgp.hp.infoseek.co.jp/
These are little children being indoctrinated with violent hatred.
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…:
I suppose it was unfair for me to say they were ultranationalists without meeting them. I’m sure there are plenty of rational non-nationalistic reasons why a couple would choose to live on some disputed barren rocks.
Overthinker:
Oops, I was under the impression they were still living on the island.
On a related note, I wonder how many ultra-nationalist Aussies have taken up residence in Antarctica to demonstrate the sovereignty of Australia over the Australian Antarctic Territory….?
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Indoctrinated with violent hatred<<<<<<< they are not indoctrinated, it’s only your bias and generalization, what do you have to say about the Japanese indoctrinated by the right wings who always badmouth about Koreans in 2ch, youtube and blogs dedicated only to bash Korea? In Korea there isn’t such thing.
If a couple was selected to live there to show sovereignty over the islets, what’s wrong with it?
According to Japanese, if the islets don’t belong to Korea they should belong to Japan. Is there any valid claim from
Japanese that it should legitimately belong to them? Why don’t they claim Seoul as theirs too?
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Whatever dislike some Japanese may have for Korea, as seen on such free-for-all forums as 2ch, they are
(a) not primary school children being indoctrinated with hate, and
(b) not stuck up on public transport walls for all to see.
Of course they are indoctrinated. Young children don’t know nearly enough about international relations and history to form their own opinions to that extent.
I don’t doubt there are no blogs in Korea dedicated to bashing Korea. But I’ll bet there are a ton dedicated to bashing Japan.
Your comment about Seoul shows you have gone off the rails.
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by the way Putin returned two of those Islands Last year.
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yes. Actually the islets is too small it isnt even suitable for a town or anything productive to both countries. Its just a battle for a country’s pride. I understand korea’s stance too because they already had tons of experience of japan taking away their precious resources during WW2. They’d rather give the pile of rocks away to china or taiwan or some other country just not to japan.
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“Its just a battle for a country’s pride.”
I disagree. At least, it’s not matter of Japan’s pride. It’s a matter of sovereign right and international law for Japan.
For South Korea, it is different though.
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Actually what they really want are the EEZs around them. Fishing and mineral rights. Korea uses anti-Japanese sentiment to incite the populace into thinking this is an issue of patriotism, and Japan tries, half-heartedly, but not enough Japanese give a crap.
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I don’t see why Korea should use anti-Japanese sentiment if they already know what is rightfully theirs, by your writing you must think Koreans are bunch of irrational psychotic ultra-nationalists who always whine which already show your bias. You should visit sites like enjoykorea or other boards to see who are the trolls and who are the more mannered ones although there are both types on both sides.
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Rather, on threads like this, the “irrational psychotic ultra-nationalists who always whine” are Koreans, or often Korean-Americans.
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japanprobe in a nutshell:
-james posts something inflammatory about korean/japanese relations
-an agitated korean / korean american / someone sympathetic toward koreans responds
-shit hurling ensues
-repeat
this is never going to end is it?
have a nice life, everyone.
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There is massive indoctrination in Korea. Just mention Takeshima in a Korean elementary classroom and the students will go crazy screaming “DOKDO!!!” and yelling about how they hate Japan. These are 6-7 year olds!
I showed this article to my Japanese students yesterday and they had no idea what Takeshima was. I don’t care who is the real owner of Liancourt Rocks, why can’t they just share it, it can be Asia’s Cypress
A shocking example of indoctrination-
http://aog.2y.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1550
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Unfortunatelly there are some ultranationalist that cause conflicts between these two nations. I have some Korean friends in my school, and they are very nice. Meawhile they consider their Japanese friends at the same degree of friendship. Why cannot they get along with each other, if they are brothers and sister? I hope that more and more Koreans know better Japan as well as more and more Japanese know better Korea, and the friendship between these two people can be improved soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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