Japan Lawmaker Says Takeshima Is Japan's Territory; Seoul Condemns Move
A Japanese political figure, Sanae Takai, was quoted as saying it is important to inform the international community that Takeshima is Japan’s territory. The remarks, tied to the longstanding sovereignty dispute with Korea, drew swift response from South Korea’s ruling party.
South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party (DP) condemned the remarks as irresponsible and provocative, saying they undermine trust between Seoul and Tokyo and risk stoking regional tensions.
Japanese media, including Kyodo News, reported that during a Budget Committee session of the House of Representatives on the 12th, lawmakers pressed Takai on whether Tokyo would dispatch a minister-level official to Takeshima Day rather than a vice minister. She replied that the aim is to “inform the international community” that Takeshima is Japan’s territory and said the government would work to create conditions to realize sending a cabinet-level official in the future.
Takai, who the article notes took office in October last year, had previously suggested during the Liberal Democratic Party leadership process that sending a cabinet-level envoy to Takeshima Day could be acceptable. At the event held on the 22nd of last month, however, the government again sent a vice-minister, a move cited by agencies as reflecting a cautious approach toward the Korea-Japan relationship.
Takeshima Day is organized annually in Matsue, the capital of Shimane Prefecture on Japan’s western Honshu coast. Shimane officials emphasize Takeshima as part of their territory, a claim Korea rejects, referring to the islets as Dokdo and controlled by Seoul.
Kim Nam-gook, a spokesman for the Korean DP, urged an immediate halt to baseless territorial claims and historical distortions, calling the prime minister’s statements an expression of revisionist and expansionist thinking that damages trust in Korea-Japan relations and undermines Northeast Asia peace and cooperation.
For U.S. readers, the episode matters because it underscores ongoing sovereignty sensitivities that influence regional security dynamics, alliance posture, and diplomacy in Northeast Asia. Washington relies on a stable security framework with both Japan and South Korea, and sharp exchanges over territorial claims can complicate coordination on defense planning, interoperability, and responses to regional challenges—from North Korea’s weapons programs to contested sea lanes and supply chains for high-tech goods. The dispute also shapes how Tokyo and Seoul communicate about shared interests, including economic policy, technology trade, and regional sanctions regimes. Context about Takeshima/Dokdo remains central to understanding current tensions in a region where American interests hinge on predictable, peaceful diplomacy among allies.