Tokyo raises Y1 bil yen to buy disputed Senkaku isles

China has internal problems and the narcissistic injuries inflicted by Japan dating back to Sino-Japan War 1894.

wtf?!? millions of civilians dead from direct assault by japanese military is narcissistic injuries?

China has internal problems and the narcissistic injuries inflicted by Japan dating back to Sino-Japan War 1894. Japan needs to change the Constitution and protect the country from their irrational aggressive military policy. I am glad that Ishihara is trying what he could to protect Japan.

You saw this in your crystal ball? Look, the Chinese are just not a sea faring people. The Japanese are. The Chinese are totally and hopelessly outclassed on the sea by the Japanese in terms of....everything. Chinese lack of skill or interest or equipment for the sea explains why Taiwan is still free...if you are one of those hell bent on insisting China is so incredibly belligerent (thought apparently also impossibly indecisive).

Erm, you DO realize that the China spends way more money on military than Japan does or ever will? Also, you do realize that the China's economy will get bigger and bigger, perhaps even surpassing that of the US's some day?

I can believe how naive some of the Japanese people actually are. Even the US is worried about rising military power of China, obviously.

The Chinese has a special grudge against Japan, for obvious past tense relations between them. China has stated that they are willing to forgive other countries such as the US, but they are not willing to forgive Japan. Japan should be worried.

He's doing the right thing by consolidating Japanese territory.

Maybe just a suggestion, try researching both navies before you make factually incorrect statements. The Chinese navy in nearly every single class of ship has more than the JMSDF. So crystal ball hardly, its called fact.

I think he did Cletus. That's why he made that statement.

Lack of skill? Hardly. Lack of equipment? Definitely not. Lack of interest? I think not.

Lack of skill. Yes. Lack of equipment? No. Lack of interest? Yes. Compared to how much effort they put in the army.

Quantity versus quality.

http://www.recordchina.co.jp/group.php?groupid=37887

I agree with the Moderator; why write over 70 blogs and ignore the subject - the Senkakus Islands. China will open shop when they want to.

I have to say the picture they are using of him isnt very flattering. Looks like he is straining to squeeze one out....

Ishihara is, and always has been a total nutcase. I cannot believe that the people of the largest city in the world elected him as their Public Representative. This money is being wasted on old ways of thinking, the thinking that brought havoc to Japan and the Japanese people before and during the Second World War. The money could have been used to to so much good in the Tohoku area, where people are still suffering, or indeed for the large numbers of homeless people in Tokyo. It's being spent on a futile and outdated, even evil, philosophy that sould not exists in this country any more, at the behest of an old man who has absolutely no sense, and who is an embarrassment to Tokyo and also to Japan. He should be consigned to the nearest Rest Home, together with his flawed philosophy of Imperial Japan.

Once he buys it, he should protect it by living there.

Make sure there's enough rocks to throw at fishing trawlers that come too close.

Cletus, in that case, the japanese need to stop providing billions of dollars every year for the unreliable U.S. forces stationed in Japan (in such forms as Omoiyari Yosan "sympathy" money for Americans, for example) , and instead, begin strengthening Japan's own independent defense capabilities, utilising its state-of-the-art technologies, such as that of the Hayabusa spacecraft, as well as trillions of dollars'/Euros' worth of external financial assets (including US treasury bonds). It might be possible to see Ishihara's Senkaku move in such context (although I normally tend to feel Ishihara is a very odd, un-japanesey man who crave the limelight.) As I noted earlier, in spite of what is believed by gaijin "intellectuals" of this forum, Japan is endowed with both financial muscle and most advanced technological prowess. It's a question of political will, probably.

valued_customer

"they will build more warships than the Japanese" You saw this in your crystal ball? Look, the Chinese are just not a sea faring people. The Japanese are. The Chinese are totally and hopelessly outclassed on the sea by the Japanese in terms of....everything.

Maybe just a suggestion, try researching both navies before you make factually incorrect statements. The Chinese navy in nearly every single class of ship has more than the JMSDF. So crystal ball hardly, its called fact.

Chinese lack of skill or interest or equipment for the sea explains why Taiwan is still free...if you are one of those hell bent on insisting China is so incredibly belligerent (thought apparently also impossibly indecisive).

Lack of skill? Hardly. Lack of equipment? Definitely not. Lack of interest? I think not. Logic would say why would they attack Taiwan or these islands at the moment. If they did they would have the USN coming down on them, logic would say that they wait, the US is going down hill fast. They are cutting their military, China is building theirs. At some point in the future the US will be in now position to help Taiwan, Japan or other nations then and only then would China take action. So watch this space...

they will build more warships than the Japanese

You saw this in your crystal ball?

Look, the Chinese are just not a sea faring people. The Japanese are. The Chinese are totally and hopelessly outclassed on the sea by the Japanese in terms of....everything.

Chinese lack of skill or interest or equipment for the sea explains why Taiwan is still free...if you are one of those hell bent on insisting China is so incredibly belligerent (thought apparently also impossibly indecisive).

This is what will happen.

The government will step in to stop Ishihara or buy the land themselves. The money will not be returned. The money will be "put to good use" Never hear about the money again.

valued_customer:

It was the same deal during the time of the Khans. China just doesn't have the boats. Japan has quite a navy. The Chinese are not going to swim to the Senkakus.

Ahaha, so basically the "kamikaze will save us!!"? Yeah... that sounds like a plan.

China is bigger than Japan in every way. Their population is bigger, their economy is bigger, they will build more warships than the Japanese, etc, while Japan is a declining nation. I'm sorry but that's just how it goes in the real world... might makes right. Prepare to be harassed by the Chinese in the coming years... The only way out of this would be diplomacy.

@Mary Marylander, that is called a metaphor... So Ishihara is being more nationalistic and war-mongering than being peaceful and constructive and building more allies. I doubt that Ishihara will get anywhere with that kind of an attitude, but whatever... Some people in Japan may be naive enough to think that Ishihara is some kind of a big shot, but in the world arena I'm pretty sure that he would merely be laughed off as a kook...

How the heck is Japan supposed defend itself when China will have much bigger and badder military? The fact is that Japan can't,

It was the same deal during the time of the Khans. China just doesn't have the boats. Japan has quite a navy. The Chinese are not going to swim to the Senkakus.

I am always amazed how much people believe the hyping by the press about the danger of China to her neighbors. Year after year we are warned about China. And year after year, nothing changes, not even China's ability to really do anything militarily, which it does far less than say the U.S.

ishihara shall never own that isles, he is just using this matter for his political campaign! I pity so many naive Japanese believes the hoax he fabricated!

Back on topic please. From here on, posts that do not focus on the Senkakus will be removed.

I'm a bit confused, how can a Japanese family just own a group of unihabited islands claimed by two countries. It's like if someone just bought Hawaii and said it was their own.

So, will the islands be the 24th ward of Tokyo? :)

Ishihara's tactic is politically brilliant. If the islands are privately owned, China can take them by pressure. If they are government owned, China would not because it would be an act of war.

I hope global warming ends this stupid dispute soon.

Ishihara and other conservatives in Japan are trying to change the dysfunctional “pacifist” Constitution imposed on Japan by American occupying forces after the war. The plan is to build the conventional military possibly to replace the American military stationed in Japan. This idea is supported by the conservative Americans as well, who are getting tired of Japan’s lack of contribution to their collective defense. US forces have most recently agreed to intervene if China decides to militarily occupy Senkaku. US may be “neutral” with regard to the islands’ ownership but they are currently under Japanese administration. If Japan wants to defend itself it needs ultimately to become nuclear but US is not allowing it for now.

The reason why the owner is willing to sell to Tokyo is because for the past decade or so, Nagata-cho has done nothing but empty promises in regards to development.

The lease between the owner and the central government will expire in March of next year. By that time, not only there be enough money to purchase the lands outright, there will be ample funds to develop it without using taxpayers money. Tokyo will then built ports for access by fishermen, JCG, and MPD. Temporary housing, communication infrastructure, and various public works comes next which paves way for stationing JMSDF which was sorely lacking due to logistical deficiencies. The presence of JMSDF will also pave way for commercial developers of gas fields for their reluctance has always been the lack of protection.

One other note. Though JCG is somewhat reluctant to use force against illegal Chinese trawlers, MPD is a total different story. They are, dare I say, very trigger happy when it comes to illegal tresspassers within their territory so a repeat of the last incident will definitely end up in a different outcome.

Thomas Anderson: these cavemen with sticks.........

Ishihara might be considering the possibility of changing the utopian, absolute pacifist stance of japan, utilising the state-of-the-art technologies, such as that of the Hayabusa spacecraft, as well as trillions of dollars' worth of external financial assets, for the future defense of Japan. And, instead of providing billions of dollars every year for the unreliable U.S. forces stationed in Japan (in the form of Omoiyari Yosan "sympathy" money for Americans, for example) , he might be considering strengthening Japan's own independent defense capabilities. In spite of what is believed by "intellectuals" of this forum, Japan is endowed with both financial muscle and technological prowess. It's a question of political will, probably.

I'm a bit confused... the islets are owned by a Japanese family and they lease some of them to the J government. The city of Tokyo needs to buy these islets for... what? The islands are 2000 km away from the city, they have no common border.

Issa1

There is another saying that is very apt for this story. A fool and his money is easily parted!

Thank god they are friends of ishihara-san and They are People conscious of your

responsibility with japan.

and what a small world it is.... the family who own the rock are longtime family friends of none other than... the Ishiharas...

issa1, the truth is that no one really cares that much... They're just calling someone an idiot when they see one.

How the heck is Japan supposed defend itself when China will have much bigger and badder military? The fact is that Japan can't, and all this posturing will only harm their already strained relationship with China even further. If they anger China even further than expect to see Chinese soldiers in your own soil... Japanese (and Chinese) people need to look past their pride and work toward a more constructive goal.

But these cavemen with sticks are only interested in posturing and appearing tough... rather than actually being tough.

I find it seriously weird that so many people are against this.

International maritime law grants nations rights within 200 kms of their coasts/borders (the difference is split in cases where countries are closer, ie:,England and France).

Ishihara is thinking of ensuring Japan has a large internationally recognized area of sovereignty.

If these islands are 2,000 off the coast, add an extra 200 km to that and Japan's area of ownership is much, much larger than if the Senkakus are NOT recognized as being part of Japan.

And with internationally recognized borders comes everything - in this case, fishing and energy exploration potential.

Seems most people above don't understand this.

Ishihara has made a smart move.

Very, very smart. 

If it is recognized internationally

To Pukey2,

Is so boring these posters nikkyoso-hanniti. What's wrong defending your country?

I wish there were more politicians like Ishihara-san.

issa1:

I feel proud of this man,Gambare Ishihara-san!!!

Classic symptoms of a Chinese troll.

China must be laughing - one way to bankrupt this nation! Reminds me of the way some unscrupulous people who make fake bids on ebay to jack up the prices, luring people to make bids which they never would have done in the first place.

Attempt this, and i'll look forward to your assasination

I feel proud of this man,Gambare Ishihara-san!!!

A billion yen, just so some old racist bigot can flip the bird at China. I was wrong - the economy must be better off than I thought. Clearly the people of Tokyo have money to burn if they are prepared to throw a billion yen at this nonsense.

How can these people look the people of Tohoku in the face? And the government are saying they dont have the budget to pay for Fukushima childrens health checks. Now if they opened a bank account to collect for THAT cause, I would love to know how much they would get.

How much money did these people raise for the victims in Tohoku? How much money could they raise to bail out Japan from its debt?? Seems these anti-Chinese.right wing folks have some cash to burn. Why not put it to better use?

Cheeseburglar: "We don't really have a navy to support any aggressive stance."

May I ask what the "agrressive stnce" is? Tokyo's purchase of the Senkaku from that Japanese family living in Saitama ?

It does not reflect well on the people of Tokyo that this man is their Govenor. Tokyo is one of the world's great cities and it should have a smart, savvy, forward-thinking person representing it. Not a small d*cked nationalistic fool like Ishihara.

Whether China actually grabs them and then sits on them I think is the bigger issue. Where will we be then if we keep pushing the Americans away as well. We don't really have a navy to support any aggressive stance.

Then all that cash would be wasted.

Stupid non-edit system:

nisegaijin

While we are at it, let's play a little game of "name one thing better to spend 1 billion yen on" Has to be for city of Tokyo (so no Ferrari's!) I'll start: How about Garbage bins on busy corners...

How about garbage bins anywhere! Apart from outside conbini and next to some vending machines I've never seen any.

Freaking waste of money. Is there a billion dollars worth of fish in and around that island? I doubt that but who knows maybe there are a million blue fin tunas (hon-maguro) but then again maybe there is a zillion yellow fin tunas (maguro) or a zillion takos? Who knows. Sounds dumb at the outset.

nisegaijin

While we are at it, let's play a little game of "name one thing better to spend 1 billion yen on" Has to be for city of Tokyo (so no Ferrari's!)

I'll start:

How about Garbage bins on busy corners...

How about garbage bins anywhere! Apart from outside conbini and next to some vending machines I've never seen any.

smithinjapan: Beijing won't care one wit how Ishihara decides to

Really? I don't get such an impression from my daily conversation with Chinese friends of the PRC.

I'm not crying mate, I'm sickened.

And the Tokyo government can donate the earnings to Tohoku every year when it receive the money from the J government.

China should ask for more cash and then ask Tokyo to withdraw its Olympic bid. I bet that would get the press chatting and chatting.

Probie: If the government wanted them, they would buy them first.

As I noted, the Tokyo government can lease the Senkaku to the Japanese government and receive money every year just in the same way that the current Japanese owners have leased it to the Japanese/American governments for the past several decades. No problem.

And China is going to 'buy' this for what reason again? Beijing won't care one wit how Ishihara decides to, yet again, waste all the tax-payers' money. In fact, it will completely derail any and all chances of working together on the gas fields, and China will simply start bringing in war ships to do its work -- to which Japan will have absolutely no way of responding. In essence, Ishihara is taking his patriotism and making sure that it's a way his country suffers. I'd say that pretty much defines 'ironic', but since we're talking about Ishihara, 'expected' is the better word here.

Ah, what that one billion could do to help people in the north!

Ishihara is a self-serving egomaniac. Whether it's racist outbursts, insults to women or any stunt such as this which can grab a headline. How anyone can take this minor smut novelist seriously is beyond me. I was hoping we could soon be delivered from this kind of nonsense when he retires but Hashimoto seems to be cut from a similar cloth.

While we are at it, let's play a little game of "name one thing better to spend 1 billion yen on" Has to be for city of Tokyo (so no Ferrari's!)

I'll start:

How about Garbage bins on busy corners...

All of Tohoku!!!

Miyagi!!!

There are soooo many better thins to spend this money on....

Also,

2,000 kilometers from Tokyo in rich fishing grounds

Nnnno thanks, I don't want any fish from there... Can't even imagine how badly this is contaminated. It would be really bad if all that crap ends up in my local supermarket....

Iwate!!

These old rich Japanese fools, so much money but so little BRAINS as to do something POSITIVE like helping the poor folk up in Fukushima, etc...!!!

Feel so sorry for the people in Tohoku. This is how IMPORTANT you guys are to the government. Its a slap in the face sigh

Cant we settle the dispute by giving Ishihara to China?

I dont really understand why it needs to be bought...it is already owned by a Japanese family ( Japanese being the key word ) ...what else is there...for what reason does Tokyo needs to own it?

The guy is simply out of his mind! What is it with these people (Ishihara and the likes). They can't seem to think of whats in the best interest for the citizens living here. Totally nuts.

paying extra tax? really?Billions of yen donated to Tokyo city government to buy the islands from some japanese family.

Tokyo residents will end up paying to protect them, not to buy them.

Then, Ishihara can either sell or lease them to the Japanese government.

If the government wanted them, they would buy them first.

Actually, he might be increasing Tokyo's revenues without using a single yen of tax payers' money.

As I said, they'll be paying for the extra security and the upkeep of the place.

I think that this is a rather silly move. If China wanted to claim the islands then they would use their military might to invade the islands. The US's position is "neutral", so they won't care. I don't know how Japan is supposed to defend against the Chinese military.

So they're just go to waste all those money on nothing when they'll probably be forcibly taken away by the Chinese anyway.

My only question is why? It only seems important to outdated far-right morons.

Imagine if that kind of money were donated to Tohoku, etc...

Priorities, people...

It is so funny to see all the biased guys are crying here over this issue. For sure they did not expect to see this amount of money donated. This is the reality, this is the way the world works. Nobody is complaining about Chinese brutal policy over territories, which clearly shows who they are.

What a waste of $$$$$!!!!! Or ¥¥¥¥!!!!

To ishihara and those who donated money, do you remember that there are people in tohoku who need help, money and some caring? Have you forgotten them already?

" china already offered them 1 billion$. "

So, China wish to buy the Senkaku islands from that Japanese family living in Saitama ? Interesting. (W

what the families are not saying is that china already offered them 1 billion$. so 1 billion yen? i dont think so

i say again, somebody please keep an eye on that money. the central bank of ishihara is not stable.

" The only real winners are the family which owns them... "

Really?

First, the current Japanese owners have been receiving considerable amount of money every year for the past several decades by leasing the Senkaku islands to the J government (and to the Americans during the US occupation of Okinawa).

Second, as I noted earilier, Ishihara might be actually increasing Tokyo's revenues without using a single yen of tax payers' money thanks to the billions of yen donated for the purchase.

Why don't you think about buying and resell it to the government ? You'll get a huge capital gain.

paying extra tax?

really?

Billions of yen donated to Tokyo city government to buy the islands from some japanese family. Then, Ishihara can either sell or lease them to the Japanese government. Actually, he might be increasing Tokyo's revenues without using a single yen of tax payers' money.

Failed bank, failed policies, failed governer, 1 mayor wants to ban people from drinking who work for the govt, another doesnt want people with tattoos working in the govt and this idjit wants to buy islands in the pacific, summer madness has struck those who sit on their hands in govt offices thats for sure.

Japan really is gurgling down the plug hole now at increasing speed.

Ishihara will be the death of Japan, failed bank bailed out with tax payers money

This is sooooooo stupid a city buying disputed land. Look forward to paying extra tax.