2 in 3 Japanese remain interested in S Korea-held Takeshima islets

It is Japan's islands..

Hmm… I would offer up those islets to Korea in exchange for active vocal support on the Senkaku islands as well as the Northern Territories front from Korea. It is a loss, but the gain is much more valuable.

Isn’t there just now taking place that maneuver training with JSDF and US forces , training of defending and recapturing a remote island? Now, that little Takeshima problem would be a good playground to show the learned capabilities in that maneuver training.

The islands do not belong to anyone.

We didn't make Earth.

Just give them to SK. We are about to release a s load of radionuclides into the sea and one of the sea currents goes directly to there. The fish will all be toxic anyway. Not worth tension and war. They can take back their rocks.

@Sven Asai

Now, that little Takeshima problem would be a good playground to show the learned capabilities in that maneuver training.

The amphibious landing drill that Japan learned from the USMC is useless on Liancourt Rocks, the island could only be landed by helicopters and fast rubber boats.

Additionally, US-Japan defense treaty doesn't cover the Liancourt Rocks. If a war breaks out because of the Japanese military action on the Liancourt Rocks, then the US is out, even if Korean ballistic missiles start raining down on Tokyo. Remember, Korea has 6,000 ballistic missiles.

People in their 70s or older who expressed interest in the subject reached 74.8 percent, followed by those in their 60s at 70.5 percent, 50s at 62.9 percent, 40s at 57.1 percent and 30s at 51.7 percent. Respondents between 18 and 29 had the lowest level of interest at 38.2 percent.

Maybe these numbers might, MIGHT represent those living in Shimane Prefecture but I bet it would not be the case anywhere else in Japan! Ask anyone under 50 where the Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima) islands are and you would be hard pressed to find someone who knows anything about the subject. Next ask the Japanese if they are willing to use military force and send their boys over and spill their blood in order to take control of the islands cause Korea will never just hand them over! If you aren't willing to fight for them then that is the end of that. I think that after all that the Korean People endured through it's more than 40 years of Japanese occupation and colonial rule, Japan could set this issue to rest and move on for the sake of having at least 1 ally and friend in the region! I'm sure North Korea, China and Russia are more than happy to see the frigged relationship between Soul and Tokyo because it's becoming pretty clear that the US of A may not be the most reliable partner when Japan really needs her! Time for Japan to figure out what it's priorities are and settle these thorny issues once and for all and stop catering to a few who hunger for the good-0l'days.

Dave FairToday  04:02 pm JST

Maybe these numbers might, MIGHT represent those living in Shimane Prefecture but I bet it would not be the case anywhere else in Japan! Ask anyone under 50 where the Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima) islands are and you would be hard pressed to find someone who knows anything about the subject.

Nope. Dead wrong. How can 2 in 3 people polled even have an opinion if they don't know where it is?

Next ask the Japanese if they are willing to use military force and send their boys over and spill their blood in order to take control of the islands cause Korea will never just hand them over! If you aren't willing to fight for them then that is the end of that.

Paragraph 1 of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution prohibits the use of military force to settle territorial disputes. So that's a pretty dumb question to even ask.

I think that after all that the Korean People endured through it's more than 40 years of Japanese occupation and colonial rule

Yes. they endured hardship. But they also got paved roads, railways and hospitals. The girls even got the right to go to school which was prohibited prior to Japan's annexation.

South Korea needs to settle the Liancourt Rocks dispute at the International Court of Justice, and stand by the ruling whatever it may be. Japan has requested ICJ settlement three times and South Korea has continuously refused. This speaks volumes about South Korea's confidence in proving their ownership before an objective international forum.

Same old, Same old. Personally I don't care 1 iota about the rocks

But Possession is 9/10ths of the law.

Unless SK offers them to Japan nothing is going to change.

And I doubt an offering is at hand or in the far future.

And just because some poll suggests 50%+ predominantly older people are "interested" in them, actually means nought in the whole scheme of things.

Maybe there's a poll in SK that probably states 99%+ of the people are "interested" in them.

What then eh?

What then?

Focus on the dire state of domestic affairs like health, welfare, aging, education etc and stop throwing up nationalistic distractions that you know are not going anywhere, but just feeds the voters "good old days" needs.

South Korea needs to settle the Liancourt Rocks dispute at the International Court of Justice.....

Why does South Korea need to settle this? If Japan makes claim to them then it's upon Japan to prove it's case! Even then we all know that rulings made by international organizations including the U.N. are not followed or acted upon so what does Japan do if Korea rejects any judgement favorable to it?

I think that after all that the Korean People endured through it's more than 40 years of Japanese occupation and colonial rule, Japan could set this issue to rest and move on for the sake of having at least 1 ally and friend in the region! I'm sure North Korea, China and Russia are more than happy to see the frigged relationship between Soul and Tokyo because it's becoming pretty clear that the US of A may not be the most reliable partner when Japan really needs her! Time for Japan to figure out what it's priorities are and settle these thorny issues once and for all and stop catering to a few who hunger for the good-0l'days.

OssanAmericaToday 06:39 pm JST

Yes. they endured hardship. But they also got paved roads, railways and hospitals. The girls even got the right to go to school which was prohibited prior to Japan's annexation.

Are you sure you want to justify Japan's annexation and occupation of Korea by suggesting such propaganda? Please provide data that proves the Japanese governing Korea provided education to sex slaves! The Japanese army had ZERO interest in improving the well-being of those people they subjugated!! And it's horrendous to suggest otherwise! Every action of the Japanese military as well as the government of Japan during this period was for the betterment of the empire and it's expansionist vision, and at any expense!

Dave FairToday  09:13 pm JST

South Korea needs to settle the Liancourt Rocks dispute at the International Court of Justice.....

Why does South Korea need to settle this? If Japan makes claim to them then it's upon Japan to prove it's case! 

You obviously don't know how the ICJ and Courts in general work. Both nations must agree to settle a dispute at the ICJ, and they are bound to abide by the ruling. South Korea has refused 3 times to go before the court. Sneaky and cowardly is the way it appears. Japan is eager to present it's case before the ICJ.

OssanAmericaToday 09:52 pm JST

You obviously don't know how the ICJ and Courts in general work. Both nations must agree to settle a dispute at the ICJ, and they are bound to abide by the ruling. South Korea has refused 3 times to go before the court. Sneaky and cowardly is the way it appears. Japan is eager to present it's case before the ICJ.

I do know this using your own words, unless South Korea decides to attend and ultimately accept the verdict there is nothing to discuss! As the saying goes, possession is 9/10 of the law so why would anyone in possession of something need or want to contest it? As you said, "Both nations must agree to settle a dispute at the ICJ...blah..blah..blahh. But that argument is mute since South Korean sees no legal dispute and the islands have been under the effective and peaceful administration of South Korea for more than half a century so they refuse to oblige Japan! And why would they, would Japan be willing to accept an invitation to the ICJ if China or Taiwan were to bring the Senkaku islands up for ownership at the ICJ? I'm guessing Japan would take the same position as South Korea and not participate in such a ICJ procedure. If I'm wrong then please correct me.

As the saying goes, possession is 9/10 of the law

That's a saying. There's nowhere where it actually translates to law.

StrangerlandToday 12:30 am JST

As the saying goes, possession is 9/10 of the law

That's a saying. There's nowhere where it actually translates to law.

it has "of the law" for a reason. Any court of justice would put the onus to provide evidence of ownership on the party who doesn't have possession, not the other way around! It's not upon the individual in possession to prove ownership except, well maybe in a theft case where an item has been removed but still the other party would need to show evidence it had been improperly taken. If I am carrying an umbrella and a person goes to the police and says I stole it from them, the law will ask them to provide evidence it had been in there possession. It would not be the responsibility of the holder of the umbrella to defend his possession unless evidence is submitted by the other discounting the accused. More to the point and to this particular case the islands are under the control of the Koreans and they ain't gonna just hand them over to Japan! That's not an opinion, no matter who decides differently, that is simply reality whether one likes it or not.

Are you sure you want to justify Japan's annexation and occupation of Korea by suggesting such propaganda? Please provide data that proves the Japanese governing Korea provided education to sex slaves! The Japanese army had ZERO interest in improving the well-being of those people they subjugated!! And it's horrendous to suggest otherwise! Every action of the Japanese military as well as the government of Japan during this period was for the betterment of the empire and it's expansionist vision, and at any expense!

Study History from scratch. Throw away all those text books polluted by Korean propaganda. Read " Anti-Japan Tribalism" Instead as a starter

kennyGToday 11:14 am JST

Study History from scratch. Throw away all those text books polluted by Korean propaganda. Read " Anti-Japan Tribalism" Instead as a starter

I have been a student of history, I'm willing to bet, twice as long as you have been on this earth! I have lived in Japan since 1994, half of my life so you figure the math. I'm married to a Japanese woman and plan to retire and be buried here in the land of the rising sun! However, that does not blind me nor does it make me turn a blind eye to truth no matter which side it's on! Some can try and defend sexual slavery or as Japan likes to refer to the victims, yes victems as "comfort women", force another culture to give up educating their people in their own native language and compel them by whip if they refuse to learn Japanese and consider that a contribution and I guess a privileged and have the Koreans harvest their crops and send it back to Japan while those that grew and harvested those crops weren't given enough to feed their own families. And by the way, it wasn't the Japanese military, government or private contractors who built any of the infrastructure some have mentioned above but it was by Korean forced labor and NOT for the benefit of the Korean people but for the facilitation and quicker procurement of Korean resources back to Japan! Maybe if one sincerely intends to learn history one ought to do so with an open mind and both eyes wide open and not just rely on a single source or from those with an agenda! It requires looking deeper into a subject and finding inconsistencies as well as similarities and setting aside ones one predispositions and biases and not be afraid of discovering the truth no matter what it may be. I love Japan and will be buried here one day along side my Japanese wife but that does not mean I cannot recognize Japan's faults and be critical of her at the same time.

I have been a student of history, I'm willing to bet, twice as long as you have been on this earth!

So... What If I may ask? I'm willing bet, those three or four times as long as you have been on this earth, even professional historians/some Korean academia still spewing all those craps.

I have lived in Japan since 1994, half of my life so you figure the math. I'm married to a Japanese woman and plan to retire and be buried here in the land of the rising sun! However, that does not blind me nor does it make me turn a blind eye to truth no matter which side it's on! Some can try and defend sexual slavery or as Japan likes to refer to the victims, yes victems as "comfort women",

Comfort women What? Are you saying IJA on the peninsula threatened and dragged girls off the streets at gunpoint? Huh? That's the common narratives inscribed into the epitaphs of all those statues all over the world,

which those professional historians/academia have been pushing forward.,

force another culture to give up educating their people in their own native language and compel them by whip if they refuse to learn Japanese and consider that a contribution and I guess a privileged and have the Koreans harvest their crops and send it back to Japan while those that grew and harvested those crops weren't given enough to feed their own families.

The peninsula was annexed and was a part of Japan. Besides, you need to check again if those who didn't/couldn't use Japanese as daily language were forced to give up education. Also that fact is The official language was Japanese. Compare to the era of Chosun dynasty. Those slaves were feeding their family enough? Statistical figure would not tell you lies, check mortality rate, population, illiteracy rate　before/after Japan's ruling.

And by the way, it wasn't the Japanese military, government or private contractors who built any of the infrastructure some have mentioned above but it was by Korean forced labor and NOT for the benefit of the Korean people but for the facilitation and quicker procurement of Korean resources back to Japan!

Sure Technical transfer/ experienced supervisors/on-site training are all those you wish to ignore. Weren't those Korean labor (forced?????) happy to earn good salary?

Maybe if one sincerely intends to learn history one ought to do so with an open mind and both eyes wide open and not just rely on a single source or from those with an agenda! It requires looking deeper into a subject and finding inconsistencies as well as similarities and setting aside ones one predispositions and biases and not be afraid of discovering the truth no matter what it may be.

Sorry, this sounds message for yourself

I love Japan and will be buried here one day along side my Japanese wife but that does not mean I cannot recognize Japan's faults and be critical of her at the same time.

Fair enough

kennyGToday 05:24 pm JST

Sorry, this sounds message for yourself

revisionist history is my response to you, whitewash and sweep under the rug what the rest of the world is keenly aware of. If what the Japanese did in Asia during and prior to WWII was done for those who were subjugated and ruled over not to mention the countless allied troops who endured prison camps and all those who never returned, why is there so much animosity towards Japan by those very people? If you are correct then ALL of those people are wrong, as simple as that. I am merely the messenger, so please try to convince those so-called "comfort women" (sex slaves) that they were fairly compensated and not fooled into sex slavery, the countless prisoners of war, nor were the thousands who were sent to japan to mine in dark tunnels and never compensated. Please explain to those that are still alive that they are wrong and that you are so much more enlightened and knowledgeable on what they experienced. Please, convince those who were there thos decades ago that they must have imagined it all and that those were just bad dreams! Please, be my guest!

revisionist history is my response to you, whitewash and sweep under the rug what the rest of the world is keenly aware of. If what the Japanese did in Asia during and prior to WWII was done for those who were subjugated and ruled over not to mention the countless allied troops who endured prison camps and all those who never returned, why is there so much animosity towards Japan by those very people? If you are correct then ALL of those people are wrong, as simple as that. I am merely the messenger, so please try to convince those so-called "comfort women" (sex slaves) that they were fairly compensated and not fooled into sex slavery, the countless prisoners of war, nor were the thousands who were sent to japan to mine in dark tunnels and never compensated. Please explain to those that are still alive that they are wrong and that you are so much more enlightened and knowledgeable on what they experienced. Please, convince those who were there thos decades ago that they must have imagined it all and that those were just bad dreams! Please, be my guest!

Sorry Dave. You just cannot put every different historical incidents/topics wrt Imperial Japan into one pot and use it like a final weapon to legitimate your narrative. Your response has so far been very much like those of Chong Dae Hyup. In other words, You/They never present even single un-refutable evidence. All your ilk/They do is to keep the same argument like, " That is the consensus of world community, Look at UNHCR special reports, etc"

We are here to discuss how Japan used to rule the peninsula, including comfort women issues.

So I ask you again, Are you saying IJA on the peninsula threatened and dragged girls off the streets at gunpoint? Huh?  It is too easy to denounce new-findings as them being so inconvenient truths by calling it revisionist history.

kennyGToday 10:07 pm JST

We are here to discuss how Japan used to rule the peninsula, including comfort women issues.

So I ask you again, Are you saying IJA on the peninsula threatened and dragged girls off the streets at gunpoint? Huh? It is too easy to denounce new-findings as them being so inconvenient truths by calling it revisionist history.

Why don't you ask those that were there at the time, those Korean and Japanese women who were forced into sex slavery by the Japanese both military and non-military! There are still some survivors who would be glad to enlighten you and educate you on the truth of the matter. But something tells me that wouldn't be enough, that listening to those who were there, those who lived it would satisfy you! Maybe you should research how both Japanese and Korean, not to mention those of other nationalities who were coerced into sexual slavery! There is plenty of documentary evidence out there.

Why don't you ask those that were there at the time, those Korean and Japanese women who were forced into sex slavery by the Japanese both military and non-military! There are still some survivors who would be glad to enlighten you and educate you on the truth of the matter. But something tells me that wouldn't be enough, that listening to those who were there, those who lived it would satisfy you! Maybe you should research how both Japanese and Korean, not to mention those of other nationalities who were coerced into sexual slavery! There is plenty of documentary evidence out there.

Sorry Dave. I am asking you YES or NO question. You don't have to stretch the boundary of question.

Mingling Korean women experience with others like Dutch women cases in Semarang incident in one big pot to fool the world has been typical tactics of Chong Dae Hyup. And yet, they themselves have never been able to present any actual evidence at the official courts, even one evidence. Then typically maneuever through fuzzy words/phrases like "forced into" or "coerced into", making the testimonies sound even fuzzier. The point there then is how so-called victims ended up being forced/coerced into comfort stations.

What does that "forcibility" actually mean? WHO FORCED IT and HOW? People CAN LIE. especially those puppets who changed their testimonies , the fact they changed their testimonies ,by the way, has been proven clearly by actual evidence. Needless to say, comfort women have existed even after WW2 on Korean peninsula, so many of them.

kennyGToday 10:07 pm JST

Sorry Dave. I am asking you YES or NO question.........

The answer is both Yes and No. Are you at all knowledgeable about how brothels were/are operated, lets say in modern times in countries around the world, how women, men and children are trafficked for various nefarious reasons? If so then you have answered your own question. And to continue to refer to the victims as "comfort women" is offensive not to me but to them. I see that debating this issue with you is a zero gain proposition since you seem to have latched on to the notion that Japan had/has NEVER done anything inappropriate or down right evil and any evidence given no matter testimonial, photographic, from court testimony, etc, will no doubt be rejected even when coming from those who lived through it, even from Japanese soldiers and Japanese sex slaves who collaborate the offenses. I see no need to waste my time further so good day and may your eyes one day open and may you see the light, as they say!

The answer is both Yes and No. Are you at all knowledgeable about how brothels were/are operated,

YOU? so knowledgeable and confident to accuse Japan ruling? Dave. My question : Did IJA soldiers forcibly abducted girls off Korean streets at gunpoint as ridiculous epitaphs of the statues, movies, disgusting liars have all been fooling the world: is too simple for you to go either way. such response is nothing but cheating, exactly the same tactics used by Chong Dae Hyup.

lets say in modern times in countries around the world, how women, men and children are trafficked for various nefarious reasons? If so then you have answered your own question.

Sure, but that does not mean and cannot make it real story as if IJA soldiers abducted girls off Korean streets and pack and send them all to the comfort stations. LOOK, such story is the main and disgusting narratives of these anti-Japan tribalists which never ever put the end on these issues for better relation between two nations.

And to continue to refer to the victims as "comfort women" is offensive not to me but to them.

For some of them, yes but definitely not for all of them. You never know how many, or even more willing prostitutes who earned good money and came back home and kept quiet

I see that debating this issue with you is a zero gain proposition since you seem to have latched on to the notion that Japan had/has NEVER done anything inappropriate or down right evil and any evidence given no matter testimonial, photographic, from court testimony, etc, will no doubt be rejected even when coming from those who lived through it, even from Japanese soldiers and Japanese sex slaves who collaborate the offenses.

You seem to be all ignoring completely opposite testimonies/written records as if you almost hope their disgusting narratives were true. Pretty much one-sided= brainwashed. Dave.

I see no need to waste my time further so good day and may your eyes one day open and may you see the light, as they say!

The same to you.