Gov't turns down Tokyo request to send survey team to disputed islands

Ishihara said the central government's decision was "totally incomprehensible"

You've been served. This, is the Japan that can say no.

Well he should do it anyway. He already said he didn't care if he got arrested. LOL

The central government doesn't need Ishihara to do them any favors.

Gov't turns down Tokyo request to send survey team to disputed islands

Smart move.

Would be impressed if Ishihara's actual intention is to let off the steam domestically through indirectly making the government look strong and determined. While the Japanese everyday people generally remain calm and indifferent on matters of this nature, the last thing we want here is the rise of angry young men.

Smart move.

It is and it's good to see sensible government. The Chinese national government doesn't want trouble over this either. Both of them appreciate each other's importance. The trouble-makers are the small and selfish, that includes Tanigaki and others hungry for power.

“The government has reached a conclusion of not permitting landing based on the purpose of its lease, which aims at peaceful and stable management and control of the Senkaku islands,” a government official said.

Since it hasn't been occupied yet, I guess is peaceful. Stable??? Not sure.

The property is owned by a private individual who wants to sell this. The current tenant is the Central Government in which the lease runs out March of next year. The owner has an interested buyer who wants to appraise the property. The tenant refuses. It's been stated that the owner gave permission for the interested buyer to inspect the property but he stated that he should get permission from the tenants. The tenants said no. The interested buyer will ask again.

Appeasement of Communist China will not work. It was a disaster with the National Socialists of Germany and it will be no different now. Even if these islands are turned over to China it will not be "enough". With their appetite stimulated and with a new forward base the rest of the Ryukyu Islands will be at danger. As some of the talk show host say here in America, the National Government is drinking the kool aid.

The central government on Monday refused to let Tokyo metropolitan government authorities land on islands at the center of a territorial dispute with China, a move aimed at defusing tensions that led to biggest anti-Japan protests in years.

Wait wait wait. IF these islands are still privately owned, and the owners have no problem with Ishihara going there, why does the government have a say? They're privately owned, right?

Very sensible thing to do, no more oil on the fire please.

@YuriOtani: Funny you mention Communist China cause China is anything buy communist.... they got to be one of the most capitalist societies... Europe and New York in particular are tending towards socialism, can tell by the way they treat the banks.

Japan must stand up to China. militarize the islands.

First smart move by the government in a while

"Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara has proposed buying the islands from their private Japanese owners and has sought central government permission to send a team of officials to survey the land".

It show that Dioayu belong to China and occupied by Japan after China was defeated by Japan in the 19th century. It also showed that the private citizens of Japan was a land grafter whom Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara wanted to purchase the island.

"why does the government have a say? They're privately owned, right?"

The reason why the Government interfered in it is that Ishihara's activity is on the political business.

He will go and nobody can stop him.

The property is owned by a private individual who wants to sell this.

The so called private ownership of the disputed islands is a real joke.

Do Japanese know how to read documents such as the Potsdam Agreement, San Francisco Peace Treaty and the reversion treaty?

The Potsdam Agreement says "The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine."

The San Francisco Peace Treaty says the disputed islands will be placed under a trusteeship to be approved by the UN, under the sole control of the US.

And the 1971 Reversion treaty says the US will hand over the administration (trusteeship) of the disputed islands to the government of Japan.

Since when did the so called Koga's ownership become part of the agreements or treaties between the two governments?

lachatamber: Militarise the island, funny, pls militarise it yourself. Better start practicing swiming, its a long swim from Okinawa.

For those who want to know more about the islands in dispute, I will recommend you to read the following article written by Koji Taira:

The China-Japan Clash Over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands by Koji Taira

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Koji-Taira/2119

@Probie; 'Wait wait wait. IF these islands are still privately owned, and the owners have no problem with Ishihara going there, why does the government have a say? They're privately owned, right?'

Privately owned but they are leased to the central government.

Japanese old leader, both of the politics and business, are mostly nothing but harmful for this nation.

In the end of the day, what Ishihara wants to do is to do what Korea has done with Takeshima.

I think the Japanese approach to the Senkakus is much more mature than the Korean approach to Takeshima, but there is little arguing at its unambiguous effectiveness. Even Ishihara recently said in an interview recently on this exact point, because of the way the Koreans have dug in on Takeshima, it is basically unthinkable that Japan can get them back.

Basically, the governor is trying to make Japanese policy on these islands a bit more Korean. More childish, but its hard to doubt in terms of rebuffing Chinese pretensions of a valid claim when he puts coast guard docs and weather stations on the islands as he plans to.

Japan is not the party which seeks confrontation.

Tiger it is still the communist party in China. They still have the red stars on the flag. Some government officials are referring to how Okinawa is part of China. We will fight before becoming part of Red China! Let China have these islands and they will demand the rest of the prefecture for peace.