politics

Japan scouring for maps with 'East Sea' to seek name change

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Never seen a map which calls it the East Sea.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I have seen a few..

Seems like this should be an issue for cartographers not politicians.

These naming things are a little ridiculous in my opinion but, in this case, looking at other similar features around the world Japan Sea or something similar makes sense as if Japan wasn't there it would just the pacific ocean.

I have said it so many times, but I think a better level of good will between South Korea and Japan could go a long way to having some stability and some answer to the increasingly aggressive China.

Let Korea have that island I say, they are already on it, (people permanently stationed there) and Japan hasn't used its "defense" force to get it back so its already Korea's more or less.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

This "East Sea" thing has to be the epitome of Korean silliness. Japan did not name the Sea of Japan. It has been called Sea of Japan by all other nations for a long time. Only Koreans call it the "East Sea" a name which makes absolutely no sense to anybody other than someone standing on the Korean peninsula. Talk about being self centered. The Gulf of Mexico does not belong to Mexico, and nobody is making a ruckus to change the name.

10 ( +14 / -4 )

The move, coming amid a dispute between Tokyo and Seoul over the area's name, is aimed at having publishers of such maps "correct" the labeling to Japan's preference. But it remains unclear whether any publisher would comply with such a request and the government is likely to find it hard to sell its case.

Which maps need correcting? And why would any publisher, outside of Korean one's, need to comply with something generally accepted already?

This is a typhoon in a teacup issue.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

This is hilarious. North Korea is test firing missiles into this body of water and it's neighbors are arguing with each other on how to name it.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Rename it the Sea of Misfits and Miscreants.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I have always looked at it like this. If Japan did not exist it would be called the Pacific Ocean.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Oh my god!!:( Just stop already!! It's just a freaking map. Every country in the world has their own interpretation of maps in their own archive!! UN states that name regarding any sea that borders between two countries should be resolved between the two parties. South Korea has always shown willingness to engage in these talks. What about Japan? never! In Norway, we even held discussions about granting a piece of one of our country's mountainpeak close to the finnish border to Finland as their 100 year anniversary of independence-gift, so that Finland could enjoy a taller mountainpeak within their border. When it's all about a goddamn map-name, come on!!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The Koreans insisting on calling the Sea of Japan the East Sea is as daft as the British arguing that the Irish Sea should be called the West Sea, the only difference being that the British are not as daft or insecure as the Koreans.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Just make it a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site, that will solve all problems!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The name "East Sea" is already in use elsewhere. East Sea in China means the East China Sea. The Vietnamese call the South China Sea...East Sea. The Germans call the Baltic Sea...East Sea. So do the Swedes and Finns. It's a really bad choice. Russia, UK, France call it the Sea of Japan.

"Kasper123 Today 09:20 am JST

UN states that name regarding any sea that borders between two countries should be resolved between the two parties. South Korea has always shown willingness to engage in these talks. What about Japan? never!"

What is there to talk about? What countries want to call it East Sea besides South and North Korea? If you want to talk about "willingness to engage in talks", are you aware that Japan has requested South Korea to settle the Takeshima/Dokdo dispute at the ICJ THREE times and SKorea has refused THREE times?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

isn't it easier just to call the whole ocean from China to California, The American Sea?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Japan can do what it likes within Japan. But get your nose out of other people's business. They're acting like China now. Remember what Japan did last time - they tried to pressure a textbook editor in Hawaii to make changes in his own books. Just go away already.

What China does may be similar, but it has the clout. Japan has no leverage. Like someone said, there could be missiles coming from North Korea anytime, and all Abe is worried about is the name of the ocean above which the missiles will be flying! Shinjirarenai!

I don't see the Russians throwing a hissy fit just because Japanese weather forecasts always include the Southern Kurils. If it makes Japan happy, let them do it. But they ain't getting those island physically.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

How about a compromise: "East Japan Sea"?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Conversation I recently had in Seoul (abridged):

Me, to Korean friend: "You guys should just chill out about the sea name thing, it isn't important; you call it Dong Hai, they call it Nihon Kai, and let everyone else call it whatever they call it in their own languages"

Korean friend: "Yeah, but how would you feel if Ireland called that sea between you and them the Sea of Ireland"

Me: it's called the Irish Sea. By everyone.

Friend: (mind blown!)

...I went on to point out all the other examples (Gulf of Mexico, Taiwan Strait, etc). I think my friend realised it would look stupid to keep on pushing her point, and changed the subject!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

The name "East Sea" is already in use elsewhere. East Sea in China means the East China Sea.

"East Sea" name is not already in use, in Japan nor China, it is called the (東シナ海, Higashishinakai) , East China Sea, or South China Sea (南シナ海、Minamishinakai)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

just call it the "asian sea" and be done with it already

0 ( +1 / -1 )

How about the Yellow Sea to the west of the Korean peninsula?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The English Channel is the commonly used and generally accepted name for the stretch of water between the UK and France, although  France prefers to simply call it, "La Manche" or "The Channel". Neither the UK or France take particular issue with either interpretation as it doesn't really make much difference either way.

Let Japan use what it likes on its maps and let Korea use what it want on theirs. All shipping nowadays use GPS for navigation anyway so the likely hood of ships getting confused because of a different name is practically zero.

Anyway not that it matters. With China swallowing up most of the sea lanes in the area it wont be long before the whole ocean is renamed the Chinese Ocean or similar.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

With this sort of petty nonsense going on at government level is it any wonder that Japan inc cannot pull itself out of depression? Too many old farts focussing on the inconsequential.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

So much fuss over the names of a body of water that nobody should really own. It makes you think about how much more sensitive it is to talk about the name origin of "日本.". Maybe they should work on changing that first, eh?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

"YubaruJune 1211:58 am JST

The name "East Sea" is already in use elsewhere. East Sea in China means the East China Sea.

"East Sea" name is not already in use, in Japan nor China, it is called the (東シナ海, Higashishinakai) , East China Sea, or South China Sea (南シナ海、Minamishinakai)"

It is already in use in China (not Japan) where East Sea 東海 means what Japan calls the East China Sea  東シナ海.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"ThePBotJune 1211:39 pm JST

So much fuss over the names of a body of water that nobody should really own."

Nobody owns it now.

" It makes you think about how much more sensitive it is to talk about the name origin of "日本.". Maybe they should work on changing that first, eh?"

Who is "They"? It was the Chinese that came up with the name because for anyone in Japan the place where the sun rises is way out east in the Pacific ocean. The only place that "the place where the sun rises" for Japan makes any sense is west of Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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