Territories and Territorial water Issues around Japan

Since When I was young I always heard about this topic and right now I feel like it's become the most strong problem between neighbor countries. So I would like to talk about this topic.

Basic information about Territorial water in Japan.

The land area is 61st in the world but combining the area of territorial waters and exclusive economic zones, it's going be No. 6 in the world. So we have a huge area of sea.

The reason Japan keeps huge sea area is there are four islands in East-West north-south, and these islands are surrounding Japan.  

* How territorial waters problems are effect our life

In this, our territorial water area has enormous resources such as Methane hydrate and rare metal and many kinds of ores, and most important things fish. I researched many resources, and I found Japan used to being one of the most countries eat fish and seafood. Recently No.6 in the world.  It still keeps huge fish consumption. So if we loss territorial waters and exclusive economic zones, it will have the huge effect on our life because we almost every day eat fish. As I show you in below.

Rank	Country	Fish Consumption Per Capita (2011)
1.	Iceland	90.1
2.	Malaysia	58.1
3.	South Korea	58.1
4.	Portugal	56.8
5.	Japan	53.7
6.	Norway	53.4
7.	Lithuania	43.4
8.	Spain	42.4
9.	Finland	35.6
10.	France	34.6

Japan have three island problem in our territorial water. I didn't know a lot about this problem so I research about it.

* First is Senkaku island 

Senkaku islands  are a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan in the close to the East China Sea.
there are several problems About Claims on territorial rights
Senkaku Islands seen from civilian aircraft (Fisheries Island, Kitakojima, Minami-Kojima from the left)
The official opinion of the Japanese government is that the transfer procedure of the Senkaku Islands fulfills the preoccupation theoretical procedure referred to in international law and "There is no territorial issue in this area", but the Chinese government and the Taiwanese government, in 1971 Claiming territorial rights from here on and claiming that "territorial rights issue exists". Although it belongs to Ishigaki-shi, Okinawa Prefecture in the administrative division of Japan, it claims that Taiwan belongs to Yilan County. So China and Taiwan began to assert their ownership after 1968 (Showa 43) confirmed the possibility of massive underground resources reserves such as oil and natural gas in the seabed survey near the Senkaku Islands.  In my opinion, this information seems like they just want to take this island because there are a lot of money under the sea. Right now Japan just Give pressure to China or Taiwan so they cannot control this islands.

* second is Takeshima 

From 1603– 1868 Takeshima had established its ownership through fishery by Japan.

After that In 1905, the government formally decided Cabinet transfer of Takeshima's Shimane prefecture. 

  In 1945 Japan lost the world war 2.  After that Allied countries said territories that Japan gets during world war second, we have to release all of it.
After world war, South Korea said: "we need to get the Takeshima back too". But US Assistant Secretary of State David Dean Rusk said this island is Japan's land for a long time ago, so he declined the Korea's request. Until now Korean people are very crazy with this island. For me and Japanese people, we don't really care and It is not effect for people, so we feel like they speak and fight with this topic by themselves. So in elementary, middle and high school I never learned about this topic and I don't want to learn about it because since I came to the US, I met many Korean people and they like to about this topic and many history problems. My opinion is even they talk to us we can't do anything, I just perceive that is helpless action. Some people ask us to apologize but I didn't do anything why I have to say sorry. 
＊Third is Four northern islands

About this problem call Northern Territories issue.

Chishima archipelago, Sakhalin Island Change in Japan and Russian territory
1855	According to Shimoda Treaty, the south of the island is Japanese territory and  beyond that it becomes Russian territory. Regarding Sakhalin Island, the arguments of both sides do not come together, starting to live from both countries.
1875	Karafuto to Russian territory and Kurushima archipelago to Japan territory by Kura Kura Treaty.
1904	By the Treaty of Portsmouth, the southern half of Sakhalin Island will become the territory of Japan and another island will become the territory of Japan.

 But in 1941 World War 2, Japan and Russia contract about Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact. Both countries promised to not attack the territories each other for 5 years. During the World war 2, Russia broke the pact. They started to attack the Four northern island. After that Japan loses the war and since 1945 Russia have taken those island until now. The response to this problem, my opinion is the four northern islands are very far and tie is like the wasteland.

I don't understand why both countries are the focus on these islands. However, both countries mention there are a lot of benefits to taking this island.

* Conclusion 

There are too many problems with neighbor countries. Those problems are since long time ago and never fix or improve. Also, I always hear that both countries are progressing a good way but after that come back to beginning again. I don't think both countries are going to agree with each other but I want to see both agree by the peaceful way until I died. 

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