Takeshima Day Ceremony Held in Shimane Pref.

Matsue, Shimane Pref., Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)–The prefectural government of Shimane, western Japan, and others held an annual ceremony Sunday to mark Takeshima Day, stipulated by a prefectural ordinance to assert Japan’s sovereignty over the Sea of Japan islets called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea. Naoki Furukawa, parliamentary vice minister of the Cabinet Office, represented the Japanese government at the ceremony in Matsue, the prefecture’s capital. The government sent a parliamentary vice minister to the event for the 14th straight year. “We’ll respond firmly to (the Takeshima issue) and peacefully resolve the (territorial) dispute through tenacious diplomatic efforts,” Furukawa said in a speech. Before taking office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had called for sending a cabinet minister to the Takeshima Day ceremony. However, she refrained from doing so, apparently in consideration of the Tokyo-Seoul relationship. Takaichi has been working to build a relationship of trust with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. Last month, she invited the president to Nara Prefecture, her home turf. “We understand the decision to skip sending a minister reflects diplomatic consideration,” Kosei Ikeda, mayor of the Shimane town of Okinoshima, which includes the islets, said at Sunday’s ceremony. At the same time, he voiced hope that the government will send a minister to the annual ceremony as soon as possible. “We have to continue asking the government to address (the Takeshima issue) in diplomatic negotiations,” said Shimane Governor Tatsuya Maruyama. The ceremony was attended by a total of 424 people, including lawmakers and prefectural assembly members. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party sent Haruko Arimura, head of the party’s general council, who vowed to make efforts to resolve the territorial issue. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]