Owners of disputed isles shun Noda's bid in favor of Ishihara's
Hiroyuki Kurihara, whose brother and sister own the four of the five uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, speaks during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo on Friday.
REUTERS
TOKYO —
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s effort to nationalize a chain of disputed islands long a source of friction between Japan and China faces rough going after the isles’ owners said on Friday they would keep negotiating their sale to Tokyo’s governor.
The stance by the Kurihara family, which owns four of the five uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, complicates Noda’s efforts to dampen friction between the two Asian giants over the islands, claimed by China, Taiwan and Japan and located near rich fishing grounds and potential gas and oil fields.
“The starting line of our negotiations was with the Tokyo metropolitan government and at present we are proceeding with these discussions,” said Hiroyuki Kurihara, whose brother and sister own the islands and lease them to Japan’s government.
“It is not our family’s idea to suddenly switch partners just because someone else has appeared on the scene,” Kurihara, 65, told a news conference.
Noda said this month the government was considering buying the islands instead of letting Tokyo Gov Shintaro Ishihara—an outspoken China critic—go ahead with a similar plan.
Diplomatic experts said Noda’s move was intended to avoid a worsening of Sino-Japanese tensions but risked backfiring and indeed, Beijing has harshly criticized both plans, arguing the islands have been its territory since ancient times.
Ties between Beijing and Tokyo went into a deep chill in 2010 after a Japan arrested a Chinese trawler captain whose boat collided with Japanese Coast Guard vessels near the islands, and analysts say the feud has the potential to flare again.
The Tokyo government is expected to apply soon for permission to land on the islands, a move that could put the central government in a tight spot.
Activists from Japan, China and Taiwan have landed on the islands in the past, sparking diplomatic disputes.
Japan’s government has denied permission for such landings on the grounds that the owners objected and for the sake of their peaceful administration, but Kurihara said it would be
“unavoidable” for the Tokyo metropolitan government to send a survey team as part of the sale negotiations.
The Kurihara family bought the islands beginning in 1972 from another family who Japanese media say had managed them since the late 1890s. An older brother owns three of the islands and a sister owns a fourth. Those four are leased by the Japanese government, which owns the fifth island in the chain.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012.
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41 Comments
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5
IchLiebeDich
I fell this will end bad for Japan.
1
IchLiebeDich
Mean feel of course
8
sakurala
Wouldn't it be pointless to buy the islands if other countries don't recognize the current ownership?
2
OssanAmerica
Makes no difference. Japanese islands being sold by Japanese civilians to either a Metropolitan government or to the Japanese national government either way is none of China's business. It was stupid of Noda to even get into now, not onl; because the J-govt has had what 117 years to buy them, AND it's obvious that it isn't going to make China reasnable at all anyway.
3
Dog
sakuralaJul. 21, 2012 - 07:43AM JST
Exactly.
I know Japanese law is primitive, but you would have thought that their jurisprudence would have developed the concept of ultra vires.
2
sfjp330
Isn’t the Chinese leadership intentionally using the Senkaku incident or so-called Japan card in order to defuse the dissatisfaction and complaints of the Chinese public to the one-party rule over the huge gap between the rich and the poor, the lack of job opportunities, or the suppression of freedom of speech?
1
Badge213
How can a Japanese family just "own" some islands? Because they bought it from someone else?
Doesn't Japan have Eminent domain laws, where they (the government) can just take over the land without the owner's consent but with proper compensation?
0
CrazyJoe
Japan does have eminent domain. It's called 土地収用 (とちしゅうよう).
3
Dog
Badge213Jul. 21, 2012 - 08:11AM JST
it has very very weak eminent domain laws. Refer to the Narita Airport dispute.
What it does have is very successfull peer nationalistic pressure as witnessed by the governments ease to redevelop West Tokyo before the Tokyo Olympics.
I think this farce will definitely fall into the second example and whatever Tokyo or the central government decide, the so called japanese owners of the islands will be compelled to follow the party line.
I hope Ishihara volunteers his own 2 sons, the LDP politician with the retarded head shape that was definitely a case for medical malpractice at birth and the useless weather talento, for frontline duty on the islands, once he has taken up ownership.
0
anglootaku
How much exactly? details people..
-1
TrevorPeace1
Those islands are a lot closer to Taiwan and China, so the owners should sell them to either of those two countries - highest bidder, of course - and let those two belligerents add them to their contemptuous disdain for each other. Then, maybe they'll even declare war over them. What a thought, eh? Japanese family gets money, China and Taiwan fight over the islands (remember, they're uninhabited), voila, problem solved.
-1
sfjp330
TrevorPeace 1Jul. 21, 2012 - 08:36AM JST. Those islands are a lot closer to Taiwan and China, so the owners should sell them to either of those two countries - highest bidder, of course
The value of the land is worthless since you cannot build anything without major political and military conflict. China is getting desperate for new souce of natural gas and oil and they are becoming more and more assertive to the neighboring countries. By 2020, over 70 percent of the oil that China consumes will come from the foreign source. No wonder China is wetting their pants.
0
YuriOtani
sfip330, Japan is also desperate for natural gas. China wants it and up to the 12 mile limit to the Okinawa islands. We control them now and it China wants them they will have to fight.
4
cleo
Why do people keep saying this? Check it for yourselves on Google map.
Senkaku →Taiwan 168 km
Senkaku →nearest Chinese island 190km
Senkaku → nearest Japanese island (Yonaguni) 150km
http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm
1
Ash Warren
definietly this will end badly!
1
paulinusa
Is it now only about money for the islands?
3
CrazyJoe
China and Taiwan only started claiming jurisdiction of the islands in 1971 only after the potential for oil resources buried under the continental shelf of the East China Sea became known. The United Nations conducted an Oceanographic survey back in 1970 and found a potential of over 100 billion barrels of oil reserves there.
1
Serrano
"The Kurihama family, which owns four of the islands"
Not according to the Chinese.
2
Serrano
"Senkaku - nearest Chinese island 190 km"
But the Diaoyu islands ARE Chinese islands, according to the Chinese.
1
Dog
cleoJul. 21, 2012 - 09:10AM JST
Because if Japan had her way, every little tock in the north Pacific would be part of Japan and they could eventually claim the whole of the north Pacific as their exclusive economic zone.
Let's be real about this and say that the Senkakus are very much closer to Taiwan proper or China proper, than they are close to Japan proper.
Japan cannot, no matter how much she wants to, dictate the international geographical narrative.
1
lucabrasi
Sure it is. But you could say exactly the same about the Japanese government.
1
iceshoecream
OK but my question is, does China recognize the Kurihara family as the owner of these islands?
1
tmarie
So Ishihara wanted to get the national government on board with this, they are now and now this guy has an issue with it? What am I missing??
1
Dog
iceshoecreamJul. 21, 2012 - 10:14AM JST
OK but my question is, does China recognize the Kurihara family as the owner of these islands?
Of course not. Would you recognise someone who stole your car as the rightful owned of that car and having the right to sell it to whoever they wished?
-2
Zenpun
The fairest way is all calming nations have to bid auction for owning that Islands from USA. After World War II, that Islands are under care of USA. Japan was defeated in World War II by USA. Not China or Taiwan. Even Japan by itself under mercy of Allied force. They surrendered unconditionally in 1945. They did not make pre condition for leaving some Islands for them. In 1971. US transfered administration back to Japan however it did not admit Japan was a rightful landlord. J government made a mess for leasing Islands like apartment. Can someone lease Hokkaido or Okinawa from J government?
1
paulinusa
"Is it now only about money for the islands?"
I'll answer my own question: For some, maybe it's always been about money.
1
Al Stewart
So there are people who own these islands? This situation just got really pointless on both sides. Plus what are the owners waiting on?
On top of that, How did this family come to own these islands? If it was past down through the family over several generations then that would obviously mean that the islands previously belonged to japan. If they just purchased the islands, who did they purchase them from? Who do they pay taxes to for the land?
1
Yubaru
In the case of Okinawa, yes, the US Military.
-1
tomoki
Japanese has the right to defend its own land and China thinks they can have whatever they please if they have sufficient military power to win the battle. This is not the legal issue since China is not interested in bringing this to the International court. Ask Vietnamese or Philipino about what they think. They have similar problems with China right now.
0
tomoki
By the way Chinese history is all lies, political propaganda based on their grandiose fantasy.
1
choiwaruoyaji
It's interesting to watch these disputes from a third-party point of view.
I think things will really kick-off if Tokyo does actually buy the islands.
Imagine if China then suddenly occupied one of the islands as Argentina did on South Georgia in 1982. How would Japan react?
It's fascinating...
2
Scrote
I suppose everyone claiming that the Senkakus are Chinese on the grounds that they are nearer to "China proper", or whatever, will also agree that China therefore has no claim to islands in the South China Sea which are nearer to the Philippines or Vietnam than they are to China?
1
paulinusa
" Plus what are the owners waiting on?"
It might be best for Mr. Kurihara and family not to overplay their hand and cut a deal as soon as possible. If the political situation were to change they could be left with uninhabited islands not worth one yen.
1
Dog
ScroteJul. 21, 2012 - 11:51AM JST
Yep.................................
2
Dog
tomokiJul. 21, 2012 - 11:36AM JST
And Japanese history or contemporary interpretation of their place in the big world of everyything is any different?
They're both as bad as each other.
0
Athletes
YubaruJul. 21, 2012 - 11:25AM JST
US military based in Okinawa for purely defense and strategy reason. It does not need to pay rent either. It does not like Daiyoku or Sensuku Islands sold or leased to someone for commercial interest. US did not control or interfere Okinawa daily life as administration. The more suitable lease can be compared with Hong Kong was leased to Britain for 99 years after Sino British War. HK was under British rule during the lease.
0
mikihouse
and yes China has been trying to buy these islands for hundreds of millions of yen previously that's why the owner wants to sell these islands to Ishihara...he is fearing for his life.
0
akkk1
> Japanese has the right to defend its own land and China thinks they can have whatever they please if they have sufficient military power to win the battle. >
Ironic how the situation has been reversed since Japan tried to take over Asia and China 70 years ago.
1
ares7
This entire episode is a farce. Ishihara, using fear and hate for political gain will only bring misfortune upon Japan. You never show your hand to your enemy until you are ready to strike. In his case, he's screaming at China the pathetic hand he holds. What's worse is Noda took the bait. What's ugly is the general Japanese public have no clue what's really going on.
0
Thomas Anderson
I think both Ishihara and China are just using this as a distraction for their lack of political will... This whole thing is pointless and people are being manipulated into getting worked up for nothing.
0
Seiharinokaze
China's claim over the islands is based on the description of the islands in their historical documents dating back as far as 14th or 15th century. But the islands were uninhabited for centuries and actually not ruled by any country until 1890's when the Japanese government claimed it and leased (and later sold) it to a Japanese who made a dried bonito production plant there and operated it till it was closed in 1940. The present owner of the islands bought them from the daughter in law of the first owner. During that time China (Qing, the Republic of China, the People's Republic of China) didn't protest against the economic activities by Japanese nor did they claim dominion over the islands until after 1970. It was too late for China to begin claiming as late as in 1970's but national interests seems to be something prioritized on the strength of sovereignty over decorum. So I think it is tact for diplomacy rather than saber-rattling that the situation requires now. Confrontation is easy and maybe diverting. But do we really go to war again? Perhaps such performers as Aoi Sora and Antonio Inoki are more useful figures in these circumstances.
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