A few years ago, Kyodo News published an explosive article on Washington’s decision in 1978 to suspend the United States Navy’s use of Taishojima, also known as Sekibi Sho, as a firing range out of fear that the U.S. would be entangled in a Sino-Japanese dispute over the Senkaku Islands.
Citing declassified U.S. State Department documents, the article uncovered new information on the reasons behind the decision, confirming some of the views I already held. The current impasse and tension over the Senkakus could be traced back to Washington’s vacillation at the time as it prioritized diplomatic convenience over territorial principles, which has undermined Japan’s rightful claims to the islands.
In 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s administration rejected a request by the American military to resume use of Taishojima, which along with nearby Kubajima, also known as Kobi Sho, had been provided to the U.S. for use as bombing ranges under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Japan.
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