Since I have been requested to express my views on the territorial issues concerning the Takeshima islets and Senkaku Islands on several occasions recently, I thought it opportune to compile them into one coherent argument.
At the outset, readers should be informed that I have not contacted anyone in the Foreign Ministry on this issue. In fact, the ministry departments involved in these issues seem to be so busy that I have refrained from bothering them.
To state my conclusion first, I fully support the Japanese government's decision to refer the issue of Takeshima to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). South Korea is an ally of the United States — the ally of allies for Japan — and also one of Japan's most important partners in Asia. It is therefore utterly unthinkable that a military conflict will develop over the Takeshima issue. That being so, Japan has no means to overturn South Korea's effective control of the islands.
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