Japan's Marcus Island Annexation & Dokdo - Dokdo ...

Minamitori-shima (南鳥島) or Marcus Island is an isolated island in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, located at 24.18'N, 153.58'E. The Japanese meaning of ... Korean Japanese HOME DOKDOFACTS1 DOKDOFACTS2 IMAGES+VIDEO NEWS [email protected]   Japan’sMarcusIslandAnnexation&Dokdo ShareTweetShareShareDokdoandMarcusIsland–AComparisonofJapanese19thCenturyIsland“Incorporations” Japanese“lawlessadventurers”wereutilizedby19thCenturyMeijiJapanasagentsofexpansionism. AbriefbackgroundofMarcusIsland: Minamitori-shima(南鳥島)orMarcusIslandisanisolatedislandinthenorthwesternPacificOcean,locatedat24.18’N,153.58’E.TheJapanesemeaningofthenameis“SouthernBirdIsland”.Itis1.2kmsinarea.ItistheeasternmostterritorybelongingtoJapan,some1848kmSEofTokyo,or1267EastoftheclosestJapaneseisland,SouthIwoJimaoftheOgasawaraIslands,andnearlyonastraightlinebetweenTokyoandWakeIsland,whichis1415kmESE.Theclosestisland,however,isFarallondePajarosoftheMarianaIslands,whichis1021kmWSWofMinamitoriShima. Theislandisfirstmentionedin1864,givenapositionbyaUSsurveyshipin1874,andfirstlandedonbyKiozaemonSaitoin1879.JapanofficiallyannexedtheislandJuly24,1898,theUSclaimfrom1889accordingtotheGuanoIslandsActbeingnotofficiallyacknowledged. Aboveleftimage:ThismapshowsJapanandheroutlyingislands.MarcusIslandisonthelowerrightsideofthemap.Aboveright:AnaerialphotographofMarcusIslandshowingtheairfieldandcommunicationstower.(click) HowisJapan’s1898annexationofMarcusIslandrelatedtotheDokdo~Takeshimadispute? KoreansassertJapan’s1905incorporationofLiancourtRocks(Takeshima)wasseriouslyflawedbecauseJapanfailedtoannounceherintentinan“openandpublicmanner”.IndeedrecordsshowtheonlypublicnoticegivenduringShimanePrefecture’sannexationofTakeshimawasatinyadinalocalnewspaper.Ontheotherhand,whenJapandecidedtoclaimtheBoninIslands(Ogasawaras)boththeU.S.andBritianwerenotifiednumeroustimes,thoughtheywereremotelyinvolvedintheislands. Japan’sMOFAstatesthatherannexationofLiancourtRockswasidenticaltoherincorporationofMarcusislandandthusbothwerelegal.OnthismattertheJapaneseseemtobecorrect.PurelyfromalegalstandpointJapan’sincorporationofMarcusIslandiscomparabletoDokdo.However,doesthisfacthelptosupportJapan’sargumentintheDokdo–Takeshimaproblem?ThroughthestudyofoldhistoricalrecordsfromJapan’sNationalArchivesthispagepointsoutsomeflawsinJapan’sMarcusIslandclaimandhowtheyrelatetoDokdo–Takeshima. TheOriginoftheMarcusIslandDisputeof1902BetweentheU.S.andJapan. In1889asmalltradernamedCaptainJamesRosehillhappeneduponMarcusIsland.Hehopedtoutilizetheislandforcoconutshoweverhesoonrealizedithadvastguano(birdfeces)depositsthatcouldbesoldforfertilizerinHawaii.CaptainRosehillthenhoistedtheAmericanflagatopacoconuttree.FromthereCaptainRosehillfastenedabottletoatreeinwhichwasanotethathehadtakenformalpossessionoftheislandinthenameoftheUnitedStates.Rosehill’screwsignedthenotetowitnesstheevent. CaptianRosehillfailedtopushthroughhisapplicationtoincorporatetheislandandinthemeantimetheJapaneseclaimedMarcusIslandaspartoftheOgasawaraIslandsgroupin1898.In1902whenRosehillfinallydecidedtopersuehisactivitiesonMarcusIslandfurther,theresultwasadiplomaticrowbetweentheUnitedStatesandJapan.Thedisputethatfollowedalmostleadtoamilitaryshowdownbetweenthetwonations.ThepurposeofthepageisnottoarguewhohadsuperiortitlebutratheracloselookatJapan’slandclaimlegalpractices. MarcusIslandandLiancourtRocks(Dokdo)–Japan’sDisplayofIncorporationNotPublic ThetwoJapanesenewsarticlesfoundherearewhatamountedtoJapan’spublicannouncentwhensheacquiredMarcusIslandin1898.NexttothemareJapan’snewspaperarticlewhensheannexedTakeshimain1905.Onecanseethattheyarealmostidentical. Werethefollowing“declarations”sufficienttobeclassifiedas“openandpublic”asterritoriallandclaimsmustbe? ThetwoimagestotheleftareJapan’snewpaperarticles“announcing”theannexationofMarcusIsland(Minamitori-shima)TheimageontherightisShimanePrefecture’snewsarticledeclaringatinynamelessrockasTakeshima(Dokdo)andthuspartofJapan.(click) FouryearsafterJapanlaidclaimtoMarcusIsland,CaptainRosehillandtheAmericanGovernmentalsoattemptedtoannexMarcusIsland.ObviouslytheU.S.GovernmentwasnotawareJapanhadincorporatedMarcusIslandmanyyearsearlierandthisshowsJapan’s“publicannouncement”wasinsufficient.Japan’sinadequatepublicityofMarcusIsland’sclaimcausedadiplomaticrowbetweenthenationswhichalmosteruptedintoamilitaryconflict. Japan’sMinisterofForeignAffairs,BaronJutaroKomura(shownright)wasinvolvedinboththeMarcusIslanddisputeandtheincorporationofTakeshima.Knowingthis,whydidn’tJapan’sForeignAffairsOfficechangetheirprocedurein1905topreventanotherinternationalconflict?WhywasTakeshima’s“publicannouncement”doneinthesamestealthymannerasMarcusIsland? Komuramusthaveknownalocalnewspaperad,questionably“openandpublic”,wouldnotattracttheattentionofotherinterestedsovereigns.It’squiteobvious,theJapanesedidnotwanttheirannexationofTakeshimatobewidelyknown.AfurtherstudyofthequestionablelegalprocedureofTakeshima’sannexationisonthispage(link) TheaboveimagesarenewsarticlesdetailingU.S.reactiontoJapan’sannexationofMarcusIsland.ThedisputearoseoutofJapan’sfailuretogiveanadequatepublicannouncementofherincorporation.Strangelyenough,LiancourtRocks(Takeshima)wasannexedbyJapanjustthreeyearslaterinthesamemanner.(click) MarcusIslandandDokdo–TakeshimaJapan’sUseofUnlawfulActivitiesToSeizeTerritory NakaiYozaburoandMijutane,Japan’sMOFAutilizedpoachersfor19thCenturylandclaims. In1905aJapanesecitizennamedNakaiYozaburoappliedtoleaseLiancourtRocks(Takeshima)thusShimanePrefectureincorporatedtheisletsusinghisinvolvementintheregionasitsbasis.JutaroKomurawasoneofthreepoliticiansinvolvedintheprocessingofNakai’sapplication.WhowasNakaiYozaburo?NakaiYozaburowasaJapanesefishermanwhowasillegallysquattingonKorea’sUlleungdoIsland.DuringhisunlawfulvoyagestoChosunterritoryNakaibegantohuntsealsonLiancourtRocksfromhisilligitimatebaseonUlleungdo.(seelink) In1898,aJapanesecitizennamedMijutaneappliedtoleaseMarcusIslandandthusplaceditunderthelocalgovernmentofTokyo.WhowasMijutane?Inlate1800sJapanesecitizensbasedinYokahamawereinvolvedinthewholesalemassacreofseabirdsallacrosstheNorthPacific.TheseroguepoacherssailedtomanyoftheoutlyingislandsofthePacific,includingAmerica’sHawaiianIslandsgroup,MidwayIsland,LaskianskyIslandandothers.Hundredsofthousandsofseafowlwereslaughteredfortheirfeathersandthecarcassesoftenlefttorot.Thecenterofthisillegalkillingwasa“firm”calledKametoki&MijutaneinYokahama.ThesepoacherswereofcourseMijutane’saforementionedcrewofbirdhuntersusedforthebasisofJapan’sclaimtoMarcusIslandin1898.(readoriginalrecordsbelow) Strangelyenough,thediaryofNakaiYozaburohimselfdescribeshetoowasinvolvedinthisregionofJapanmostnotablytheOgasawaraIslands(seemapsabove) DocumentsfromJapan’sNationalArchivesrecordJapan’sannexationofMarcusIslandunderthenameofMinamitori-shima(南鳥島)or“SouthernBirdIsland”(clickimagesforlargerpicture) Duringthe1902MarcusIslanddisagreementof1902Japan’sForiegnAffairsOfficecitedtheactivitiesofbirdhuntersforproofoftitle.ThisisshowninKomuraJutaro’sletterduringthe1902MarcusIslanddispute.Komurastated,“…Theisland(Marcus)wasleasedtoaJapanesesubjectnamedMijutanewhohadbeenengagedinbirdhuntingandfishingontheisland…”KomuraalsofalselyclaimedaroundtwentyJapaneseweresettledonMarcusIsland. ThetwoimagesontheaboveleftareJapan’sForeignAffairsOffice’spositiononMarcusIsland.TheirclaimthattheislandwaspermanentlysettledbyJapanesenationalsishighlyquestionable.Aboverightaresomerelatednewspaperarticles.(clickimages) Aroundmid-1903,theshockingtruthabouttheseJapanesepoachersinthePacificfinallycametotheattentionoftheNationalAudubonSocietyandtheU.S.Government.TheresultingcorrespondencerevealedtheseriousenvironmentaldamagecausedbyMijutane’scompany.Whatalsobecameclearwasthetotaldisregardforterritorialboundariesbythesecriminals. WhentheU.S.GovernmentconfrontedtheJapaneseForeignAffairsOfficeabouttherampantdestructionofseafowlonAmericanislandsKomuraJutaro’sreplyissomewhatshocking.KomurapromisedtoissueinstructionstoallJapanesecaptainsdemandinganendtobirdkillingonAmericanterritory.However,headdedthathecouldnotpromisetheywouldobeythebanas“thesemenwerelargelycomposedoflawlessadventurers..”KomuraalsoadmittedthisslaughteringwascommittedbyMijutaneofYokohama.(link1)(link2) Aboveimages:AmericanForeignAffairspapersrecordtheangerofbothAmericannaturalistsandpoliticiansoverthemasskillingofseafowlonAmerica’soutlyingislands.KomuralaterregardsthesehuntersasoutlawsyetusedtheiractivitiesonMarcusIslandasbasisforlandtitle.(click) Inotherwords,Japan’stitletoMarcusIsland(muchlikeTakeshima~Dokdo)wasacquiredintheprocessofJapanesecitizensunlawfullypoachingmarineresourcesfromherneighbours.ThissituationmirrorsKorea’sdilemmaintheUlleungdoregionwhereliterallyhundredsofJapanesesquattersoverwhelmedtheislandtothepointthatJapanesepolicehadtobestationedthere. MarcusIslandandLiancourtRocks(Dokdo)–Japan’sFalseClaimsofSettlement~Occupation OnJanuary28th1905,ShimanePrefecture’sCabinetannouncedtheirincorporationofLiancourtRocks(Takeshima).Theannouncementstated“WehaveexaminedthematterandfoundthatthereisafactofoccupationundertheinternationallawasitisclearfromrelateddocumentsthatNakaiYozaburomovedtotheislandsincethe36thyearofMeiji(1903)andhasengagedinfisherythere.”InrealityNakaiYozaburowasnotsettledonTakeshimabutratherillegallyconductinghisbusinessfromKorea’sUlleungdo.(link) Inmuchthesamemanner,whenJapanannexedMarcusIslanditwasstatedthattheislandwassettledcontinuouslyandpermanentlybyaroundtwentyJapanesecitizens.(link)DidJapanreallyhavepermanentresidentslivingonMarcusIslandasKomuraJutarostated?Afewrecordsfromtheturnofthe20thCenturyrevealthetruth. Thefirstrecordwasahand-writtenaccordbyCaptainRosehillhimself.HowhedescribestheJapaneseonMarcusIslandshowstheywereanythingbutresidents.Rosehillwrites“…TheywereJapanesetradersandwereengagedincatchingbirdsandfishandnumberedabout45somewomenandchildrenamongstthem.FromwhatourChiefOfficercouldmakeouttheywerewaitingforasailingvesseltotakethemoff,andthatwhentheysightedourlights,theythoughtitwastheexpectedvessel…”(link)ThesepeoplewereofcoursethesamecrewemployedbyMijutaneofYokahamaresponsibleforkillingbirdsonotherPacficislands,notpermanentcitizensofMarcusIsland. Aboveimages.CaptainRosehilldescribeshisvoyagetoMarcusIsland.RosehillstatedtheJapaneseontheislandwerenotpermanentresidentsbutrathermigrantbirdhuntersandfishermen.TheimageontheaboverightisapressreleasethatrecordsnewsthatJapanadmittedMarcusIsland’sinhabitantswerenotsettlersbutnomadic. MarcusIslandandDokdo–Japan’sIllegalIncorporationofTerritoryinthe19thCentury WhenwelookcloselyatJapan’slandacquisitionsofthe19thCentury,adefinitepatternemerges.InitiallyJapaneseencroachmentstartedwithtrespassingbyanadventurousfewwhobrazenlydisregardedtheterritorialboundariesofJapan’sneighbours.Fromthereoftencameamassofsettlerswhowouldoverwhelmtheindigenouspeoples.ThiswouldleadtoadisplacementoftheoriginalinhabitantsorasonKorea’sUlleungdoagradualoverwhelmingofthenativepopulation. ThesecriminalsgavetheJapanesegovernmentawin~winsituation.Theycouldusethetrespassers’activitiesasameanstoincorporateterritoryandatthesametime“washtheirhandsclean”oftheirviolationsbysayingtheselawbreakershadnothingtodowiththeJapanesegovernment.ThiswasclearlydisplayedbyKomuraJutaro’sslickdouble-talkuncoveredbycross-referencingtwodifferentforeignaffairsrecords.Torefertotheindividualsusedabasisforlandtitleasa“lawlessadventurers”speaksvolumesaboutthelegitimacyofJapan’slandclaimpractices. WhetheritbeJapan’sdisplacementoftheAinuMoshirionHokkaido,theassassinationofRyukyu’spoliticians,ortheinvasionoftheJapan’soutlyingislands(ieUlleungdo~Takeshima)theresultswerethesame.TheloyalsubjectsofJapaninvadedtheareasandcountriesinAsiaandthePacificassoldiers,police,landlords,civilservants,farmer-andfisherman-migrants,tradesmen,andagentsofaggressivebusinessenterprises(NakaiYozaburoandMijutane) Perhapsunderthecolonialeralawsoflandclaimtheseacquisitionscouldbeviewedaslegitimate.HoweverJapan’sMinistryofForeignAffairsisverymisguidedtothinktheycanturnbackthehandsoftimeandreclaimTakeshimausingthepoliticalcircumstancesinKorea/Asiain1905asapremise. «DokdointheEarly20thCentury   TheTruthofJapaneseActivityonDokdo» Copyright©2009-2022AllRightsReserved. DesignedbyxposMedia.com