Sankei Shimbun, a hardline conservative Japanese news outlet, on the 22nd repeated the baseless claim that Dokdo is Japan's inherent territory to coincide with Shimane Prefecture's "Takeshima Day" event hosted by the prefecture.
In an editorial titled "We call for a government-hosted event" that day, Sankei said, "Takeshima is Japan's inherent territory, but Korea has been illegally occupying it for more than 70 years," and emphasized, "Korea must return Takeshima to Japan."
Sankei claims that since the Edo period, which began in the 17th century, Japan used Dokdo as an intermediary base for fishing, but in modern times Korea drew the so-called "Rhee Syng-man Line" and wrongfully took Dokdo.
Sankei noted, "The Japanese government has dispatched the prime minister and cabinet ministers to the Feb. 7 'Northern Territories Day' event, but has sent a Vice Minister-level Cabinet Office parliamentary secretary to Takeshima Day." It went on to say, "Sending a video message from the prime minister to the event could be one option, but nothing is better than attendance by the prime minister and cabinet ministers," it demanded.
Earlier, the Takaichi Cabinet decided to send a parliamentary secretary, rather than a cabinet minister as per existing practice, to the event to be held that afternoon in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. On this, Kyodo News explained it as "a step taken in consideration of the ongoing trend of improving Japan-South Korea relations."
On Feb. 22, 1905, Shimane Prefecture unilaterally issued a public notice incorporating Dokdo into its administrative district, and in 2005, to mark the 100th anniversary of the notice, designated Feb. 11 as "Takeshima Day."
Since 2013, the Japanese government has been dispatching a parliamentary secretary to the Takeshima Day event every year, and the Korean government has conveyed strong protests each year and urged the event's abolition.