The Japanese government has once again approved a slew of distorted high school textbooks that claim Dokdo is its territory.
On the 24th, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology held a general meeting of the Textbook Examination and Research Council and finalized the results of the screening for high school textbooks to be used starting in 2027. The social studies textbooks that passed the review, including geography inquiry and politics and economy, uniformly mirrored the Japanese government's position insisting on sovereignty over Dokdo.
They presented the one-sided view that Dokdo is an inherent territory incorporated into Japan under international law and that Korea is occupying it illegally. In particular, the geography textbook published by Ninomiya Shoten added a new description not seen before about Dokdo, stating, "Korea is currently occupying it illegally."
The textbook distortions are not a one-off deviation but the outcome of the Japanese government's meticulous and systematic education guidelines. In 2018, when it announced the high school curriculum guidelines, the Japanese government said the textbooks should address that "Dokdo is Japanese territory and efforts are underway for a peaceful resolution." By putting forward the curriculum guidelines—the top principle for textbook writing—the structure controls publishers to write in ways tailored to the government's preferences.
Not only in public education but also in diplomacy, Japan's territorial provocation message is becoming more pronounced. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in a foreign policy speech at the National Diet on the 20th of last month, for the 13th straight year, that Dokdo is Japan's territory. Motegi said, "Takeshima in Shimane Prefecture (the name Japan uses for Dokdo) is Japan's inherent territory in light of historical facts and under international law," inviting diplomatic friction. As continued provocative remarks by senior government officials mesh with textbook distortions in schools, it is seen as revealing a long-term ploy to deliberately turn the Dokdo issue into an international dispute area.