”Takeshima Day”, Cabinet ministers will not attend ceremony marking 20th anniversary - is this a consideration to South Korea?

On the 22nd of this month, the 20th anniversary of "Takeshima Day" designated by Shimane Prefecture by ordinance, a ceremony was held in Matsue City. The prefecture had requested the government to have the prime minister and cabinet members attend, but this was again postponed, and only the prime minister and cabinet members attended as government representatives.
Parliamentary Vice-Minister Eriko Imai attended the ceremony. Takeshima is claimed by South Korea as Tokto (Dokdo) and continues to occupy it. At the ceremony, Governor Tatsuya Maruyama said, "Territorial issues are issues between nations, and discussions at the government level are not possible.
"It is essential to have a joint statement with the Japanese government," he said, calling for the government to move forward with negotiations. On the same day, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in South Korea to lodge a protest.
While Kwon has pursued a friendly policy toward Japan, he has maintained a stance of not compromising on historical issues. "Takeshima Day" was established in 2005 by the Shimane Prefecture to mark 100 years since Takeshima came under its jurisdiction.
A commemorative day established by ordinance. Article 1 of the "Ordinance Establishing Takeshima Day" states that "the citizens of the prefecture, municipalities, and the prefecture shall work together to promote a movement aimed at the early establishment of territorial rights over Takeshima, and to raise public opinion on the Takeshima issue."
"We have established Takeshima Day to raise awareness of the issue," the statement said. February 22 was chosen as the date in 1905 when the prefecture incorporated Takeshima.
Every year, a ceremony is held in the prefecture on this day, and this year marked the 20th anniversary. Governor Maruyama said, "We are working to resolve the Takeshima issue.
"We will continue to strongly urge the government to swiftly implement proactive measures to prevent this," he said. This year, the government was represented by a Cabinet Office Parliamentary Vice-Minister. The prefecture has long been calling for the attendance of the prime minister and cabinet members.
The government has decided not to hold the summit this year either, apparently out of consideration to avoid excessive influence on Japan-Korea relations. This is the 13th consecutive year that a Parliamentary Vice-Minister will attend. Parliamentary Vice-Minister Imai stated, "We will continue to provide accurate information on Takeshima both domestically and internationally.
"I believe that we should work to raise awareness of the issue and to raise further interest in it," he said in his opening remarks. "What will help resolve the issue is a rise in public opinion and understanding from the international community."
There were positive comments such as "I hope Imai-san can promote Takeshima well," but there were also heckling comments at the ceremony such as "What happened to the Minister?" and "Shimane Prefecture has been working hard for 20 years."
Meanwhile, after the ceremony, Parliamentary Vice-Minister Imai told reporters, "We would like to continue to consider effective measures to achieve a peaceful resolution to this issue."
Meanwhile, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its dissatisfaction with the Japanese government's decision to send a parliamentary vice-minister to the ceremony.
The embassy's Chief of Mission, Taisuke Mibae, was summoned to lodge a protest. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a spokesperson statement, stating that "Japan has repeatedly made unjust claims to sovereignty," and called for Japan to "take a humble stance."
"We should face history squarely," he said. While Japan has "Takeshima Day," Korea has "Dokdo Day" (October 25th). "Dokdo Day" is to promote the fact that the islands are Korean territory.
The date was chosen as October 25 because on this day in 1900, King Gojong, the 26th king of the Joseon Dynasty, declared "Lok Island to be our country's territory" in the Imperial Decree No.
It is named after the establishment of the 41st day of the Korean War. Although it is not an official national anniversary, various related events are held every year on this day in Korea.
Ahead of "Takeshima Day," the Shimane Prefectural Government cafeteria served "Takeshima curry" again this year.
The idea for the luncheon was conceived in 2015 by the then mayor of Okinoshima Town in Shimane Prefecture. In order to raise interest in Takeshima among the prefecture's residents, the luncheon will be offered at the prefectural office cafeteria, which is open to the public, from 2023.
The dish is served on the island of Takeshima, which is made up of two islands, Ojima and Onnajima. The shape of the island was precisely recreated using a 3D printer, and the rice is topped with a roux.
The Japanese flag is also standing. The ingredients are squid and turban shells caught locally, and the sauce is made from turban shell broth. Sungshin Women's University in South Korea continues to criticize Japan over territorial disputes.
Professor Seo Kyung-duk of the University of Tsukuba mentioned the curry on social media, saying, "The reason this type of curry has appeared in Shimane Prefecture in recent years is to make the local government officials and citizens recognize Liancourt Rocks as their own territory.
"This is a strategy to make the islands Japanese territory," he said. "Will Dokdo become Japanese territory after doing something like this? It's really deplorable." Professor Seo also said that he was planning to hold a related event in the area to coincide with "Takeshima Day."
Referring to the planning and other matters, he said, "If Japan wishes for true Korea-Japan relations, it must abolish such events."