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Disputed playground

67 Comments

South Korean police officers and students play basketball on one of the disputed islands, called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, on Sunday.

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The constructed a basketball court there?? Ouch!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

That is, I have to say, a rather picturesque basketball court. Not worth starting a war over, but a nice one none the less.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

It only shows how bad manners they are!!! What a shame :(

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Maybe Japan should send a basketball team there to play the South Korean's and winner takes all. I'm sure Mr Ishihara would be the star point guard for team Japan!

11 ( +13 / -2 )

Nice!! Hope to play here someday..;)

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The Potsdam Agreement clearly states that: "The terms of the Cairo Declaration shall be carried out and Japanese sovereignty shall be limited to the islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku and such minor islands as we determine." "We" means Ally nations.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

perfect1108: "It only shows how bad manners they are!!! What a shame :("

Would you call it bad manners if Japanese did the same on the Senkakus?

These are Korean islands. Why should they feel bad or it be a shame that they're playing there? What's more, it's officers and kids bonding and having fun. Put the politics aside for a moment and just look at that.

-8 ( +8 / -16 )

Ya, know, last night, both my Japanese and South Korean counterparts, decided to go at through table tennis. There I was, the low key American, just looking at it from a distance; everypne was happy, to just settle it at the table. Why not settle it at the court too? National squad vs. National squad, winner picks thier island, end of story, no crying pouting when It's over about past deeds. B-ball diplomacy, or even Table Tennis diplomacy, what a beautiful world this would be, Instead of the stand-off going on now. Peace.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Next reader contest--what to build on each of the Senkaku islets in response.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

johnnyG: The Senkaku islands have nothing to do with South Korea. How would that be a 'response'?

0 ( +4 / -4 )

It's like watching two 8 year children. Grow up and sort it out in a mature manner.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Give Senkaku a break! The uninhabitable islets shouldn't have the police force, token residents, a basketball court or thousands of visitors. Koreans planted grass and even tried to grow altheas, Korea's national flower, on this rock formation. Stop those kinds of immature political appeals and go to the ICJ.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

The basketball court is sponsored by MIZUNO. LOL

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What's more, it's officers and kids bonding and having fun. Put the politics aside for a moment and just look at that.

That's nice smith. Do you still think this was not a political gesture if I told you the high school kids also played with the military stationed on the island?

It is very much a claim that they are in control of the islands. And it's not the first time they've played basketball there either.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Daijoboots: Quick questions: whom do you see, on the island, playing basketball? Whom DON'T you see? Now tell me who possesses them.

tokyokawasaki: "It's like watching two 8 year children. Grow up and sort it out in a mature manner."

Agree that's what the politicians are like, but in this picture it's just people playing basketball. The only ones acting like children about this basketball game are people who claim the islands are Japanese. These police playing with students aren't acting like children at all.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Quick questions: whom do you see, on the island, playing basketball? Whom DON'T you see?

Is this a Where's Wally thing? I don't see you or your armchair there.

Now tell me who possesses them.

No.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

it's just people playing basketball

Hey smith where did you get your glasses? I'd like a similarly rosy pair.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

fait accompli............................looks like it's too late for Japan.

Japan could/should have built something there in the 80's when she still " dominate " the economy. Too late now.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Not that I care who these mini islands belong to I just hope that they everyone realizes that the sewage system that they've created there is killing off the ecosystem around the island. So they can play basketball all they want but when the island becomes a toxic sludge rock then neither side will care who has them.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Awesome court, the beach is not just for volleyball. lol.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Japan vs. S.Korea ...winner gets the island..

1 ( +2 / -1 )

They can do a time share thing. Japan can play on Monday, Wednesday and (TGI)Friday. Korea can have the court on Tuesday, Thursday and for Saturday night fever. Sunday, is of course, the day of rest.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Mirai; unfortunately, in this world now the occupier is the winner, look around in each corner of the world, look from middle east to Africa and from Asia to Europe every where "might is right" if you want to own the land you have to occupy it, unfortunately this is the now the reality of the world

1 ( +1 / -0 )

When Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is amended in the future, Japan will recapture Takeshima in a day. The whole world knows Korea's Navy is no match to the Japanese Navy

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

lol you know the japanese like to gamble! they should bet it on a game of basketball, neither really has an actual professional team besides in the olympics and college and what not lol but anyways they should totally gamble on the islands and bam winner takes that island the court is on. But only temporarly for like 4 years or something, So that way the loser has a chance to take it back and keep the spirit of basketball alive in the asain communities :)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Ishihara should go there and challenge one of them to a game of 1 on 1, the winner gets the rocks for his country.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Noce to see young lads playing sports, better than North Koreans pointing machine guns at your head, right??

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Opps, that should have been NICE, not noce??

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Daijoboots: Quick questions: whom do you see, on the island, playing basketball? Whom DON'T you see? Now tell me who possesses them.

smithhatesjapan, in exactly the same context as the Koreans on Takeshima, whom do you see with their army in Tibet? Whose army DON'T you see in Tibet? I bet you criticise the Chinese occupation of Tibet don't you. But when the Koreans illegally occupy territory disputed with your most hated nation on earth, your about-turn is Olympic standard.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Korea is invested in these islands emotionally. Japan wants to rely on international law but that won't work this time.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

If everyone takes a closer look at this picture, you will realise that the disputed 'rock' is so tiny that they did not even have enough space to build a full-size basketball court. It's one of those one hoop play courts, just like the ones in Yoyogi-koen. These Korean are so stupid, that they publicise a propaganda exercise that only highlights how ridiculous their "occupation" of this rock is.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

why does everyone keep avoiding the real issue: Money... It's all about fishing and mineral rights point blank!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Geeezz.. it seems like the Japanese media is stalking Korea and getting upset over nothing.

Japanese need to lighten up. It's obviously a fun way to make a little bit of wave.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

It seems basketball is right, because too narrow for playing baseball.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Home or away court?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

CrazyJoe: "The whole world knows Korea's Navy is no match to the Japanese Navy"

And while Japan was attacking Dokdo China would sneak in the back door and take the Senkakus, if not more. Then Japan would struggle to keep Dokdo as SKoreas superior air force blew Japan's navy to bits, if Japan's navy, piloted by people who are largely untrained and completely untested, ever made it there in the first place. And you forget the most basic fact: the lands are lived on and administered by South Korea, not Japan, so any attack on the islands would be Japan attacking a sovereign nation -- they would get no support from the world community for such an act, and no help from the US (whom they hide behind) because the US depends on SK as a strategic center as much as if not more than Japan. Russia would also, in turn, solidify it's military presence in the Kuriles. All would lose, of course, if any such incursion into South Korean territory took place, but Japan would lose more than anyone else -- and all for a few rocks that were arguably never theirs.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

smithinjapanAug. 27, 2012 - 06:30PM JST Daijoboots: Quick questions: whom do you see, on the island, playing basketball? Whom DON'T you see? Now tell me >who possesses them.

That's merely posession, not ownership. That "posession" may well be illegal. But of course South Korea doesn't want to find out.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

They did it for the LULZ

0 ( +0 / -0 )

OssanAmerica: "But of course South Korea doesn't want to find out."

Because they already know it's theirs. Why contest something that's yours? I'm not going to take up any suggestion of yours to go to court over a bike I bought and have kept and maintained just because you suddenly say it's yours. I know it's mine, so why would I? The Japanese say the same thing about the Senkakus. In fact, in Gemba's speech about how "It's very regrettable" and "I can't understand" when Lee visited the islands and then later again he stated, "There is no dispute in regards to the Senkakus". Who asked him to say that? Why would he suddenly bring that up if it's matter of fact?

Again, the hypocrisy is astounding. In any case, as time goes on, the Senkakus are more and more Japanese, Dokdo becomes less and less questionable as to if it's South Korean, and the Kuriles become undeniably Russian. What do you think would happen if someone suddenly demanded the Ryukyus be separated from Japan and reconstituted as a sovereign nation because that's the way it was a long time ago? You think Japan would put it up for question?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Doesn't matter Ossan. If Japan files this solely to ICJ, Korea's argument of "it's mine, it's mine because I know it's mine" rant won't work in front of the judges.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

China is no longer the China in 40s, Japan can't do anything on Diaoyu Islands since Japan can't defend it from any military actions taken by China. At the worst for China, the Diaoyu Islands will remain at status quo.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Some politicians in Japan just want to fish in the troubled water. Japanese people should really study the claims put forwarded by China instead of listening only to the leftists. USA will never take a war against China for Japanese dispute with China on Diaoyu. USA never recognize Japanese sovereign claim on Diaoyu.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

And it's not an occupation since Dokdo belongs to Korea.

This is exactly the point where self opinion is so factually incorrect it become make-believe. The only nation on earth that has ratified the Korean illegal occupation of the seas around Takeshima is Korea. No international body has ever signed an agreement that the area "belongs" to Korea. Therefore (a little bit of education here) it is an "occupation" not ownership.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Dang island is so small they could only fit a half court....

Amusing that the Koreans are trying to do everything possible to try to claim the islands, except let the case go to the legal courts. Maybe the basketball court is supposed to be a substitute?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Amusing that the Koreans are trying to do everything possible to try to claim the islands, except let the case go to the legal courts. Maybe the basketball court is supposed to be a substitute?

This is nothing gelendestrasse. The government actually pays people to live there. They tried to grow some sort of vegetation there but failed. Reason?

Because their claim is that current Takeshima is Korea's "Usan" in ancient times. And according to those records, "Usan" had 86 people people living there where people farmed bamboo and yams.

安撫使金麟雨、還自于山島、献土産大竹・水牛皮・生苧・綿子・検樸木等物、且率居人三名以来、其島戸凡十五口男女并八十六、麟雨之往還也、再逢颶風、僅得其生

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I am surprised how people (and also politicians) can even suggest something as stupid as a legal court to solve political disputes. It is clear that it is not possible to assemble judges/countries for the court, who would be independent from the case and could render an independent judgment. Even the countries, who are not direct allies of Japan or Korea are related to one of the two countries in one way or another, or may have similar problems on their territory, or just immature, or allies of the allies, etc. Who is going to judge? The US? Russia? China? The African nations? The Islamic countries? Japan must stop this public show for the populace if it wants to move forward with the issue, or there is no hope.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japan must stop this public show for the populace if it wants to move forward with the issue, or there is no hope.

How else would you deal with it in a diplomatic and mature manner? The territory was seized without any international agreement. Japan could do exactly the same as the Koreans and send it's navy in, but that would result in armed conflict. So kudos to Japan for trying to settle this the adult way. The international courts are there for that exact reason. To put a stop to bully tactics and armed force.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Something far more important that most people have missed on this news item is how the Koreans, YET AGAIN, are using sport to promote their xenophobic political aggression. You would have thought, that after their warning from the IOC and FIFA regarding the political placard at the Olympics, the Koreans would give it a rest for a while.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

prejudice against the Japanese still exists even when none of us were even born when WWII ended.

Japan shows no remorse for its war crime and there is no hope for Japan if it insists on aggression.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The international courts are there for that exact reason.

There is no such a court, which would be able to handle this issue. There may be a European court, which can judge a European country against another European country within a European union, because they are all allies and of the same level, and with similar goals, and so on. There is no Asian or International court with enough credibility or competence to judge the issue between Japan and Korea. Japan wants the US to intervene. End of judgment (and trust.)

Now, about how. My personal disputable opinion, of course. The land usually changes owners during wars, international or civil, or other armed conflicts, or when countries are economically in ruins. None of these applies to the situation at hand. Japan is not going to get the territories by behaving like a clown, or a child. Instead it should come to an internal agreement with itself that the territories are for now under foreign control, Remove all the nationalistic stuff from the textbooks, mass media and ban ALL public immature exploitation of the case. It should agree with Korea about status quo and, instead, agree to co-develop the territories and waters economically, making them economically partially or completely Japan-dependent. Because this is the ultimate goal.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

In 1951, most significantly, the UK openly corrected a mistake contained in a previous draft of the San Francisco treaty, in which Dokdo was described as Japanese territory, by recognizing it as Korean territory in the final version of the draft. The British government presented a first draft of the treaty in 1951, in which Ulleungdo and Jejudo as well as Dokdo were included as part of Japan. The J-goverment were opposed to the UK draft on the grounds that it created the psychological disadvantage of seeming to fence Japan in by drawing a continuous line around Japan. Meanwhile, the J-government was also actively seeking to persuade the U.S. of the validity of its claims. Had the British draft been accepted, Korea's now seemingly never-ending territorial dispute with Japan would have been clearly resolved.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

One of the most surreal photos ever...........

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

These three countries, Korea, Russia, and China which were involved in territorial disputes with Japan related to Dokdo, the Kurile Islands, or the Senkaku Islands were not invited to participate in the San Francisco Peace Conference. In 1951, Korea had interests related to the Treaty of Peace with Japan. The U.S. were aware of Korea's political situation and intended to have Korea participate in the negotiations and sign the treaty. However, Japan was opposed to Korea's participation. At the time, J-goverment's Shigeru Yoshida described the ethnic Korean residents in Japan as communists and criminals, while arguing that if Korea were allowed to participate in the treaty process, Japan would be exposed to serious political and economic consequences. In the end, U.S. accepted Japanese position.

The U.K. draft of the treaty included a map that identified Japanese territory. The map found at the U.S National Archives and Records is significant for several reasons. It is the only map prepared in the San Francisco conference. The U.S. as well as the other members of the Allied Powers never prepared an official map, and no official map was incorporated into the Treaty of Peace with Japan that was signed in San Francisco. This was the only map officially recognized by the U.K., a key member of the Allied Powers and the closest ally of the U.S., during the preparations and eventual conclusion of the peace treaty. This map clearly identifies Dokdo as being outside of Japanese territory and within the Korean territorial boundry, as indicated by a bold line, thus effectively putting an end to all conflicting claims to Dokdo.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Very interesting, sfjp330, thank you. One should always know the full story before judging the case.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Very interesting, sfjp330, thank you. One should always know the full story before judging the case.

However, unfortunately this is the 'full story' according to an unidentified web blogger on a chat page. Please don't attempt to convince anyone that some bloggers ramblings are historical fact of any kind. And if you are foolish enough to read all the way through sfjp330's very biased posts, there is no actual ratified nor legal historical agreement within any of it. The posts are comprised from the what-if school of evidence. What if the British map actually made it to the table etc, etc.

Yet sfjp330's biased spin still does not answer the main issue. That the Koreans illegally occupied the seas around Takeshima without any international agreement or treaty of any kind. Let this go to an international court and if the Koreans are so convinced that the territory should be theirs then surely they have nothing to worry about in court??

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This is nothing gelendestrasse. The government actually pays people to live there. They tried to grow some sort of vegetation there but failed. Reason?

Nigelboy, you are amusing. What do you call Japanese who claim residency in Takeshima when they've never even set foot on it in their lives? Clowns? Hypocritical much?

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/08/27/2012082701128.html

More Japanese Change Domicile to Dokdo

An increasing number of Japanese people have changed their domicile to Korea's Dokdo. Their number rose from 79 in January to 88 recently, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Sunday.

Any Japanese citizens can move their domicile to wherever Japan makes territorial claims, regardless where they live.

A growing number of Japanese have also officially moved their addresses to Russia's Kuril Islands, the Senkaku Islands (or Diaoyu Islands in Chinese), or the Okinotorishima atoll, at a time when Japan's territorial dispute with neighboring countries is deepening.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Chucky.

It's actually, "Honseki" which according to the law, one doesn't have to reside there. There are many people who has Honseki in Osaka Castle, Koshien(baseball stadium), and the imperial palace.

Japanese are crazy sometimes but not that insane where the government pays you to live there. All Korea needs is to have about 50 or more do the same thing where they can establish a self sustaining farming community just like the Usan island passage from ancient times. LOL

0 ( +2 / -2 )

TigersTokyoDome Aug. 28, 2012 - 07:01AM JST. However, unfortunately this is the 'full story' according to an unidentified web blogger on a chat page. Please don't attempt to convince anyone that some bloggers ramblings are historical fact of any kind. The posts are comprised from the what-if school of evidence.

Send me a link on what site? The subject is about Dokdo, and advise me on your theory from your Japanese school that you studied as factual.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Send me a link on what site? The subject is about Dokdo, and advise me on your theory from your Japanese school that you studied as factual.

I think what TigersTokyoDome is asking you is to send the links which includes this U.K. diplomatic decision. But you won't do that for the very reason that U.S. and Britain had subsequenly meeted in May and June of 1951 to confirm the details of the Peace Treaty.

What others "might thought" prior to execution is irrelevant to the current international law in ICJ especially in light of the fact that the two states confirmed (U.S. and U.K.) Takeshima's ownership. And when it's subsequently executed in a form of ratified treaty among 48 nations, all Japan has to do to prove that the 1905 incorporation was legal.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I reckon that's pretty cool, shooting hoops on the most controversial rock in the planet right now. I'd much rather watch a nice game of basketball with these blokes than dropkicks from both sides swimming to the island and waving flags - or worse, the two armies facing off against one another. Get your beers and your hot-dogs - Game on!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yeah, the politicians should just ball, to twenty-one points--winner take all. The Korean writing makes it look ugly, I must say...and cheap. Maybe I'm accustomed to the cleanliness, organization and aesthetic standards of Japan-quality....

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

They can do a time share thing. Japan can play on Monday, Wednesday and (TGI)Friday. Korea can have the court on Tuesday, Thursday and for Saturday night fever. Sunday, is of course, the day of rest.

Actually that would really impress me. Hope South Korean and Japan can be friends someday soon. All you need to achieve peace is to stop fighting - that's all there is to it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

WOW!!! Beautiful island. Hope South Korea will put a tennis court in Dokdo.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

south korea and china are both claiming islands whereas they are not really own,, TAKESHIMA and SENKAKU is for JAPAN and PANATAG SHOAL is for THE PHILIPPINES.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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