2010 - April 30 - Japanese government approved all textbooks that marked Takeshima as Japanese territory

Japanese government approved all five elementary school social studies textbooks and two atlases that marked Takeshima as Japanese territory.

（← Left : ”The Japanese Islands looked at from space.” The man in the picture is JAXA astronaut Mr. Noguchi Soichi (野口聡一). He is currently in space as part of the Soyuz TMA-17 crew and Expedition 23 to the International Space Station. Moreover, he is twittering from space !! Don't forget to check his photos out !!!）

On the afternoon of the 30th April 2010, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced the authorization result of the elementary school textbook. Two of them added the borderline to the west of Takeshima so that it gets more clear that Takeshima is Japanese territory, taking the opinion of the Ministry. This made all the elementary school social studies textbooks and atlases clearly depict Takeshima as Japanese territory now.

Japanese government decided to describe "Takeshima" in a teachers's handbook on the new curriculum guidelines for middles school social studies on 17th July, 2008. In response, the government of South Korea angrily recalled Ambassador Kwon Chul-hyun, with a parting shot "Japan will lose something very important !!", he sneaked back to Japan soon after though. And Korean's emotional reaction even resulted in headless phesants. (The pheasants Korean are slaughtering in the videos are not Japanese Pheasants/Green Pheasants, the national birds of Japan, but the Koryo Pheasants/Common Pheasants. What the...?)

The textbooks are revised every two or three years. The photos are from the new edition that are going to be in use from next year.




The last map doesn't depict the borderline, but it says "We have another (territorial) Issue, Takeshima. South Korea illegally occupies the islets that belong to Shimane."


On that evening, "Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan summoned Japan’s top envoy to Seoul, Toshinori Shigeie, to file an official complaint over Tokyo’s claim to the islets, known as Takeshima in Japan. "

On 2nd April, three days after the approval, Koren Diet held a full session and carried the arrogant and egoistic resolution unanimously to intervene in the domestic affairs of Japan.

2010 - Apr. 02 - "Resolution to demand the cancellation of Japanese Government's approval of Social textbook books that mark Dokdo as Japanese territory. "

More news from Choson Ilbo & others.

2010 - Apr. 07 - The Japanese government has again claimed Takeshima as its own territory historically and under international law in the latest diplomatic bluebook.

2010 - Apr. 09 - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has made it clear that Tokyo continues to claim Korea's easternmost islets of Takeshima.

2010 - Apr. 16 - Japanese government lodged a protest at a South Korean plan to launch a geological survey near Takeshima, calling for an immediate suspension.

For the honor of PM (loopy) Hatoyama, he didn't say this enthusiastically, but was only forced to answer to the question about Foreign Minister Okada's indecisive answer about the Korea's Heliport repair and base construction plan on Takeshima at the Committee on Foreign Affairs on 14th April.

The Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute then planned the geographical survey, which could aid construction of facilities around the islets and announced it will be conducted between April 15 and May 10. Following the announcement, Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Fukuyama Tetsuro told South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul Hyun that the survey "is unacceptable" and that it should be suspended immediately. On 16 May, Minister Okada urged South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung Hwan for South Korea to be "cautious" and "restrained" in the geographical survey they planned.

2010 - May 16 - Foreign Minister of Japan instituted Takeshima Issue to the Foreign Minister of South Korea.

By the way, Nikkei Shimbun analyzed in the following article that " in 2008, the Ministry decided to describe "Takeshima" in a teacher's handbook on the new curriculum guidelines for middle school social studies for the first time, resulting South Korea intensely repulsed. It seems that all (textbook publishing) companies took the issue up from the rise of the concern for the Takeshima this time even though Takeshima doesn't appear in the explanation of the elementary school version handbook."

日経　教科書検定、竹島が全社に登場 国境線で意見も　（元 リンク:リンク切れ）
日韓両国が領有権を主張している竹島 (韓国名・独島) は、日本の国土について学ぶ5年生用の社会の教科書5種すべてで登場。地図上に竹島を記載した教科書に対しては、島の西側に韓国との国境線を明記するよう 求める検定意見もついた。文部科学省は2008年、学習指導要領の内容を詳細に説明する「解説」の中学校版で初めて竹島問題を取り上 げ、韓国側が激しく反発した経緯があ る。小学校版の解説には竹島は登場しないが、問題への関心が高まっていることから、今回全社が取り上げたとみられる。(後略...）

Choson Ilbo reported that "this is the first time for Japan to mark the islets on a map in the textbooks", which is totally inaccurate, since Takeshima have been clearly marked as Japan's territory for a long time in some textbooks.

Japan Claims Dokdo in Elementary School Textbooks (Choson Ilbo )
The Japanese government unveiled elementary school textbooks that have a map of Korea's Dokdo islets marked as Japanese territory. Japan's education ministry made public 148 of such textbooks in Tokyo.
The map shows a demarcation line clearly separating Dokdo and Ulleung Island in the East Sea to emphasize that Dokdo belongs to Japan.
This is the first time for Japan to mark the islets on a map in textbooks. It plans to start distributing them nationwide starting in July.
Arirang News / May 13, 2010 10:14 KST

On the other hand, JoongAng Ilbo accurately reported that "Previously, only three of the five Japanese textbooks for elementary students described Dokdo as Japanese territory, but now all five contain descriptions or maps that claim Japanese ownership of the islets." and "One of the five textbooks approved Tuesday for use in 2010 by Japanese fifth graders says South Korea “illegally occupies” the islets."

References;

2008 - Korean Teacher Union Calls on Japan to Apologize for Dokdo

2008 - July 14 - The New Guidelines for Teacher's Handbook

2008 - Oct. 3 - Japanese Government officially made Cabinet Decision "It is apparent that Takeshima is an inherent part of the territory of Japan."

2008 - Dec. 10 - South Korea' Expansionism/Territorial Ambition never dies.

2008 - Dec. 28 - S. Korea protests Japan's territorial claim to Dokdo

2009 - 17 July - Japanese Defense White Paper claimed Takeshima is an inherent part of Japan.

韓国国会の”日本の社会科教科書独島領土表記検定承認取消し促求決議案”の日本語訳はchaamieyさんのブログで読めます。