Takeshima Day Event Joined by Japan Govt Rep for 11th Year

Matsue, Shimane Pref., Feb. 22 (Jiji Press)--The Shimane prefectural government on Wednesday held an annual ceremony for Takeshima Day, with a Japanese government representative attending the event for 11 years in a row.

In 2005, the Shimane prefectural government designated Feb. 22 as Takeshima Day to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the announcement of Shimane Prefecture's jurisdiction over the Sea of Japan islands of Takeshima on Feb. 22, 1905. The annual event is intended to assert Japan's sovereignty over the group of islets in the town of Okinoshima in Shimane.

The islands, effectively controlled by South Korea, are called Dokdo in the country.

Hideyuki Nakano, parliamentary vice minister at the Cabinet Office, joined the ceremony held in Matsue, the capital of the western Japan prefecture facing the Sea of Japan.

Shimane Prefecture and others hosted the ceremony for the 18th time, bringing together about 230 people, also including Shimane Governor Tatsuya Maruyama, former Japanese internal affairs minister Yoshitaka Shindo and members of the Shimane prefectural assembly.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]