Japan Expands Territorial Exhibition Hall, Strengthening Claim That "Dokdo Is Japanese Land" with New Educational Space

Japan Launches Program Claiming Dokdo as "Japanese Territory"
South Korea: "Expansion Continues Despite Repeated Closure Demands"

The Japanese government has once again expanded the "Territory and Sovereignty Exhibition Hall," which asserts its territorial claim over Dokdo. Despite repeated requests from the South Korean government for its closure, Japan has now established an educational space specifically for students, making its claim that Dokdo is "Japanese territory" even more explicit.

The Japanese government has added and opened a 'Gateway Hall' space diagonally opposite the 'Territory and Sovereignty Exhibition Hall' located on the first floor of the Toranomon Mitsui Building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Photo by Yonhap News.

On November 14, the Japanese government opened an additional space called "Gateway Hall" opposite the previous exhibition hall on the first floor of the Toranomon Mitsui Building in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. This area is designed as an educational facility for student group tours and features a multipurpose structure suitable for lectures and workshops. According to the exhibition hall, "After touring the exhibition, we will use this space to conduct inquiry-based programs for students for about 40 minutes."

The new educational space is equipped with three-screen displays, dozens of chairs, and books related to territorial issues. On the digital map display, Dokdo is labeled with its Japanese name, "Takeshima," and marked as Japanese territory. Critics argue that this is intended to instill the false perception among students that "Dokdo is Japanese land."

As part of its opening event, the exhibition hall held a special lecture titled "Reviving Takeshima and Sea Lions from 90 Years Ago." Takao Inoue, Professor Emeritus at Tottori University, reportedly showed and explained footage of the Dokdo area and sea lion hunting filmed in 1934.

The Territory and Sovereignty Exhibition Hall in central Tokyo was first opened by the Japanese government in January 2018 to promote its territorial claims over areas such as Dokdo. At the time, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately demanded its closure. However, in January 2020, Japan expanded the exhibition hall to nearly seven times its original size and relocated it to its current site. In April this year, the facility was reopened with enhanced video and immersive features.

The South Korean government also immediately demanded the closure of this latest expansion and strongly protested. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, "Since the opening of this exhibition hall in 2018, we have continuously called for its closure, and we strongly regret that the Japanese government has opened an additional expansion space." The ministry also summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, Minister at the Japanese Embassy in Korea, to lodge a protest.