"Registering Dokdo as Permanent Domicile"...112 Japanese Nationals, Fourfold Increase in 20 Years

From 26 in 2005 to 112 Last Year, a 4.3-Fold Increase
Driven by Japan's Far-Right "Permanent-Domicile Relocation Movement"

It has been found that, as of the end of last year, more than 100 Japanese nationals had registered Dokdo as their permanent domicile.

On the 23rd, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported this, citing statistics from Okinoshima Town in Shimane Prefecture. According to the report, 112 Japanese nationals had registered Dokdo (which Japan claims and refers to as Takeshima) as their permanent domicile as of the end of 2025. This is more than four times the 26 people disclosed by the Japanese government in 2005, marking an increase of over fourfold in 20 years.

View of Dokdo. Yonhap News Agency

By year, the figures stood at 124 at the end of 2021, 121 at the end of 2022, 119 at the end of 2023, and 122 at the end of 2024, maintaining around 120 people in recent years. Although the number fell somewhat to 112 at the end of last year, overall it has remained in the triple digits.

This phenomenon is analyzed as being significantly influenced by a "permanent-domicile relocation movement" led mainly by far-right forces in Japan. Japan claims Dokdo as its own territory, and under Japan's Family Register Act, Japanese citizens can change their permanent domicile to any area defined as Japanese territory, regardless of whether they actually reside there.

When the permanent domicile is moved to Dokdo, the address is written as "Takeshima, Okinoshima Town, Oki District, Shimane Prefecture, government-owned, no lot number." The phrase "government-owned, no lot number" means that it is Japanese state-owned land with no separate lot number assigned.

Kazuhisa Hamaguchi, a specially appointed professor at Takushoku University, who moved his permanent domicile to Dokdo in March 2004, stated at the time that he "wanted to inform the public about Takeshima and the territorial issue." He later moved his permanent domicile back to Tokyo, and has remarked that "there were people who changed their permanent domicile after seeing my case," adding comments to the effect that he had "fulfilled his role."

Meanwhile, on February 22, 1905, Shimane Prefecture unilaterally announced that it was incorporating Dokdo into its administrative district, and in 2005, marking the 100th anniversary of that announcement, it designated this date as "Takeshima Day" and has since held related commemorative events every year. Since 2013, the Japanese government has dispatched officials at the level of parliamentary secretary to this event annually, while our government has strongly protested and has urged that the event be discontinued.

Recently, ahead of "Takeshima Day," Shimane Prefecture also stirred controversy by selling, on a limited basis in its in-house cafeteria, a so-called "Takeshima curry" modeled after the shape of Dokdo. It is reported that they shaped the rice to resemble the eastern and western islets and placed a flag on top inscribed with "Takeshima" (written as "竹島," meaning Takeshima) to emphasize the symbolism.