The Origins of JapaneseChinese Territorial Dispute

Using Historical Records to Study the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands Issue

Most books on the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute between China and Japan are authored by either Chinese who argue that the islands belong to China or by Japanese who contend that the islands are rightfully Japan's. This book is the first of its kind — by a Japanese who supports China's claim or vice versa.

Written by one of the foremost historians on Sino–Japanese relations, Tadayoshi Murata, Professor Emeritus from Japan's Yokohama National University, delves into the Japanese archives and uncovers evidence that shows Japan's ownership of the disputed islands is historically untenable. Given the current impasse surrounding the islands, Professor Murata suggests, as a way out, the two sides jointly manage the disputed territories based on mutual understanding.

It is a must-read for those interested in Sino–Japanese relations, especially the history of the disputed islands, and the future of the two countries.

Contents:

• About the Author
• Introduction: The Importance of a Calm, Objective Standpoint
• The Tripartite Relationship between the Ryukyus, China, and Japan
• The 36 Islands of Ryukyu
• East Asian Upheavals and the Ryukyu Kingdom
• From Tokugawa Shogunate to Meiji Restoration
• Nishimura Sutezo, 1885
• Victory in the First Sino–Japanese War and Clandestine Occupation
• Framework for the Treaty of Shimonoseki Drafted in January
• Assessing the Japanese Government's Basic Viewpoints
• Appendix
• Afterword

Readership: Readers who are interested in the Japanese–Chinese territorial dispute on Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands and Sino–Japan relations.
Key Features:

• Although written by a Japanese professor, this book argues for China's claim on the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands
• It is one of the first books to use mainly primary sources to analyze the Japanese-Chinese territorial dispute on Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands
• It uncovered new evidence to support China's claims on the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands