Tokyo teachers union denies Japan`s claim to Dokdo

The teachers union in Tokyo say no historical grounds give Japan the right to claim the Dokdo islets of Korea, according to a statement contained in a report on review of new middle school textbooks published in June.

The union has denied the official stance of the Japanese government, which claims Dokdo, called Takeshima in Japan, as Japanese territory. The union is the largest teachers and educational workers union in Tokyo Prefecture, with 20 percent of public school teachers in the province being members.

The report contains the results of a comparative review of four geography textbooks that suggest Dokdo is Japanese territory among textbooks to be used by schools from next year.

The union said, "If schools teach the (Japanese) government`s unilateral opinion that Takeshima is Japanese territory illegally occupied by Korea, it could instill students with emotional nationalism."

"Dokdo is different from the Senkaku Islands (called the Diaoyu Islands in China), over which Japan has a terrestrial dispute, and the Northern Territory (Japanese name for the Kuril Islands), which is effectively governed by Russia."

The union added, "The history and civil ethics textbooks published by Ikuhosha, a right-leaning publisher which carries ultra-rightist opinions without reservation over history and territorial issues, distort history and antagonize the Constitution," adding, "Measures must be beefed up to block them from reaching students."

A union source said Friday, "When we teach this part, we will objectively teach students that Korea and Japan have differing views over Takeshima," adding, "We hope to contribute to efforts to find a peaceful resolution."

jkmas@donga.com