We all know how political the Palestine nominations have become, whether right or wrong. Seemingly, some local politicians in Japan are taking it to another level. Should be noted the article is from the Chinese point of view.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/760419.shtml

Japanese article on the nomination, no mention of the Senkaku Islands yet.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T130204003282.htm

It does seem strange that none of these islands have any national protection, and then suddenly Unesco insription is being sought for 2016? Is this a follow up to the recent success of Japanese island nominations, or does the Chinese claim to certain islands play a role in this nomination, thoughts?

The Anami Islands and the northern part of Okinawa Main Island are very far from the Diauyu/Senkaku, and quite not related, and for me the site can be considered the extension of the listed Yakushima!! The local politician plan is also quite unreasonable and maybe weakpoint for nomination paper as IUCN will question why only these island not the whole Ryukyu Chain to Taiwan! However the Chinese idea of reject whole nomination at first is quite overreact or this maybe a media fuel more conflict? like the think we saw at Preah Vihear.

The Yaeyama Island group mentioned in the Japanese article (Iriomote Island) is very close to the Senkaku Islands. I find it hard to believe Japan's latest nomination has nothing to do with politics. The fact that Japan intends to include the nearest Japanese Islands to the Senkaku Islands speaks for itself.

The nomination, which is still not on the tentative list, already is seeking inscription in 2016. If this is true this nomination will take preference over most of Japan's current T-list. Why the rush?

Iriomote Island and the small islands surrounding it are literally the closest Japanese land to the Senkaku Islands. An Amami Islands nomination should not be controversial at all, but what is the justification for including Iriomote Island?

Shocking.

http://japandailypress.com/japan-planning-to-include-senkakus-in-unesco-heritage-list -china-vexed-2023718

I really am finding it difficult to source a reasoned and neutral resumee of the pros and cons of the Chinese/Japanese cases regarding the ownership of the islands. They do both clearly have some sort of arguable "case" Does anyone know of one?

I am aware of the general history of the Ryukyu chain and the Japanese expansion down through them from the 17th Century and their "ambiguous" state across many years of paying tribute to both China and Japan (I recently read the story of Lord Macartney's Embassy to China in 1792-4 and he describes how he met a couple of Ryukyuan ambassadors on their way to Beijing to pay that "Tribute"). Of course this all reached a climax in the 1895 Sino/Japanese War. As I understand it the situation was then complicated by "agreements" made after WWII which may or may not have covered the status of the Senkaku islands. Issues of interpretation in International Law such as "terra nullius" also come into play. We in UK of course face arguments with some similarity regarding the legal ownership of the Falklands - at least that has a population which can express its own wishes - though whether these are regarded as being of any legal consequence is another matter of interpretation of International Law!

I suspect that there is no "correct" answer and that either it comes down to force or negotiation! "Rattling the cage" by including them in a WHS nomination isn't likely of course to help improve the negotiating atmosphere.

I reckon you're right. And seems like the Japanese are now staking a claim on Australian Antarctic territory!

Japan is caught up in several disputes. Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands with China and Taiwan. Dokdo/Takeshima with both Koreas. Lastly, the Kuril Islands with Russia. All disputes stem from claims made during the Meiji/Imperial Japan era.

There often is no "correct" answer as Solvigant says. Both sides can use certain facts to further their argument. The dispute between China and Japan is particularly difficult. The dispute with Russia and Korea is far more one-sided. Japan's claim to Takeshima/Dokdo is particularly weak, the same goes with Russia's claim on the Kuril islands. In my view anyway, please no passionate attacks if you disagree.

Frankly, I am very suprised Japan would move to nominate a site thats under such a cloud of controversy. I hope this nomination never comes before the WHC, as this could be far more infamatory than the Palestine controversy in 2012.

There are quite a few "political" or "sensitive" world heritage nominations on the horizon for Japan, Korea, and China. These nominations include sites and artifacts for the World Heritage list and the Memory of the World register. It will be interesting to see how these nominations are evaluated by the world heritage committee. Currently Japan and Korea are active committee members of the WHC.

Indeed Korea is already requesting Japan's industrial nomination be rejected on the grounds, "(the nomination) runs counter to the basic spirit of World Heritage."

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/i?g=eco&k=2014020400880

UNESCO World Heritage

*Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution (Japan) 2015
- includes sites of forced Korean/Chinese labor

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/17/national/plan-approved-to-seek-heritage-s tatus-for-japanese-industrial-sites/#.UvGVdEnTlMs

*Yongsan Garrison - Military Headcourters of Imperial Japanese Army (Korea)
- Aspiring to be on the T list

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2013/11/316_146839.html

*Unit 731 (China) older article
- Aspiring to be on the T list

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/02/08/2010020800823.html

UNESCO Memory of the World

*Letters from Chiran (Japan) 2015
- Kamikaze Pilots' Suicide Notes

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/01/07/national/nominees-for-unesco-world-regist er-to-be-selected/#.UvGUxknTlMs

*"Comfort Women" Documents & Testimonials (Korea) 2017

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201401150012.aspx

As we near the WHC in June, Japan's nomination will certainly be analyzed, critiqued, and written about in the months to come. This may be a more appropriate place to discuss any issues concerning this serial nomination commemorating the Industrialization of Japan. (Instead of in the country page for Japan or S. Korea)

Here is one of the most recent and specific critiques by Korean media toward this nomination. I first started mentioning the potential for politics to overwhelm this nomination about a year ago. The nomination has recently received plenty of criticism from Korea and China, but Korea is definitely leading the charge. This is important because Korea is currently one of the 21 committee members at the 2015 WHC (alongside Japan), you can pretty much guarantee after the ICOMOS report Korea will have some prepared remarks toward this nomination. Japan will probably have a rebuttal. As we can see over the last 3 years the Meiji Nomination has been followed by the Korean media. Once this nomination joined the Japanese Tentative List it was already being analyzed as a provocation or distortion of history. In Japanese media, news about the nomination has been mostly silent, with exceptions being a couple short announcements, or in 1-2 cases an article was published specifically because of Korean opposition toward the nomination! The last article is actually supporting the Korean media in calling on Japan to understand the views of Korea and China in this matter.

Korean Media 2012: "Shameful Japan"
http://english.khan.co.kr/khan_art_view.html?artid=201207091354077&code=710100

Korean Media 2015: "Abusing UNESCO"
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/opinon/2015/04/202_176566.html

Japanese Media 2013: Heritage Status, Korean Opposition
http://japandailypress.com/japan-to-endorse-old-industrial-facilities-for-heritage-st atus-south-korea-opposes-1836149/

Japanese Media 2015: "Japan Must Seek Reconciliation" Support of "Abusing UNESCO" Article
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2015/04/11/reader-mail/japan-must-seek-reconcilia tion/#.VSkAfLok_dk

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The voting blocs might already be forming on the Meiji nomination. There is a hint (in the article) about Southeast Asian support for the Korean position. Does this reference:

Malaysia
Philippines
Vietnam

Germany has also criticized Japan in the past on this matter, and would likely support the Korean position or remain neutral. This is looking to be quite the battle, and does not play out well in my mind for either Japan or Korea. One hopes there may be a compromise before the WHC. Though I doubt it.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2015/04/21/25/0301000000AEN20150421002500315 F.html

Talks planned later this month between Japan and South Korea on the Meiji nomination. Hopefully, an amicable solution is the result!

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/06/national/history/tokyo-seoul-discuss-japa ns-contentious-world-heritage-listing-issue-report/#.VUloTKYk_dl

"South Korea's foreign ministry, at a bare minimum, is calling for Japan to drop seven of the sites that employed Korean forced labor, or, alternatively, applying to list the sites with UNESCO in a similar way Auschwitz-Birkenau has been listed as a Nazi concentration camp."

Compromise, and possibly an opportunity to avoid a WHC confrontation. Hopefully.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/05/30/national/south-korea-ready-to-compromise- with-japan-in-world-heritage-clash/#.VWqQOOsk_dk

No deal reached as of June 13th, the campaigning for WHC support is ongoing on both sides. Korea and Japan are in the middle of meeting nearly all of the world heritage committee members to earn their support. I suppose there is only 2 weeks left, and with negotiations that are ongoing, either there will be a major breakthrough in relations or the 2/3 majority vote in the world heritage committee. Can Japan reach that magic number of 14 votes? Each side already has certain delegates pledging support.

http://www.koreaobserver.com/fm-explains-s-koreas-position-on-japans-bid-to-get-world -heritage-status-for-controversial-sites-30908/

This article points to a compromise and an end to the opposition of the Meiji nomination. South Korea and Japan have negotiated a mutually acceptable interpretation of the sites, with Japan making concessions to properly highlight and explain the involvement of forced labor being present at 7 of the 23 sites after the Meiji era.

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201506220035