Commentary on themes by historical period

1. Investigations conducted by administrative agencies

　In 1905, after Takeshima came under the jurisdiction of Shimane Prefecture, the Governor of Shimane Prefecture (Takekichi MATSUNAGA) issued instructions (dated May 3, 1905) to the Oki Islands branch office to conduct a survey of the area of Takeshima. The Director of the Oki Islands branch office (Bunsuke HIGASHI) reported to the Governor of Shimane Prefecture on May 17. On August 18 the same year, the Governor of Shimane Prefecture visited Takeshima to conduct an inspection, and the Governor’s activities in this visit were reported in a newspaper article ^(*1).

　In 1906, the head of the third department of Shimane Prefectural Government (Yutaro JINZAI) led a team of 44 members under the Director of the Oki Islands branch office, including experts in fisheries, agriculture, hygiene, and measurement, and landed on Takeshima on March 27 to conduct a field survey there. After that, the results of the survey, including subjects such as geography, climate, biology, and fisheries, were compiled and published in a book ^(*2).

　If we take a wider view of the waters around Takeshima, investigations were conducted by the Tottori Prefecture Fisheries Research Institute ^(*3) and the Shimane Prefecture Fisheries Research Institute ^(*4) before WWII, and reports were compiled for the respective investigationsNo.28.

　As described above, the Shimane Prefectural Government and various other agencies conducted investigations on Takeshima and its surrounding waters since Takeshima’s incorporation into Shimane Prefecture until the end of WWII.

2. Administrative publications

　As more people were beginning to know about Takeshima through reports on its developments by administrative agencies conducting investigations of the island, information about Takeshima came to be included in publications by Shimane Prefecture. These publications include overviews of prefectural administration, statistical documentation, catalogs of industries, and information on the forestry industry. The Shimane-ken Annai (“Guide to Shimane Prefecture”) ^(*5), published in 1924, contains photographs as well as descriptions of Takeshima in the sightseeing guide.

　Through our research, we were able to obtain copies of the administrative publications that mention Takeshima. This was achieved with the cooperation of the National Diet Library, Shimane Prefectural Library, and individual collectors of such documents and materials. Of these documents and materials, this report takes up a document produced in 1910 showing that Shimane Prefecture had managed the sea lion hunting of TakeshimaNo.29, and the tourism guide produced in 1912No.30.