Takeshima in the 17th century

17th century: The Oya and Murakawa Families' Passage to Utsuryo Island and Takeshima

In 1617, the Oya family, merchants from Yonago who ran a shipping business, drifted ashore on Utsuryo Island (Ulleungdo in Korean).
They discovered that the island was uninhabited and rich in timber and marine products. They invited the Murakawa family to join them and requested and received permission from the Edo Shogunate to travel to Utsuryo Island. The two families took turns traveling to Utsuryo IsIand every year to conduct business. Takeshima, located on the route from Oki to Utsuryo Island, was used as a navigation marker and as a place to moor their ships. With the permission of the Shogunate, it was also used as a good place to catch sea lions and abalone.
In 1692 and 1693, the Oya and Murakawa families encountered Korean fishermen on Utsuryo Island, and negotiations on the island were held between Japan and Korea. The Shogunate prohibited the families to travel to Utsuryo Island, but passage to Takeshima was not prohibited.

Passage to Takeshima and Utsuryo Island

❶ The ships would depart Yonago around the second lunar month each year.

❷ They would stop at Kumozu and take on more passengers.

❸ After leaving the mainland, the boats would first stop at Oki to prepare for the crossing. More passengers would join them here.

❹ They would use Takeshima as a navigational marker and a place to moor, and would catch sea lions and abalone. From 1661, it was decided that the Oya and Murakawa families would take turns travelling to Utsuryo Island each year and carry out their business.

❺ They stayed on Utsuryo Island for several months. They went to Utsuryo Island with two ships, built a third ship there to load their cargo, and returned with three ships, but during the passage in 1666, two ships brought from the mainland were shipwrecked, and only the newly built ship remained.

Passage with permission from the Edo Shogunate

The cargo of the Oya and Murakawa family's shipwrecked ship

Composition of the Crew of the Shipwrecked Oya Family Ship (1966)

During the passage of the Oya and Murakawa families to Utsuryo Island, there were cases in which people were rescued from shipwrecks in Korea and handed over to the Japanese side. Looking at the relevant records, we can see details of both families' journeys.

Takeshima before WWII

Before WWII: The Incorporation of Takeshima into Shimane Prefecture and Peaceful and Continuous Exercise of Sovereignty.

Around 1900, sea lion hunting became active around Takeshima. Nakai Yozaburo, a resident of the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture who had engaged in sea lion hunting since 1903, became concerned about excessive competition and submitted a request in September 1904 to three government ministers (the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce) for leasing Takeshima, which was called the "Lyanko Islands" at the time.
Upon the request from Nakai, the Japanese Government incorporated Takeshima into Shimane Prefecture by a Cabinet decision. Based on this decision, on February 22 the same year, the Governor of Shimane Prefecture issued an official notice to name the island “Takeshima*” and put it under the jurisdiction of the Director of Oki Islands Branch Office. These announcements were also published in newspapers of the time and widely disseminated to the general public.
After that, the Japanese Government openly exercised administrative rights over Takeshima for the purpose of managing sea lion hunting, etc. For example, in 1905, the Governor of Shimane Prefecture registered Takeshima in the State Land Register and designated the sea lion hunting as a fishery activity that required a license. Shimane Prefecture also allowed sea lion hunting by having Nakai and three other experienced people form a joint company, and in 1921, it granted these sea lion hunters permission to collect seaweed and shellfish on Takeshima.
Sea lion hunting by the people of Oki continued until 1941.

*Since the early Meiji period, Takeshima was called "Lyanco Island" in Japan after its western name of “Liancourt Rocks”

September 29, 1904

Nakai Yozaburo, who lived on Oki Island, submitted a request to the Government to lease Takeshima.

January 28, 1905

Cabinet decision to incorporate Takeshima into Shimane Prefecture

February 22, 1905

The Governor of Shimane Prefecture issued a public notice regarding the location, affiliation, name and jurisdiction of Takeshima.

Takeshima after WWII

After WWII: The San Francisco Peace Treaty and the Illegal Occupation of Takeshima by the Republic of Korea

The San Francisco Peace Treaty, which ended the state of war after World War II, stipulated that Japan “renounces all right, title and claim to Korea, including the islands of Quelpart, Port Hamilton and Dagelet.” A closer look at the drafting of this provision shows that Takeshima was deliberately excluded from the text. Although the Republic of Korea (ROK) was aware that Takeshima was not included in the “Korea” that Japan renounced in the Peace Treaty, in January 1952, shortly before the San Francisco Peace Treaty entered into force, the ROK issued a declaration concerning maritime sovereignty, with which it unilaterally established the “Syngman Rhee Line,” encompassing Takeshima in contravention of international law. Despite protests from the international community, the ROK did not withdraw the declaration. From 1953 to 1954, the ROK illegally occupied Takeshima by physical force, including firing on Japan’s patrol vessels.

January 18, 1952:
The ROK President issued a declaration concerning maritime sovereignty

The issue became more serious as a number of incidents occur in which Japanese fishing boats were seized for allegedly violating the so-called “Syngman Rhee Line,” mainly in the waters from around Jeju (Quelpart) Island to Tsushima.

April 28, 1952:
The San Francisco Peace Treaty entered into force

Takeshima was provided to the US Forces as a bombing range. In March 1953, the designation of the island as a bombing range was lifted in response to requests from Shimane Prefecture. Travel to Takeshima was resumed. Meanwhile, as illegal landings by ROK nationals were being confirmed, the Japanese authorities began taking enforcement measures.

July 12, 1953:
The Hekura gunfire incident involving a Japan Maritime Safety Agency patrol boat

The Japan Maritime Safety Agency patrol boat “Hekura” was fired at dozens of times near Takeshima.

June 1954:
ROK deployed a maritime police unit to illegally occupy Takeshima

Takeshima in Antiquated maps in Japan and Korea

A comparison between Japan and Korea regarding the presence or absence of detailed maps of Takeshima on old maps

The map on the lower right (Figure 1) is the first map of Takeshima (based on modern surveying methods) produced by the ROK government (Hydrographic Division under the Operations Department of the ROK Navy) in 1954. In Japan, detailed maps of Takeshima (maps showing the two main islands) were made in the Edo period (17th century) based on the practical knowledge of the Japanese people (Figs. 2-1, 2-2, 2-3). In addition, a survey map of Takeshima was made in 1908 using modern surveying methods in Japan (Fig. 3).
To date, no detailed maps of Takeshima made during the Joseon Dynasty, including the Korean Empire period, have been confirmed.　
This difference in the timing of the production of detailed maps of Takeshima in Japan and Korea shows that Korea, unlike Japan, had no real use for Takeshima in the pre-modern period.