Manabu Sakai, Japanese minister in charge of territorial issues, speaks on April 18, 2025, during a ceremony in Tokyo marking the reopening of the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty following a revamp of its exhibits. (Kyodo)
TOKYO (Kyodo) — A Tokyo museum presenting Japan’s perspective on its territorial disputes reopened Friday after renovations, hoping to draw more young visitors.
The National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty features exhibits on the Northern Territories — Russian-held, Japanese-claimed islands off Hokkaido known in Russia as the Southern Kurils — as well as the South Korea-controlled islets in the Sea of Japan, called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.
The exhibits also include the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
This photo taken on April 17, 2025, shows the interior of an immersive theater at the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty in Tokyo on the eve of its reopening following a revamp of its exhibits. (Kyodo)
The museum had previously relied heavily on text-heavy panels but has introduced new exhibits to attract younger visitors, including an immersive theater featuring computer-generated images of the Northern Territories, Senkaku Islands and Takeshima projected on the walls, floor and ceiling, allowing visitors to feel as if they are flying or underwater.
“I hope that (the museum) creates an opportunity for visitors to deepen their understanding of Japan’s territorial sovereignty,” Manabu Sakai, the minister in charge of territorial issues, said at the reopening ceremony.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it strongly opposes the reopening and has requested the museum be shut down, adding that Japan’s claim over Takeshima is not conducive to the future-oriented direction of bilateral relations.
AloJapan.com