In the backdrop of increasing exposure and attention to Chinese citizens purchasing uninhabited islands in Japan in recent years, the Japanese government has decided to launch a comprehensive investigation into the ownership status of over 13,400 uninhabited islands nationwide to prevent potential security risks.
According to a report by the Nikkei Shimbun on Monday (June 1st), the Japanese government will prioritize investigating the land registration data of islands in border areas and military-sensitive regions to confirm the actual owners. The focus of the investigation includes the Ogasawara Islands, Okinawa, and the Seto Inland Sea region.
For a long time, it has been generally believed in Japanese society that there are about 7,000 islands in the country. However, with advancements in surveying technology, the Japanese government confirmed in 2023, after a recount, that Japan actually has 14,125 islands.
Apart from the main islands of Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Okinawa, the remaining 14,120 islands are classified as remote or outlying islands.
Currently, the Japanese government directly manages around 690 islands, mainly including inhabited islands and border islands serving as territorial waters and exclusive economic zone bases. The rest of the over 13,400 islands have long been in a state of disuse due to their lack of economic value.
In recent years, the incidents of Chinese citizens purchasing land on uninhabited Japanese islands have continued to spark attention in Japanese society.
In 2023, a woman from Qingdao, China, named Zhang Shuqing, acquired partial private land rights on Yanaha Island in Okinawa. The island is located just a few kilometers from the U.S. military base in Okinawa.
Investigations revealed that approximately half of the 380,000 square meters of land on Yanaha Island is held by a consulting company in Tokyo with Chinese investment background.
Furthermore, there were reports last year that a Chinese citizen purchased around 3,700 square meters of land on Kasasa Island in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The island is just over 20 kilometers away from the Iwakuni U.S. military base and the Kure Maritime Self-Defense Force Base.
The land buyers claimed that the purpose of the purchases was to build vacation villas. However, Japanese society still expresses concerns about the security risks that may be associated with such transactions.
According to the Nikkei Shimbun, the Japanese government is concerned that some uninhabited islands may be utilized by foreign powers for drone intelligence gathering, illegal entry, or smuggling activities.
In addition to conducting investigations into land ownership, Japan also plans to nationalize islands that have long been without completed inheritance registrations or have unclear ownership. Furthermore, the government will utilize satellite imagery and airborne laser surveying technology to regularly monitor island activities and, if necessary, dispatch personnel for on-site inspections.
In recent years, the Japanese government has continuously strengthened defense and border security control towards the southwest direction under the scenario of a potential situation involving Taiwan.