Japan’s Nikkei news recently reported that some land on Kasasa Island in the Seto Inland Sea has been gradually purchased by Chinese individuals, triggering concerns among the local islanders about security.
Kasasa Island is located just about two kilometers from Komatsu Port in Yamaguchi Prefecture, with only 5 households and 7 residents on the entire island, relying solely on small boats for transportation. Real estate records show that between 2017 and 2018, three Chinese individuals successively acquired land on the island, totaling over 3,600 square meters. They have been cutting down trees, paving roads, and even installing utility poles. The real estate agent responsible for the transactions stated that the buyer is a Chinese man who previously worked at three Japanese companies in Shanghai. His intention for buying the land is to construct a private villa and even plans to build a pier for yacht docking.
Local islanders are deeply worried about this development because of Kasasa Island’s sensitive location facing the Seto Inland Sea, near the important bases of the Maritime Self-Defense Force Wuji Base and the former army artillery battery ruins on Etajima Island. The residents expressed that with just a small boat, it would be easy to approach and observe naval vessels or submarines, and it would take only a little over an hour to reach military facilities like the Wuji Base.
The report highlights that in recent years, Chinese funds have been eyeing islands in the Seto Inland Sea of Japan. Not only have inspection teams from Dalian, China visited Kasasa Island, but Chinese residents living in Tokyo and Saitama have also been seeking to purchase at high prices.
Although Japan has implemented the “Important Land Investigation Law” since 2022, which allows investigations of landowners in sensitive areas, the scope is limited to within 1 kilometer of important facilities and the law lacks substantial binding force, criticized for having too many loopholes.
The Chinese Communist Party has enacted the “National Defense Mobilization Law,” which stipulates that in emergencies, whether domestic or foreign, the Chinese government can requisition land and facilities owned by citizens. Furthermore, there is the “National Intelligence Law,” which mandates citizens to assist in intelligence work. In case of an emergency, the possibility of these islands being utilized cannot be completely ruled out.
Ishimoto Takashi, a councilor in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, who has long been concerned about foreign land acquisitions, issued a warning about the current situation on Kasasa Island. He is concerned that if the current situation continues, Kasasa Island may potentially become a stronghold effectively controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, possibly developing into a drone base, resembling a form of invasion.
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