Talk Weather to Win Island Recognition
To win island recognition, start by talking about the weather. That’s what some ruling party lawmakers in Japan are saying.
They say provision of weather news for a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea will help familiarize Japanese citizens with the territory. The islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China, are at the center of a territorial dispute between Tokyo and Beijing. That dispute recently intensified when China announced the expansion of an air-defense zone to encompass airspace above the isles, a move protested by Japan.
The group of ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers said Tuesday that weather forecasts for the islands, and two other areas claimed by Japan and neighboring countries, should be broadcast on Japanese television, in newspapers and online, as part of a larger set of recommendations about how Tokyo should advance its sovereignty claims.
“Deepening recognition of our territory and territorial waters in everyday life will be effective in raising public awareness at home and abroad,” a statement from the group said, pointing to weather reporting as one tactic. Issues of sovereignty “should be dealt with not just as public relations, but as a battle to influence public opinion.”
But the Japanese lawmakers aren’t the first to recognize the power of the weather to change perceptions.
Over a year ago, the China Meteorological Administration started including forecasts for the islands on state-run television’s weather program.
Meanwhile, the three residents of islets claimed by Japan and South Korea can get their weather from the Korea Meteorological Agency’s website. Those islands are known as Takeshima by Japan and Dokdo by South Korea.
JRT checked major Japanese weather outlets for forecasts for the Senkaku islands, but was unable to find any information.
The LDP’s Special Mission Committee on Territories will hand its proposals to the prime minister’s office this week, according to local media. The group recommended that funds for necessary measures be included in the budget for the fiscal year starting in April.
The outlook for the islands is gloomy. According to the China Meteorological Administration, the islands will experience drizzle from this evening into Thursday. This evening’s low will be 59 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Writer: Eleanor Warnock
This news was published on December 18, 2013.
Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2013/12/18/talk-weather-to-win-island-recognition/
