Japan needs academic programs focused on territorial issues

Japan Times

17-03-2025

Recently, while working on my upcoming academic article about the Senkaku Islands — specifically Japan's whole-of-government efforts in 1979 to survey and construct a heliport on Uotsuri Island — I realized that despite the government's attention to its territorial disputes with Russia, South Korea, China and Taiwan, Japan lacks a dedicated university or graduate program on territorial issues. This stands in contrast to Western countries, where such academic programs exist.
Yes, there are both Japanese academics and foreign experts — including myself — in Japan who specialize in territorial disputes, whether involving this nation or other countries. Others focus on related aspects, such as international law or joint development. Some of these experts are affiliated with think tanks and institutes like the Japan Institute of International Affairs and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in Tokyo, where their insights help inform both domestic and international audiences.
However, there are no undergraduate or graduate programs that focus on territorial issues, and more specifically, cover aspects like history, security, international and maritime law, natural resources, marine life, economic development or diplomacy, among others.
This should be both a surprise and a shame.
It is surprising given Japan's situation. While many countries have border or territorial disputes with their neighbors — in fact, there are at least 150 active disputes worldwide — Japan faces issues with nearly all its neighbors, including Russia (the Northern Islands), South Korea (Takeshima) and both the People's Republic of China and Taiwan (the Senkaku Islands).
In other words, the country is surrounded by territorial disputes and is a party to all of them. As such, it would benefit from an academic program allowing deeper examination of the problems and the exploration of international cases for comparative purposes.
It is also a shame because the Japanese public in general is either unaware or indifferent to these disputes. In a recent Cabinet Office poll, for example, only 54% of those surveyed nationwide said they have a certain degree of knowledge about the Northern Territories issue.
While this is better than the 35% who say they have heard of the dispute but know nothing about it, it's still a low number considering that Japan's territorial dispute with Russia over the Northern Islands is the nation's longest-running postwar issue.
The program could possibly be named the Department (or Graduate School) of Territorial Disputes/Problems and be established within existing universities by bringing together current faculty from relevant fields, outside practitioners and scholars specializing in territorial disputes. It could take an interdisciplinary and international approach to the issue.
Students, both undergraduate and graduate, especially those specializing in one of Japan's territorial disputes, would be expected to visit contested locations and the countries involved whenever possible, such as Russia, South Korea, China, or Taiwan. Ideally, they would also learn the languages of the parties to better understand debates and arguments in their original context. This would help them gain deeper insight into the other nation's stance. They would engage with local experts, activists and government officials, as well as those directly affected by a dispute, such as fishermen caught up in contentious maritime issues.
Of course, understanding is not the same as acceptance.
Unless a country's position was particularly weak, no country would want to refuse to engage such students eager to better understand the historic and contemporary stances of the parties in dispute or other factors.
The program would, of course, accept international students as well to better enrich such discussions and dialogue. They could provide language assistance, much like their Japanese classmates could help them with reading Japanese language materials and adjusting to life in Japan. By sharing lessons from different countries and case studies, solutions could be found for current and future problems that arise.
Currently, there are several international programs, such as those at Durham University and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, the University of Arizona in the United States, the University of Victoria in Canada, the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Geneva in Switzerland. However, these are primarily centers or research units within existing departments and some focus more on issues like migration that stem from territorial disputes rather than addressing territorial issues directly.
A program in Japan, on the other hand, would be a first in Asia. Graduates of the program could pursue further academic study or careers in think tanks, foundations, governments or other international organizations.
By Japan, a highly trusted global partner, taking the lead in establishing such a program, there should also be a positive public diplomacy effect. It would bring students from around the world together to examine territorial issues in a more objective and dispassionate manner.
Furthermore, many graduates of the program would likely become future negotiators — and they may find themselves discussing issues and seeking solutions with their former classmates. This shared background could make it easier to reach resolutions.
Obviously, the disputes are far more complex and difficult to resolve than described here, and therein lies why this program is so necessary. The urgency is heightened even more as tensions over territorial issues continue to rise.
Robert D. Eldridge is a former political and public diplomacy adviser to the U.S. Marine Corps in Japan. He is also a recipient of the Ohira Masayoshi Foundation Award for his book, "The Origins of the U.S. Policy in the East China Sea Islands Dispute" (Routledge, 2014).