The Senkaku Islands Constitute an Intrinsic Part of Japan

On April 1, 1952, the Government of the Ryukyu Islands under the auspices of the
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands was established to exercise
control over four island groups: Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama. Under the
provisions of the Government of the Ryukyu Islands, the political and geographical
jurisdictions were designated as the areas falling within the following boundaries:
28° North Latitude, 124°40‟ East Longitude; thence to
24° North Latitude, 122° East Longitude; thence to
24° North Latitude, 133° East Longitude; thence to the point of origin.
(Some points are not shown.)
Pursuant to the return of the Amami Islands to Japan in the following year, the United
States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands designated the geographical
boundaries of the Ryukyu Islands in the Civil Administration Proclamation No. 27 of
December 19, 1953. This included a re-designation of the boundaries drawn in the
previous year as described above, excluding the Amami Islands. (See the boundaries in a
map below.) As the bold lines indicate, Uotsuri Island and the other Senkaku islands are
inside the boundary line connecting a point at 28° north latitude, 124°40‟ east longitude
at the top left to a point at 24° north latitude, 122° east longitude at the bottom left.
Thereafter, this boundary line was consistently observed by the U.S. Military. This is
clear evidence that the Senkaku Islands were included in the territory of Okinawa while
under U.S. occupation. The territories described in the documents annexed to the
Okinawa reversion agreement signed on June 17, 1971, and effectuated on May 15, 1972
were part of this proclamation.
Geographical boundaries of the Ryukyu Islands (Source: U.S. Civil Administration
Proclamation NO. 27, 1953)
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