SAEDNEWS: The Embassy of Japan in Tehran has issued a clarification regarding two recent articles published by Mehr News Agency on matters related to China-Japan relations.
In a message to the agency, the Japanese embassy noted that while China’s perspective was extensively reflected in recent articles, Japan’s viewpoint was not adequately represented. The embassy’s detailed remarks addressed two specific reports:
“Tokyo-Beijing on a Path to Escalating Tension; Will Takaichi Drag Japan Into War?” (published on a Persian-language website)
“US Confirms Sale of $911 Million Air Defense Missile to Taiwan” (published on an English-language website)
Nanjing Massacre — Japan’s Position
The embassy highlighted that the first article referred to the Nanjing Massacre as an event in which “Imperial Japanese forces killed more than 200,000 civilians and raped and tortured tens of thousands of women.”
According to the Embassy of Japan, the Japanese government has repeatedly acknowledged the historical events of World War II and expressed apologies. However, the embassy stated that the exact number of victims cannot be definitively confirmed, adding that China’s figure of 200,000 is not based on specific, verifiable evidence.
For more information on Japan’s official stance regarding World War II history, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website provides detailed explanations.
Status of the Senkaku Islands
The embassy also addressed claims in the article that the dispute over the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands stems from Japan “annexing” the islands in 1895. It emphasized that, according to the Government of Japan, the islands were not annexed but incorporated under international law, as they were considered terra nullius—land without an owner.
Citing Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassy clarified:
The Senkaku Islands have historically been part of the Nansei Shoto island chain, which Japan regards as sovereign territory.
Extensive surveys by Okinawa Prefecture and other authorities from 1885 onward confirmed the islands were uninhabited and not under Qing Dynasty control.
Based on these findings, the Japanese Cabinet decided on January 14, 1895, to place markers and formally incorporate the islands into Japanese territory in line with international legal norms.
The islands were not part of Formosa (Taiwan) or the Pescadores, which were ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
The embassy also noted that similar phrasing in the second article—referring to “a group of East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but claimed by China”—required clarification. From Japan’s perspective, the islands are historically and legally Japanese territory, contrary to Chinese territorial claims.
