Japanese lawmakers are concerned about creeping Korean imperialism on Tsushima Island… in the form of Korean investment:
In the latest territorial flap between South Korea and Japan, a bipartisan group of lawmakers voiced concern Wednesday over growing South Korean capital investment in Nagasaki Prefecture’s Tsushima, an island city only 50 km from the Korean Peninsula.
“Numerous numbers of guesthouses and inns for sport fishermen have been purchased by South Koreans,” Lower House member Takeo Hiranuma said at a meeting in Tokyo. “Some land adjacent to Japan Coast Guard property has also been purchased by them.”
They’ve purchased land next to Japan Coast Guard property? Jesus, why don’t you guys just cede the island to Korea, already? As many an African victim of European imperialism could tell you, “First came the inn managers and sport fishermen, and then came the soldiers.”
Anyway, apparently some lawmakers are looking to enact laws to restrict Korean investment on the island:
“There are countries that regulate purchase of its land by foreign capital in order to preserve cultural, political and environmental heritage,” Yamatani said, signaling the group may seek such a law depending on the findings of their inspection tour.
Tsushima Mayor Yasunari Takanabe told the meeting that good relations with South Korea benefit his city. But the growth in tourism and foreign investment “has caused friction for the people because of the cultural difference,” he said.
By “cultural differences,” I believe he means Korean tourists — who have been flooding into Tsushima in recent years, probably to the great benefit of the local economy — can be obnoxious little oiks, even when they’re not holding protests in front Tsushima City Hall to claim sovereignty over the island.
But I digress — Tokyo is not particularly worried, it seems, noting that — silliness like this aside — the Korean government has not pressed a claim on the islands, and land purchases are fine if done legally. That hasn’t eased everyone’s concerns, however:
But the lawmakers fearing a takeover of Tsushima are alarmed by the aggressive purchases.
Hiranuma referred to the dispatch of British forces to the Falkland Islands by then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, saying any sovereign state should act with similar poise to defend its territory.
Amazing…
(HT to reader)
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
“Hiranuma referred to the dispatch of British forces to the Falkland Islands by then British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, saying any sovereign state should act with similar poise to defend its territory.”
Someone sure seems to have a flair for the dramatic. Should we tell him about all the foreign owned real estate in Tokyo? LOL.
Those Kiwis are moving across the pond to our land, stealing our jobs, purchasing our land, eating up our already public transport system! Oh no! God forbid! They must be colonising our land!
* already frail
Judging from the overwhelming absence of articles about boorish and rude Japanese tourists in Korea, I have to conclude that Japanese visitors tend to be polite and generally well-mannered when they come to over here for shopping, golfing, and whoring. (In fairness, I do seem to recall some questionable bahavior related to Japanese tourists and the latter activity in China a year or two ago…)
Seriously, it is nice to be reminded that Japanese politicians are just as capable of being nationalistic morons as their Korean counterparts.
You must log in to post a comment.