Japan's Military Appropriation of Territory and Dokdo

The historical facts of the Dokdo - Takeshima Island dispute

The following pages will detail Japan's appropriaton of land before,during and following the Russo~Japanese war of 1904~1905. The main source of information is Japan's Center for Historical Records digital archives. Through these documents and maps the reader can see how and why Japan "acquired" Dokdo. Also the we will see that Dokdo's incorporation was really no different than other areas of Korea (and Asia) that were seized for both the Navy's and Army's domination of the region. This page will be under constant change and grow in size as more documents are uncovered.

Images of Japanese Military Radio Systems Installed on Korean Land

The next images from the Japanese Center for Asian Historical Records, are actual documents showing Japanese military radio systems that were used to monitor the region during the Russo Japanese War of 1904~1905. They are included to give a the reader a more thorough understanding of exactly what the Japanese Navy and Army were illegally installing on Korean territory. These illustrations detailed the proper method for constructing these facilities along with some other examples of systems already in place.

Above are pictures from the same file from the Japanese National Archives that give explicit details of how and where the Japanese Navy surveyed and constructed military facilities on Korean soil and of course on Dokdo Island. The images on this page can be clicked twice for high detail. The red text in English was of course added for reference. Some of the blank image surrounding the maps was cropped to reduce file image and data size. All of these images were sourced from the same file and archives of the Japanese Navy from the 37th and 38th years of the Meiji Government 1904~1905.

Map 1. Japanese Military  Underwater Telegraph Cables in Korea

The map to the right is a Japanese Naval map from 1905 and details the underwater and mainland telegraph sytems on land and in the sea of Japanese-Korean waterways. The zigzag line connecting the coastal areas is a military underwater cable connecting these areas to send messages to the Japanese Naval base in Sasaebo. (Nagasaki) We can see Dokdo Island in blue was annexed and immediately incorporated into Japan's overall naval and army defence plan of the region. The plan would later be revised so that the cables extending form Dokdo Island would bypass Oki Island and instead go to Matsue on the Japanese mainland. (See this map). When we view the 1904~05 Japanese Naval archives regarding Japanese and Korean coastal areas, a definite pattern emerges. The battle cruisers of the Japanese Navy were sent to all islands of strategic miitary importance. On these islands and coastal areas topographical surveys were undertaken to establish to best locations for watchtowers, telegraph stations and  for wireless systems. These were not civilian surveys nor facilties and the warships that conducted these affairs were the same ships that massacred the Russian Pacific and Baltic Fleets. The maps to follow will go into detail of the minor islands Japan occupied for miltary reasons.  All of the maps on this page are clickable for a  larger image.

Map 2. Japanese Communications Survey Map Jukpyeon~Ulleungdo~Dokdo

The map above is a Japanese Naval survey map of Korea's Ulleungdo Island about 130kms East of Korea. Ulleungdo had multiple watchtowers installed and was seen as strategically important by Japan as it afforded a 360 degree field of view over the East Sea and has towering mountains suitable for watchtowers. Japan had military police stationed on Ulleungdo during the Russo~Japanese War of 1904~1905 but already located police there to control illegal Japanese migrants around the early 1900s. Ulleungdo's telegraph lines initially spanned to Jukpyeon Harbor which was where the Japanese warships were anchored. Later as in this map the naval telegraph lines extended to Dokdo~Matsue Japan. Ulleundo and Dokdo's military importance had long been known by Japanese as shown here.

Maps 3~4 Korea's South Coast, Chejudo and Udo

Between the Korean mainland and Korea's island of Ulleungdo lies the Cheju Straight. By installing watchtowers on Cheju's South shore and on the neighbouring island of Udo the Japanese Navy could monitor and control passage of ships in two areas. First the Cheju Strait could be monitored and the waters South of Cheju could also be kept watch over.  A overall map of Japanese naval watchtowers can be found here.  Installation of these facilities meant that in order for foreign warships (especially Russian) to enter Korean waters they would have to navigate far around Cheju to breach the heavily guarded waters of the Chosun and Tsushima Straits.

Map 5. Korea's South Coast~Geomundo Island

When viewing the map of Geomundo, in particular the overview map above we can see this island was of importance in two ways. The watchtowers on the south of Geomundo were used in tandem with the ones located on Udo Island. This eliminated the possiblity of hostile warships slipping undetected between Chejudo~Udo and Geomundo as only about 60 kms of ocean separate the islands. It is also clear Geomundo served as a hub of sorts for the telegraph lines extending from Cheju/Udo~Palmundo and onward to Japan's naval base in Sasaebo (Nagasaki) click to enlarge (watchtower map)

Map 6. Jeolyeongdo Island near Busan

As the title suggests this island was surveyed for building watchtowers and telegraph lines on Jeolyeongdo near Pusan harbour. Admiral Togo's fleet would lie in wait near this area for the Russian Baltic Fleet to approach the Tsushima Straits in the Battle of Tsushima in 1905.  As with all of these maps the maps had a key to the side of the territory surveyed and described where to locate watchtowers and wireless transmitter antennas. Of course the southern tip facing the Chosun Straits was chosen as the ideal location of these miitary facilities. This map shows the watchtower locations in more detail.

Map 7. Korea's West Coast, Uldo Island

Uldo Island much like Dokdo, is a tiny isolated rock located on Korea's West coast. Likewise, it was Uldo's location that made this island of strategic value. Uldo could be used to guard and monitor against ships from the West in particular hostile Russian ships stationed in Port Arthur (Lushun). This island could was used to protect the Han River estuary and Incheon Harbour area from invasion. Telegraph lines were installed from Uldo to Baekryeongdo Island and then onward to Port Arthur after the beseiged city fell to the Japanese during the Russo~Japanese War.

A Summary of the Japanese Naval Maps Part 1.

The maps above detail Japan's military occupation of Korean territory during the Russo~Japanese War and are from the Japanese National archives and can be seen as true representations of what was happening all over Korea and Northeast Asia at the time. It must be remembered Japan's permission to install these facilities was obtained only after the Japanese had dispatched troops to Seoul and had coerced the Korean government for weeks after the invasion of Incheon.  However, as the next page will detail, the aforementioned territories are just a few of the locations the Japanese Navy had used for miitary control. Korean coastal cities such as Ulsan, Wonsan and Chukpyeon among others were appropriated for this purpose. The next page details Korea's Eastern Ports and Dokdo Island's role in Japan's overall network of military defense systems and how they played an identical role in the control of the Korean peninsula.

Next page: Japanese Military Survey maps of Dokdo