Dokdo Takeshima 埮郣鵛郣 Ancient Japanese Records Confirm Dokdo

Tottori Prefecture Records, December 24, 1695
Ulleungdo~Dokdo Not Part of Japan

The Historical Facts of the Dokdo - Takeshima Dispute

After the first dispute on Ulleungdo Island involving Anyeongbok in 1693, Japan began to correspond with Chosun about territorial ownership of Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo) The documents on this page are Japanese records that detail the Shogunate's position on Ulleungdo and Dokdo. This is clearly demonstrated in the questions and anwers between the Shogunate government and Inbashu in 1695 over Takeshima and Matsushima. From these papers we know the Shogunate decided that both Ulleungdo and Dokdo were considered as not part of Japan but rather Chosun territory. The records of the Shogunate we written in a question - answer format and are thus presented in the same style below.

The Questions Asked by the Shognate to Inbashu

謶髍貀羋?疚虱堶搕肥渮炊╪迎盂ㄗ磢?ㄧ珒●1695△ㄠㄡ篘ㄡㄣ擨

孻詒??詍挼?羋旓?疝穹炊虱鵛郣肢﹜炊秈泮物芷??臾旓?疝穹炊矽肥物﹝鉬襋ㄗ糪鵃恞齕ㄘ狀秸礜糾疝穹?爸芷初虱珒鴗闃物芷肥玟
糾竺炎虱肥物炎虱炊肢直肥涖物芷肥玟糾竺炎虱肥物1632

鵛郣肢﹜罔初狗芷炊肥豇狎玥肥郣竺炎虱肥物﹝嬣狀棳芷疝穹肢炊羌炊肥物﹝

鵛郣臾槮黼肥矽花羋𦬓狗肥肢﹜炊秈泮蘦?疚虱肥物﹝?珒﹜𦬓秉穹炊虱肥物﹝
芽矽肢﹜蒢儮𦬓狗肥物﹝罔邸羌?邵疝穹炊虱肥物﹝閞?芬竘狗𦬓秉穹炊虱肥物﹝

ㄢ﹜ㄣ珒鴗闃﹜蟭雸嬣狀芯秉穹?穹﹜?邵疝穹炊虱﹝直肥蒢﹜嬣觶糾疝穹ㄡ嬣邵鱞芷爸矽﹝
直初鴗闃芬蒢??穹炊矽肥物﹝?矽玟糾肢羌狗﹜ㄡ珒忺?炊穹?矽肥物﹝

玟肥ㄠ﹜ㄡ珒肢?穹炊羌炊肥物﹝

鉬珒﹜𦬓秉矽蒢羋肢﹜閞?肢罔初狗芷炊竺炎秉矽物﹜嬣芬罔初狗芷炊?穹炊矽肥物﹝

鵛郣肥芝物羋﹜??ㄗ孻詒?詍挼ㄘ羋旓?疚虱郣肢炎虱肥物﹝芽矽﹜??肥簅狀﹜直玟竺槮??黼鞷邵𦬓秉穹炊虱肥物﹝

橔肥瓿减羋秈炊穹﹜繸虎矽炊﹝裛惎竺薽蘦疝羌玥炊﹝鴗葞﹝

A Translation of the 1695 Records

Inquiries by the Shogunate to Tottori Prefecture (December 24th, 1695)

1. Since when has Takeshima (Ulleungdo) as part of Inaba Provice (孻詒)and Hoki Province (詍挼), become under these two's jurisdiction? Is it before or after the year 1632, when the ancestors (Japanese name) was given land?

2. What is the size of the island Takeshima (Ulleungdo)? Is it inhabited by people?

3. When is the departure time for its marine products of Takeshima (Ulleungdo)? Are they going every year or occasionally? What do they hunt? Are there many ships going there?

4. Three or four years ago, Koreans were found hunting there, and two of them were taken as hotages. Had Koreans sometimes been there even before that time? Or they hadn't it been that way for two years?

5. Have they been there for the last two years?

6. When was the trip made last year? how many boats were there? And how many people were there?

7. Besides Takeshima (Ulleungdo) are there any other islands that are within the two areas jurisdiction? Do citizens from these two areas exercise their fishing and gathering on the island?

Inbashu's Response to the Shogunate

堶搕臾肥謶髍貀肥𠹵蚐ㄗ磢?ㄧ珒ㄠㄡ篘ㄡㄤ擨ㄘ

鵛郣肢﹜孻詒?詍挼羋旓?疝穹肢牧虎芽盂邸﹝詍挼?皕磾瀇肥嬣﹜豇阺朐橔縍琣﹜齝藿蒱亄縍糾蜒疚簅狀﹜

椾邵啎秉穹槮邵疝穹炊虱肥肢﹜撂讔蜪鷐?ㄗ糪鵃恞旛ㄘ狀ㄗ孻詒?詍挼邵ㄘ秸?糾疝穹炊矽蒢ㄗ 1617-1632珒)﹜ 樧塏裛ㄗ堶搕笝齌狀?𦬓疝矽湞裛ㄘ羋芾秉穹玫穧蒩狀炎秉矽糾琱炊穹牧虎芽疚﹝直初鴗闃羋啎椾疝

穹炊矽玟糾芬炎虱芾爬羋琱炊穹牧虎芽疚狀﹜直肥玟糾羋秈炊穹肢繸虎芽盂邸﹝

鵛郣肥騍?肢﹜撜ㄧ╪ㄨ郲瀅郥糾肥玟糾竺﹜嬣肢棳芷疝穹牧虎芽盂邸﹝

鵛郣臾?黼羋𦬓狗蒢悢肢﹜ㄡ篘﹜ㄢ篘泮﹜皕磾物芷閞蘦疝芽疚﹝?珒𦬓秉穹牧虎芽疚﹝炎肥郣竺??芟祀
哈奐垂ㄘ肥?邵𦬓炊芽疚﹝閞?肢豇幙ㄡ?竺𦬓狎芽疚﹝

ㄣ珒鴗闃蜒珒羋蟭雸嬣狀炎肥郣臾芯秉穹?矽蒢閞婩矽祀狀蟭雸嬣糾塱秉矽玟糾肢直肥蒢
玫盓晥疝穹牧虎芽疚﹝嬭賰珒芬蟭雸嬣狀狎穹炊芽疝矽肥竺﹜閞婩矽祀肢塱炊﹜蟭雸嬣ㄡ嬣邵盓初﹜皕磾臾?虎

芽疝矽狀﹜直肥蒢芬玫盓晥疝﹜薞哿臾摓虎芽疝矽﹝禊珒肢﹜桍蠾羋謱炊﹜炎肥郣臾騝颮疝羌物秉矽玟糾肢玫盓

晥疝穹牧虎芽疚﹝倳珒芬﹜啎椾疝芽疝矽狀﹜黺?嬣狀?竘狗抶爸矽矽花﹜騝颮盂的羋?虱薸﹜撂郣竺?邵幓?

黼虎芽疝矽﹝橔肥玟糾肢玫盓晥疝穹牧虎芽疚﹝
蜒珒羋蟭雸嬣狀芯秉穹?矽薸肢﹜ㄠㄠ?肥閞肥爬祀ㄥ?狀桍蠾羋謱炊﹜?虎ㄤ?狀炎肥郣羋袟芽虎﹜ㄤㄢ嬣

狀炊芽疝矽﹝賰珒肢﹜閞ㄢ?﹜嬣狀ㄣㄡ嬣?穹牧虎芽疝矽﹝倳珒肢﹜閞?狀竘狗﹜嬣芬竘狗抶爸芽疝矽﹝騝颮

疝羌物秉矽肥竺﹜肢秉狎虎疝矽玟糾肢迎物虎芽盂邸﹝
鵛郣﹜撂郣﹜直肥攦﹜??ㄗ孻詒?詍挼ㄘ羋旓?疚虱郣肢﹜炎虎芽盂邸﹝

<玟肥忺﹜堶搕物芷謶髍貀羋?疝﹜☆撂郣★羋?疚虱渮炊╪迎盂狀炎秉矽糾芶爸芷初虱>

A Translation of the 1695 Response to the Shogunates Inquiry

1. Takeshima does not belong to Inaba Province (孻詒) or Hoki Provnce (詍挼). When (Japanese name) was the Lord (1617~1632) a,b,c, (Japanese names) have been crossing the sea and fishing. I've also heard that this was permitted through an official document issued by government officials (Makbu) I've also heard that these activites had been conducted before that era but this is not confirmed.

2. The island is about 8 or 9ri (36kms) around and there are no inhabitants.

3. The hunting and gathering season starts around February and March and departs from Yonago. They go every year, gather abalone and hunt sealions. They use two boats, big and small.

4. Four years ago, Chosun people came to the island and encountered our fishermen and it was recorded as such at the time. The next year, Chosun people kept coming and our fishermen confronted them and took two of them to Yonago and that incident was also recorded, they were sent to Nagasaki.

5. The following year, due to terrible winds little attention was given to the island which is also reported. This year, voyages have been made again but a many foreigners were seen therefore they paid little to the island and left. On the way back they caught abalone on Matsushima.

6. Four years ago, when the Chosun people came they arrived in 11 boats, six of them met with terrible winds and the remaing five boats stayed on the island (Takeshima) including 53 people. The following year 42 people came on 3 boats. This year, since there are many boats there appear to be people as well. So little attention was paid and not much else is known.

7. There are no other islands belonging to the two prefectures including Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo)

Tottori Prefecture Records
Some Maps for Locational Reference

The maps to follow are from a Japanese historical chart from the 18th Century. Their purpose is to give locational reference as to what areas the documents above refer to. The map directly below is an overview of Japan's West coast showing Shimane Prefecture, Oki Island, Matsushima (Dokdo) and Takeshima (Ulleungdo)

The map below is a close up of Shimane (Tottori) Prefecture showing exactly where the Japanese voyages to Takeshima and Matsushima originated from. From the records above we have learned that these yearly trips departed from Yonago City. Yonago is labeled upside down (皕磾) and can be seen as part of Hoki Province (詍挼) which is colored pink. Next, to Hoki is Inaba Province (孻詒) colored in red. (click maps for larger image)

Again, although a few residents of this region were given permission of passage to these islands during the Shogunate's isolationist era, it is a recorded fact above the Shogunate did not consider these lands as part of Japan. Thus, this "permission" was not an act of sovereignty over Takeshima or Matsushima, nor a "bestowal of these lands to Japanese residents, but rather the right to visit to these foreign lands.

Japan's 1877 Investigation of Takeshima (Ulleungdo)
Another Record of Japan's 17th Century Voyages

In the year 1877, Japan's Meiji government conducted an investigation of the history of Ulleungdo (Takeshima) Island. This document is useful because within the pages can be found Japan's first records of Ulleungdo (Takeshima) and Dokdo (Matsushima) The information here regarding Japan's first "permissions" to voyage to Takeshima and Matsushima is identical to the 1695 Tottori Records above. Below are the documents and a translation.

"...挬鵛郣 (Isotakeshima or Isotakejima) has another name, 鵛郣 (Takeshima). It is north-west of Oki province (錈唚玿) and the distance from Oki is 120 Ri (郲). The circumference is 10Ri (郲). There is a steep mountain and flat fields are rare. It has three streams and there is a fall also. But, starting points of the streams cannot be seen since valleys are so deep and forest of trees and bamboos are so dense.

Plants which catch one's eye are goryo pines, rose wood, amur cork tree, camellia, oak, paulownia, Wikstroemia sikokiana, southern Japanese hemlock, bamboo, mano bamboo, wild carrot, longstamen onion, Japanese butterbur, Japanese ginger, udo, lily, edible burdock, cherry elaeagnus, raspberry, giant knotweed, Japanese aucuba.

Animals are sea lion, cat, rat, varied tit, pigeon, wild duck, brown-eared bulbul, oriental greenfinch, wild duck, cormoant, swallow, golden eagle, eagle, hawk, nadikoana(?) bird, great tit, and so on. Also found are cinnabar and malachite.

Fishes and shellfishes are too many to enumera. (The island) yields sea lions and ear shells. To catch ear shells, in the evening, input bamboo into the sea, and in the morning, ear shells are on the leaves of the bamboo. It is said that the taste is very good. And (we can) obtain several 婄's(unit of the volume) oils from a sea-lion.

Next, there is "another island" called 撂郣 (Matsushima). The circumference is 30 Jung( 瀇), It is on the way to 鵛郣 (Ulleungdo). The distance from Oki is 80 Ri(郲). Trees and a bamboos are rare. (The island) yields fishes and sea lions, too.

During 蝯? period, a merchant, 豇閰鉹敆 (Ohya Jinkichi) [Later, he changed his name to 豇阺], who lived in 詍挼玿𨗴抶畈皕磾瀇 (present Yonago city in Tottori prefecture) was hit by typhoon on the way back from 篟涖 (Echigo; Niigata prefecture), and drifted to this place. (He) investigated the whole island and noticed that there are a lot of fishes and shellfishes. After returning home, (he) asked the Investigator, Abe Shirogoro who was staying in Yonago Castle by order of Shogunate, to allow him to visit there. Abe asked it to Edo, and received a letter of permission on May 16 of the 磢厨 4 year (1618)... "

On the left side of the bottom page is the Japanese record of the permission to voyage to Takeshima (Ulleungdo) the Oya and Murakawa families recieved. It reads as follows.

"..We have heard that a voyage was made from Hoki Provnce's (詍挼) Yonago (皕磾) to Takeshima (Ulleungdo) in a previous year, which has led to a desire to go again. Concerning the application of Murakawa Ichibee and Oya Jinkichi of Yonago, we have spoken to the Shogun, and he listened to the request without seeming to have any objection and has granted their request. Therefore, I humbly convey this to you.

May 16 (1618)

Nagai Sinanonokami Naomasa
Inoue Kazuenokami Masatsugu
Doi Ohinokami Toshikatsu
Sakai Utanokami Tadayo

To Matsudaira Shintaro (Feudal lord of Tottori domain)..."

Notice this permission was just for voyage and not land being granted nor "feudal tenure" as some Japanese now assert.

The images on the above right side are the original documents of Japan's 1877 Report on the history of Ulleungdo. Here it can be confirmed voyages to Takeshima and Matsushima were conducted from Yonago City in Hoki Province (詍挼玿𨗴抶畈皕磾瀇). See the highlighted script on the bottom document. It was concluded the islands were not part of Hoki or Inaba Provinces as shown above (click image for larger view)

Tottori Prefecture Records, December 24, 1695
A Conclusion Based the Evidence

Both Hoki Province (詍挼) and Inaba Province (孻詒) did not recognize Takeshima (Ulleungdo) and Matsushima (Dokdo) as Japanese territory, nor did the Shogunate government. We also know from this that Matsushima was involved the territorial dispute too.

The above session was conducted immediately before the Roju Abe, Bungono-kami sanctioned the official note from the problem of Ulleungdo Island in 1696 and it is believed to have influenced the decision of the Shogunate government. The official note states that "...from the beginning the island was not taken from Chosun by force and it does not make sense that it will be returned to Chosun..." and it acknowledges Takeshima as Chosun's inherent territory from ancient times. This is precisely on this grounds that the Shogunate reversed its very decision in three years.

Now in the official letter of the Shogunate government there is reference to "prohibiting voyage to and fishing at Takeshima. What area does Takeshima include in this reference? Does it refer to Takeshima (Ulleungdo) only, or to include Dokdo (Matsushima)? That Takeshima included Matsushima could only be confirmed by Japanese data. According to Japanese Professor Kajimura Hideki, there was not reason for the Shogunate government to covet Matsushima (Dokdo) particularly because Matsushima had little value for fishing or logging, and that it was regarded simply as a milestone for voyage to Takeshima (Ulleungdo).

Therefore, no historical data shows that the Shogunate government consciously distinguished Takeshima (Ulleungdo) from Matsushima (Dokdo) and that Matsushima was understood to be an island attached to Takeshima (Ulleungdo). This may been the generally accepted idea of that time.

Japanese translations cited in part from http://dokdo-or-takeshima.blogspot.com/