2010.11.29 09:00

The evidence that China did approve of the Senkaku Island was Japanese territory before WWII was found on the Island of Ishigaki.

The letter is still kept at Ishigaki Island today.

The certificate was gifted by Republic of China on May 1920, when 31 Chinese fishermen were wrecked on the Senkaku Island and Japanese people rescued them on the previous year 1919.

The certificate stated the Senkaku Island as "Japanese Empire, Okinawa Prefecture, Yaeyama, Senkaku Islands" which means the Chinese government acknowledged the Senkaku Island as Japanese territory.

As by Ishigaki City, the certificate was submitted to 7 people. One letter was kept at Ishigaki City Yaeyama museum,
but to remake for Hanging Scroll, the outer part of the paper was cut off. The letter that was found today was gifted to Mr.Toyokawa the ex-Mayer of Ishigaki Island at the time.

The museum requested an investigation to great grandchild of Mr.Toyokawa to look for the letter when the accident of Senkaku Island was news reported.

Ishigaki Mayer Mr.Nakayama told to Sankei News Paper that "The letter was certificate of appreciation to the Mayer,
and is in very good condition. It is one of the strong evidence that the Senkaku Islands are the territory of the Japan"