How the Japanese Social Media Users Discussed the Senkaku Controversy

Abstract

The confrontation between China and Japan over sovereignty of the Senkaku islands will be difficult to resolve. Each nation claims its own understanding of history and clings to its own notions of justice, and neither seems willing to compromise. Additionally, the issue is closely tied up in feelings of patriotic nationalism, and compromise in such a situation is easily seen national humiliation, which may result in a loss of political support at home and diminished trust from other nations. The dispute over these small islands is not merely about which nation will profit from the development of natural resources but also about which nation will be seen as the leader of East Asia.