On August 2 and 3, the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) held a commemorative lecture event to celebrate the publication of Nihonkai/Takeshima no Ashika Ryo [Sea Lion Hunting around Takeshima, Sea of Japan], (Sankei Shimbun Publication Inc., 2025) in Okinoshima and Nishinoshima towns.

JIIA focuses on researching Japan's territory and history and disseminating its findings. The lecture event was held as part of those efforts, with the aim of widely disseminating the findings of the book Nihonkai/Takeshima no Ashika Ryo, edited by Dr. Takao Inoue and Mr. Hitoshi Sato, which was published in March.

This book is based on a photographic album documenting the hunting of sea lions by Asahi Shimbun, Osaka reporting team during their visit to Takeshima in 1934. Dr. Inoue, Professor Emeritus of Tottori University, restored the photographs and added commentary upon publication. This book beautifully recreates the appearance of Takeshima at that time and the lifestyles of its people, and together with detailed historical commentary, it is an ideal resource for learning about Takeshima's history.

Group photograph at the event in Nishinoshima Town on August 3, 2025.

The lecture was held in cooperation with the towns of Okinoshima and Nishinoshima, two communities associated with the book. Dr. Inoue, the author, gave a lecture, followed by a lively question-and-answer session with local participants. Given the towns' connection to sea lion hunting on Takeshima Island, the event attracted a diverse audience, including individuals with a longstanding interest in the practice, as well as younger generations who learned about it for the first time through the book. The lecture provided a relaxed yet thought-provoking opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the circumstances surrounding seal hunting at the time and to reflect on the history of Takeshima.

Lecture in the Kumi district of Okinoshima Town on August 2, 2025.

Before the lecture in the Saigo district of Okinoshima Town on August 2.
Along with a picture of the giant wakame seaweed that used to be harvested on Takeshima.