On Jan. 10 Goto City in Nagasaki Prefecture mailed an application to the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan to change the name of three sets of rocks (iwa) near Japan’s maritime border to islets (kojima). Located 60km southwest of Fukue Island, the three rocks—Kita-Iwa, Naka-Iwa and Minami-Iwa—will be upgraded to islets (Kita-Kojima, Naka-Kojima and Minami-Kojima, respectively) and be referred to collectively as the Hizen Islands. The aim of the move is to clearly define the position of the rocks within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and improve security for commercial fishermen. The Geospatial Information Authority said it will review the application and undertake the necessary procedures “as swiftly as possible”. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun 1/11
Photo for image purpose.
