The Japanese government has established a new dedicated space for distorted education about Dokdo in central Tokyo, according to reports. Korean academics have raised successive criticisms that the facility, designed as a systematic structure with group visits and remote classes in mind, represents an organized base for distortion that goes beyond simple exhibition.
80-Person Capacity with Three-Screen Setup… Designed for Group Visits
On Monday, Professor Seo Kyoung-duk disclosed the state of a newly established education center on his social media account, saying he "recently visited the site for an investigation." The center opened last November across from Tokyo's Territorial Sovereignty Exhibition Hall.
He pointed out that the space is "named 'Gateway Hall' and designed to encourage group visits by students," adding that "it can accommodate up to 80 people and is equipped with extra-large screens on three walls to conduct distorted education about Dokdo through video."
Gateway Hall is currently reported to be used not only for lectures and symposiums but also for remote video-linked learning sessions and workshops. Differences from the existing exhibition hall are also notable. A separate lunch space for group visitors has been set up, a design that appears aimed at encouraging extended stays to increase immersion in the distorted education.
One wall is lined with books on territorial issues, effectively serving as a library. A digital map display where visitors can browse maps labeling "Dokdo as Japanese territory" has also been installed. Observers note the facility differs fundamentally from passive exhibition spaces, as it is structured to encourage visitors to actively search for distorted information.
"Visitors Increase Every Year"… Warning from a Professor Who Has Tracked the Site for Eight Years
Professor Seo added, "Since the original exhibition opened on the first basement floor of the City Hall building in Tokyo's Hibiya Park in 2018, I have visited every year to investigate the Dokdo distortion site and have consistently responded." He expressed concern that "above all, the number of visitors has been increasing every year."
Given that the warning comes after eight years of on-site tracking, many in academia say it cannot be dismissed as mere alarmism.
Professor Seo also presented specific countermeasures. "The Korean government must intensify diplomatic efforts to close the exhibition hall, and Korean citizens should strengthen effective control by promoting tourism to Dokdo," he urged. In effect, he called for both government diplomatic pressure and civilian-level reinforcement of practical sovereignty simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Japan's trend of distorting the history of Dokdo extends to textbooks as well.
Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology finalized textbook screening results on May 24 for high school textbooks to be used from the 2027 academic year. Many of the new social studies textbooks were found to again contain claims of sovereignty over Dokdo.
Similar descriptions are being strengthened in elementary and middle school textbooks as well, raising growing concerns that distorted education is spreading across all age groups.