evidence: In early 2020, Japan reopened its National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty. Displays at the museum in Tokyo assert that islands disputed by Japan, South Korea and North Korea are Japanese territory and refer to these islands as Takeshima. South Korea’s government, which also claims sovereignty over the islands and refers to them as Dokdo, responded by publicly chiding Japan for the reopening and requesting the museum’s closure. [...] The Dokdo/Takeshima dispute continues to strain South Korea and Japan’s government-to-government relations. In 2008, Japan’s Ministry of Education issued a manual to Japanese textbook publishers and teachers encouraging them to instruct their students that the islands constitute Japanese territory. In response, South Korea’s government recalled its ambassador to Tokyo. In 2012, when Lee Myung-bak became the first South Korean president to visit the islands, Japan responded by recalling its ambassador to Seoul. [...] The fact that the Dokdo/Takeshima islands are surrounded by natural resources, notably gas, alongside abundant fishing grounds, makes them important to the Japanese and South Korean governments. These islands are also crucial to Japan as any relinquishment of its territorial claim to Dokdo/Takeshima would likely weaken its claims to islands it disputes with China, Taiwan and Russia.