A lawmaker who drew fire earlier this year for remarks suggesting the need for Japan to wage war with Russia to retake islands held by Moscow has made a similar claim that nothing short of conflict would allow for Japan to retake the disputed Takeshima islets in the Sea of Japan.
Hodaka Maruyama, who was booted from Nippon Ishin no Kai over his Russia remarks in May and in July joined the fringe NHK Kara Kokumin wo Mamoru To (the Party to Protect the People from NHK), on Saturday lambasted the Japanese government's response to a visit to Takeshima by a group of lawmakers from South Korea, where the rocky islets are known as Dokdo. The islets are controlled by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo.
"The government expressed its regret, but does it really think Takeshima will be returned via negotiations?" Maruyama wrote in a tweet. "Isn't war the only way to get it back?"