The National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty is set to reopen in mid-April following renovations.

The government will update the museum's displays for the Northern Territories, or the four Russian-controlled northeastern Pacific islands, and the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea to experience-based types using advanced visual technologies, with the aim of encouraging young people, many of whom are believed to be indifferent to territorial issues, to take an interest in them.

The Russian-held islands off Hokkaido have long been claimed by Japan, while China claims sovereignty over the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. The museum in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward is designed to publicize Japan's position on disputed territories.

The government opened the museum in 2018 to promote public understanding of these disputed islands as an inherent part of Japan's territory. The museum has mainly used panels to showcase the histories and natural environment of the islands.

Some 10,000 people visit the museum each year, with many being middle-aged and older individuals interested in territorial issues. Attracting younger generations to the museum has been a challenge for the government.

One of the refurbished museum's features will be the "immersive theater," which uses 13 projectors to display video images on the floor, wall and ceiling, allowing visitors to feel as if they are flying over the Northern Territories, the Senkaku Islands and the islands of Takeshima, and diving into the surrounding seas.

The islands of Takeshima off Shimane Prefecture, which faces the Sea of Japan, are under the control of South Korea and have been claimed by Japan.

The "history wall," another new feature, will display animation videos of the disputed islands' histories on large screens.

"We want young generations to become interested" in territorial issues, a government official said.

The government plans to enlarge the museum after this summer. A theater equipped with three screens will be set up to hold workshops on remote islands near Japan's borders and the surrounding seas, catering to the needs of schools for learning events and people eager to study territorial issues.

The government will equip the museum with a library service enabling users to browse related historical records and documents, along with other systems to support surveys and research.