Japan is a country in East Asia situated between the Pacific Ocean and east of the Korean peninsula. Its name, often translated as "The Land of the Rising Sun," comes from China and refers to Japan's eastward position relative to the Asian continent. (Wikipedia)
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The dispute is over uninhabited islands known by Japan as the Senkaku and China as the Diaoyu. Japanese officials announced last week that the government would buy three of the islands from the Japanese family that has controlled them for decades. China argues that they were an integral part of its territory for centuries, and were illegally occupied by Japan. (Los Angeles Times)
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| Location of the islands |
