Jiji Press reported that Minister in charge of Ocean Policy and Territorial Issues Esaki announced today that the GOJ will send Yuhei Yamashita, parliamentary secretary of the Cabinet Office, to a commemorative ceremony for Takeshima Day to be hosted by Shimane Prefecture on Feb. 22. Jiji said this will be the sixth consecutive year for the GOJ to send a parliamentary secretary to the ceremony. According to Jiji, although Minister Esaki himself was invited to the ceremony, he decided not to attend. Esaki was quoted as saying today: “We will continue to examine effective ways to peacefully resolve the Takeshima [Liancourt Rocks] issue.”