The prescribed provisions within the Treaty of San Francisco were met and the treaty entered into force on April 28, 1952. With this, Japan regained its sovereignty – i.e. its status as an independent state – and was released from the occupying administration of the Allies. As a result, SCAPIN-677 and other GHQ directives were nullified – barring those matters stipulated within the peace treaty. As such, the halt on Japan exercising administrative authority on Takeshima was also lifted. On May 16 of 1952, Shimane Prefectural Regulation No. 29 partially revised the “Shimane Prefecture Ocean Surface Fishing Adjustment Regulations,” (Shimane Prefecture Regulation No. 88, 1951) which once again required sea lion hunters to receive governor’s permission. The Shimane Prefecture Government explained the reason for this regulatory change, saying that, “given a number of prospective [sea lion] hunters, it is deemed necessary to place restrictions on hunting; as such [Shimane Prefecture] would like to maintain order similar to that enacted prior to World War Two.” (Ref.1)

Ref. 1: “Fishing No. 391, Application to the Japanese Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, dated April 22 of 1952,” (Shimane Prefecture Regulation No. 29, 1952)