Nakai Yozaburo, an entrepreneur in Oki, had discovered some time before 1903 that the islands of present-day Takeshima were home to a cohort of sea lions. He made these findings while voyaging to-and-from Utsuryo. Nakai petitioned the Japanese Government on September 29 of 1904 to incorporate the “Lianco islands*” and to lease them to him for 10 years. The petition was made out to the Minister of Home Affairs (Yoshikawa Akimasa), the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Komura Jutaro), and the Minister of Agriculture and Commerce (Kiyoura Keigo). Nakai cited the fact that the unclear nature of the islands’ sovereignty posed the risk of problems with foreign powers and the need to secure natural resources as the basis for his petition. (Ref.1)

(*) Explanation: The term “Lyanco islands” was a Japanese colloquial derivative of the Western name for today’s Takeshima, i.e. the “Liancourt Rocks.”

Ref. 1: “Request for the incorporation into Japanese territory and lease of the Lyanko Islands,” Teikoku Hanto Kankei Zakken (Miscellaneous Matters Relating to the Territory), Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan 1.4.1.7

Related documents
Shimane Prefectural Archives Government Documents 1, 2011, pp.50-67 (Takeshima Kankei Shiryoshu 2-shu) (Collection of Documents Pertaining to Takeshima Vol. 2), Shimane Prefecture