Japan makes ¥2 bn bid to purchase Senkaku islands

The Japan`s government is engaged in serious ‘behind-the-scenes’ talks with the Kurihara family, which owns four of the five islands.

Tokyo: The Japan’s government is making a JPY two billion bid to buy the Senkaku Islands from their owners, as it is moving with a plan to bring them under state control as soon as possible, sources familiar with the matter have said.

The government is engaged in serious ‘behind-the-scenes’ talks with the Kurihama family which owns four of the five islands, at a time when the issue is at the centre of Japan’s diplomatic strife with China. According to the Japan Times, although members of the Kurihara family had earlier refused to sell the islands, it has recently taken a more flexible stance on the government’s proposal. According to sources, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Nagahama secretly approached the Kurihara family around end of July on orders from Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to buy the islands, the report said. ANI