The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, Tokyo

Japan called for calm in a territorial row with South Korea on Tuesday, and demonstrators offered flowers at the South Korean embassy in Tokyo while insisting that the disputed islands were Japanese. Japan's top government spokesman urged calm when asked about domestic media reports that South Korea would consider stationing troops on the desolate islands, known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese. A long-standing row over their ownership flared up earlier this month when Japan said it would write about the issue in school teaching guides.