AbstractThis study systematically analyzes, from the perspectives of historical geography and toponymy, how the naming system in which Ulleungdo was recognized as “Takeshima (竹島)” and Dokdo as “Matsushima (松島)” in Edo-period Japanese documents and maps was transformed—through confusion arising from contact with Western maps in the 19th century and the administrative incorporation into Shimane Prefecture in 1905—into a framework in which “Takeshima” became the official designation for Dokdo. By cross-exa mining records from Joseon official compilations such as Mangi Yoram (1808) and Dongguk Munheon Bigo (1770), particularly the statement “Usan is what the Japanese call Songdo (松島),” this study verifies that both Korea and Japan once shared a common naming system. It further emphasizes the generality of the name “Takeshima” within Japan, where it appears in multiple locations such as Miyagi and Aichi Prefectures. Through this analysis, the study demonstrates that “Takeshima” is not a traditional indigenous name that continuously referred to Dokdo since the Edo period, but rather a designation newly constructed through the reconfiguration of modern geographical knowledge and political-administrative processes. This research sheds new light on the political constructedness of place names in the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute and holds academic significance as a historical case of toponymic shift distinct from discussions of territorial sovereignty. The study is based primarily on first-hand historical sources, including Nagakubo Sekisui’s map (1791), the 1877 Dajōkan Directive, Shimane Prefecture Notice No. 40 (1905), and Western maps related to the Liancourt, and suggests the potential for future expansion into GIS-based cartographic analysis and discussions on international toponym standardization.
Donggyu Kim (2026) studied this question.