Transcending the San Francisco System Requires the Elimination of Colonial Remnants: With a Focus on Post-war Territorial Disputes in Northeast Asia

This article analyzes how the post-war San Francisco System, established by the United States through the 1951 peace treaty, fundamentally altered Allied agreements on the disposition of Japanese territory and entrenched sources of ongoing territorial disputes in Northeast Asia. It details how wartime declarations such as the Cairo and Potsdam agreements set clear principles for returning territories seized by Japan, but the San Francisco Treaty replaced these with ambiguous provisions, often favoring U.S. strategic interests and Japan’s claims. The exclusion of China and the Soviet Union from the treaty process, and the shift from “return” to “renounce” regarding territories, led to unresolved disputes over areas such as the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, Dokdo/Takeshima, and the Kuril Islands. The article argues that these changes institutionalized colonial remnants and Cold War divisions, impeding regional cooperation and reconciliation. It further contends that Japan’s incomplete reckoning with its colonial past and the U.S. pursuit of hegemony have perpetuated instability. The study calls for Northeast Asia to abandon Cold War thinking, eliminate colonial legacies, and pursue a community of shared destiny. Ultimately, it suggests that only through regional cooperation and historical justice can the obstacles created by the San Francisco System be overcome.