There are two sides to every story, of course, and looking back at the long history of Japan-Korea tensions reveals Tsushima has been a highly contentious island for decades. Despite being a part of Japan’s Nagasaki Prefecture, Tsushima is known as “Daemado” in Korean, and the South Korean city of Changwon claims the island is part of their country’s territory, despite having no official territorial claim to the land.

A number of Koreans have also commented on the Japanese flags displayed at Watatsumi Shrine, which for many represent a sense of animosity as it brings back memories of their country’s war-torn past. The priest, however, makes no apology for displaying the flags, saying it’s a traditional flag with “a beautiful design that symbolises the sun”.