Japan Coast Guard on high alert on first anniversary of Senkaku nationalization

The Japanese Coast Guard was reportedly on high alert on Wednesday, the day of the first anniversary of the nationalisation of the Senkaku Islands.

The government had nationalized the uninhabited East China Sea islets to spearhead potential attempts by nationalists, including former Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, to buy them for development, the Japan Times reports.

Japan's decision had placed the disputed islands at the center of a bitter dispute with China.

Bilateral relations between the two neighbours have soured over the past year, and reports of frequent confrontations of their naval ships on the disputed water have kept pouring in.

Earlier, Tokyo said it had not ruled out stationing officials on the islets.

Beijing has warned Tokyo of dire consequences for the provocation.