Editing Sea of Japan naming dispute (section)

===Arguments relating to ambiguity===
[[File:East Seas in East Asia.png|thumb|The name "East Sea" is used to refer to several different seas in Eastern Asia]]
The Japanese Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of the Japanese Coast Guard has claimed that the name East Sea is confusing and unsuitable as an international geographic name, because the local name for a variety of seas can be translated into English as East Sea. Examples include Dōng Hǎi (东海), the Chinese name for the [[East China Sea]]; ''Biển Đông'', the Vietnamese name for the [[South China Sea]]; and the [[Baltic Sea]], whose name is equivalent to East Sea in several European languages such as German (''Ostsee''), Swedish (''Östersjön'') and Finnish (''Itämeri'').<ref name="Basic Position"/> East Sea is officially used as an English name for the body of water by the Government of Vietnam<ref name="Basic Position"/> and the Government of Vietnam thusly uses East Sea for South China Sea in its English-language publications;<ref>{{cite web|title=VN, China pledge to solve East Sea issue|date=20 April 2011|publisher=Socialist Republic of Việt Nam|url=http://thutuong.chinhphu.vn:2012/Home/VN-China-pledge-to-solve-East-Sea-issue/20114/1040.vgp}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=VN asserts sea and island sovereignty |date=2011-06-09|publisher=Socialist Republic of Việt Nam|url=http://thutuong.chinhphu.vn:2012/Home/VN-asserts-sea-and-island-sovereignty/20116/1025.vgp}}</ref>
likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China uses 'East Sea' for the East China Sea in its English-language publications.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Fourth Round of Consultation on East Sea between China and Japan to Be Held |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China|date=2 March 2006|url=http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjdt/wsrc/t238013.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Chinese Premier Meets with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso |publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of People's Republic of China|date=24 October 2008|url=http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/zxxx/t519594.htm}}</ref>
Even within Japan itself the term {{nihongo|East Sea|[[東海 (disambiguation)|東海]]|''[[Tōkai (disambiguation)|Tōkai]]''}} is already used to refer to the parts of the [[Pacific Ocean]] east of middle and upper [[Honshu]], as can be seen in the naming of the [[Tōkaidō (region)|Tōkaidō region]] and the [[Tōkai region]].

The Japanese government is concerned that the name change could set a bad precedent and cause more naming disputes worldwide.<ref name="Basic Position"/> The Korean side counters that all these problems are irrelevant as Korea's argument is not to replace 'Sea of Japan' with 'East Sea' but rather to use the name 'East Sea' alongside 'Sea of Japan'.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}