Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda says Japan aims to nationalize the disputed Senkaku Islands which are also known as the Diaoyu Islands in Chinese.

The Senkaku is a group of uninhabited islands situated between Taiwan and Okinawa, Japan. The Tokyo government plans to purchase three of the islands that are currently owned by a Japanese individual.

The move is considered a political strategy for the Noda administration to shore up public support amid criticism that it has been passive in defending sovereign territorial rights.

China and Taiwan which both claim rights to the islands have protested immediately, declaring to strengthen measures to safeguard their sovereign rights.

Japan is increasingly turning rightist recently as demonstrated in a series of actions. It has also proclaimed its right to "collective self-defense" when the country or its allies are under attack.