“Tokyo is bolstering its claims to these islands and, by extension, the Senkaku Islands, by applying international law,” said Stephen Nagy, an associate professor of politics at Tokyo’s International Christian University.

“With world law based in precedent, Japan is demonstrating that it adheres to international law with the underlying narrative the message that China does not follow international norms.”

As well as the 277 islands with no confirmed owner to be registered as national properties, 147 are privately owned. The remaining seven are volcanic islands uninhabited and in a state of flux, such as Nishinoshima in the Ogasawara archipelago. Such islands automatically come under the control of the national government.

The Japanese government is also working on a plan to protect remote islands that do presently have inhabitants, such as providing residents with financial and material support to ensure they do not leave for mainland Japan. The plan is scheduled to be ready in the early 2017.

China appears to have altered its approach to its claims of sovereignty over the Diaoyu islands in recent years, Nagy pointed out, with previous demands based on “history backed up by some old maps drawn up by fishermen”. Now, Beijing is applying legal arguments based on the continental shelf.

In the case of the Diaoyu archipelago, Nagy added, both Japan and China believe their legal claims are the correct interpretation of international law but there has been a clear de-escalation in the bilateral row of previous years.

“To my mind, it is unrealistic to anticipate any sort of land grab by China and, to the contrary, we have seen a significant de-escalation over the last two years,” he said.

“Tokyo and Beijing are trying to resolve this dispute away from the eyes of the media – which tend to arouse nationalistic tendencies in both countries – and to put the issue back into the diplomatic world.”

After talking to key policymakers on both sides, however, Nagy said the sense is that the issue cannot be solved in the next 20 or 25 years. As a result, there is a tacit agreement to get the issue out of the media spotlight and reduce nationalistic rhetoric and posturing – while at the same time both countries make their own positions on the question of sovereignty.

Garren Mulloy, an associate professor at Daito Bunkyo University, said the Japanese government’s move appears to be designed to “stabilise procedures and reduce ambiguities over ownership of the islands with resource management and policing in mind”.

“But many people are inevitably going to see this as being about strategic concerns and sending signals to other people in the region,” he said.