TOKYO - Japan on Friday held an annual ceremony commemorating disputed islets in the Sea of Japan with South Korea, despite the latter's strong opposition.

The Japanese government sent Aiko Shimajiri, a parliamentary secretary with the Cabinet Office, to attend the "Takeshima Day" held in the city of Matsue in Shimane Prefecture.

Shimajiri is the first occupant of one of the top three posts for lawmakers in a government ministry to attend the event since it commenced in 2006.

Meanwhile, besides Shimajiri, a record 18 Diet members, including senior officials of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, also attended the event.

South Korea had urged the Japanese side to cancel the event and protested against the move that Japan dispatched a senior government official to the event, adding Shimajiri's attendance is regrettable.

The bilateral relations soured due to the South Korea-controlled disputed islands, which were known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.