Japan names islets in disputed area

TOKYO - Japan said Friday that it will name five uninhabited islands as part of a group in the East China Sea.

They are among the 158 uninhabited islands to be named Friday as Japan steps up protection and claims over border islands and waters around them.

The government's maritime policy department said it will publish a list of all the names on its website later Friday.

The five islands are part of China's Diaoyu Islands, island group in the East China Sea. The names will be used for new maps.