The move is drawing criticism from China and Taiwan, which both claim the territory as their own, reports NHK World.

On Monday, the Ishigaki City assembly in Okinawa passed the bill to change the name from the current "Tonoshiro" to "Tonoshiro Senkaku" from October, reports the Japanese news outlet.

The group of islands is located in the East China Sea.

While Japan claims the region is their own, China and Taiwan also maintain it is part of them.

The move comes at a time when Chinese coast guard vessels have been repeatedly intruding into Japan's territorial waters near the islands, NHK World reported.

Meanwhile, China reacted strongly against the developments around the Japanese city.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian was quoted as saying by NHK World, "Japan's move to change the name of the islands is a serious provocation against China's territorial claims. It's illegal and invalid."