![Cartoon of Ryukyu Shobun from Marumaru Chinbun 1879-05-24](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Cartoon_of_Ryukyu_Shobun_from_Marumaru_Chinbun_1879-05-24.jpg)
, also
Disposition
A disposition is a quality of character, a habit, a preparation, a state of readiness, or a tendency to act in a specified way.
The terms dispositional belief and occurrent belief refer, in the former case, to a belief that is held in the mind bu ...
of
the Ryūkyūs,
dispositions relating to the Ryūkyūs
, or Annexation of Okinawa, was the political process during the early years of the
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
that saw the incorporation of the former
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...
into the
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
as
Okinawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city o ...
(i.e., one of Japan's
"home" prefectures) and its decoupling from the
Chinese tributary system
The tributary system of China (), or Cefeng system () was a network of loose international relations focused on China which facilitated trade and foreign relations by acknowledging China's predominant role in East Asia. It involved multiple relati ...
.
These processes began with the creation of
Ryukyu Domain
The was a short-lived domain of the Empire of Japan, lasting from 1872 to 1879, before becoming the current Okinawa Prefecture and other islands at the Pacific edge of the East China Sea.
When the domain was created in 1872, Japan's feudal han ...
in 1872 and culminated in the kingdom's annexation and final dissolution in 1879; immediate diplomatic fallout and consequent negotiations with
Qing China
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu people, Manchu-led Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin (1616–1636), La ...
, brokered by
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
, effectively came to an end late the following year.
The term is also sometimes used more narrowly in relation to the events and changes of 1879 alone.
The Ryūkyū Disposition has been "alternatively characterized as aggression, annexation, national unification, or internal reform".
Background
Early in the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, with the
invasion of 1609, the
Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...
entered into a vassal-suzerain relationship with the Japanese
Satsuma Domain
The , briefly known as the , was a domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1602 to 1871.
The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of Kagoshima, ...
, also sending
a series of missions over the following two hundred and fifty years to
Edo
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
, the ''de facto'' capital of
Tokugawa Japan
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characterize ...
.
At the same time, the Kingdom continued its tributary relationship with
Imperial China
The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...
, both
receiving and
sending missions; this dual status is sometimes reflected through a
four character idiom that means .
Thus the political status of
the Ryūkyūs vis-à-vis the rest of Japan was exceptional in at least three ways: part of the
''han'' system, but not directly; ruled over by
kings
Kings or King's may refer to:
*Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings
*One of several works known as the "Book of Kings":
**The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts
**The ''Shahnameh'' ...
; and the locus of semi-autonomous diplomatic ties with foreign powers, despite ''
sakoku
was the Isolationism, isolationist Foreign policy of Japan, foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate under which, for a period of 265 years during the Edo period (from 1603 to 1868), relations and trade between Japan and other countri ...
'' or the "closed country" policy.
The years following the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
of 1868 saw not only the
abolition of the ''han'' system (Ryūkyū subject for the time being to the jurisdiction of
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...
) but also efforts to "consolidate" the borders of the new
nation state
A nation state is a political unit where the state and nation are congruent. It is a more precise concept than "country", since a country does not need to have a predominant ethnic group.
A nation, in the sense of a common ethnicity, may inc ...
.
With the
Mudan incident
The Mudan incident of 1871 (、Japanese: 宮古島島民遭難事件、Japanese: 琉球漂流民殺害事件) was the massacre of 54 Ryukyuan sailors in Qing-era Taiwan who wandered into the central part of Taiwan after their ship shipwrecke ...
, the massacre of dozens of shipwrecked
Ryūkyūans
The Ryukyuan people ( ryu, 琉球民族 (るーちゅーみんずく), Ruuchuu minzuku or ryu, どぅーちゅーみんずく, Duuchuu minzuku, label=none, ja, 琉球民族/りゅうきゅうみんぞく, Ryūkyū minzoku, also Lewchewan or L ...
(from the
Miyako Islands
The (also Miyako Jima group) are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, belonging to the Ryukyu Islands. They are situated between the Okinawa Island and Yaeyama Islands.
In the early 1870s, the population of the islands was estim ...
) in
Qing-ruled Taiwan in 1871, the "" was brought to the fore.
In May the following year, negotiations with China over the incident still ongoing,
Vice Treasury Minister Inoue Kaoru
Marquess Inoue Kaoru (井上 馨, January 16, 1836 – September 1, 1915) was a Japanese politician and a prominent member of the Meiji oligarchy during the Meiji period of the Empire of Japan. As one of the senior statesmen (''Genrō'') in Jap ...
proposed annexation of the Ryūkyūs, arguing that they had long been subordinate to Satsuma, and that their "return to Japanese jurisdiction" would allow for a "single system for the homeland".
Disposition
In the New Year of 1872,
Narahara Shigeru
Baron , also known as Narahara Kogorō, was a Japanese politician of the Meiji period who served as the eighth governor of Okinawa Prefecture from 1892 to 1908, and in a number of other posts over the course of his career.
A samurai of Satsuma ...
and crossed to Ryūkyū where, in discussion with court officials, they agreed to waive the Kingdom's former debts to the
Shimazu clan
The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.
The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast ...
of Satsuma.
Then in July, the Ryūkyū government was informed it should send its congratulations on the success of the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
.
Prince Ie and
Ginowan Uēkata were duly dispatched to Tōkyō, arriving early in September.
Meeting with the
Meiji Emperor
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figure ...
on the 14th, they presented their letter (originally signed by "King of Ryūkyū,
Shō Tai
was the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom (8 June 1848 – 10 October 1872) and the head of the Ryukyu Domain (10 October 1872 – 27 March 1879). His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe a ...
, Kingdom of Ryūkyū", but amended in consultation with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
to "Shō Tai of Ryūkyū") and listened to a speech by the Emperor in which he referred to the long history of subordinate status to Satsuma.
The Emperor also had
Minister of Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
Soejima Taneomi
Count was a diplomat and statesman during early Meiji period Japan.
Life and career
Soejima was born into a ''samurai'' family in Saga, in Hizen Province (present-day Saga Prefecture). His father was a teacher in the domain's school and a schol ...
read out an Imperial Proclamation in which
Shō Tai
was the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom (8 June 1848 – 10 October 1872) and the head of the Ryukyu Domain (10 October 1872 – 27 March 1879). His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe a ...
was elevated to (despite the earlier
abolition of the han system
The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...
).
According to
Gregory Smits, "Strictly speaking, the establishment of the Domain of Ryukyu marked the start of the ''Ryūkyū shobun.''"
This was followed a fortnight later by a decree of the
Dajō-kan whereby the treaties agreed in the 1850s between the Ryūkyūs and USA, France, and Holland were inherited by Tōkyō.
![Meiji keigashi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Meiji_keigashi.jpg)
In May 1874, Japan launched a
punitive expedition against Taiwan; Britain acting as mediator, in the peace settlement of 31 October that year, China not only agreed to pay an indemnity but also referred to the Ryūkyūans as , a fact described the following year by
Gustave Boissonade
Gustave Émile Boissonade de Fontarabie (7 June 1825 – 27 June 1910) was a French legal scholar, responsible for drafting much of Japan's civil code during the Meiji Era, and honored as one of the founders of modern Japan's legal system.
Bio ...
as "the happiest outcome of the treaty".
Meanwhile, on 12 July 1874, responsibility for the Ryūkyūs was transferred from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the
Home Ministry
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
.
In November 1874, the Ryūkyū government sent a
tributary mission to China, drawing criticism from Home Minister
Ōkubo Toshimichi
was a Japanese
statesman and one of the Three Great Nobles regarded as the main founders of modern Japan.
Ōkubo was a ''samurai'' of the Satsuma Domain and joined the movement to overthrow the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate during the ''Bak ...
, who set out in a report of enquiry a number of steps to be taken to address the Ryūkyū Domain's adherence to "ancient outdated laws" and failure to see "reason", while senior Domain officials were summonsed to Tōkyō.
In March 1875, the Japanese government decided upon the "disposition" of the domain.
Home Ministry official
Matsuda Michiyuki
was a Japanese bureaucrat and statesman, active in the Meiji period of Imperial Japan.
Matsuda was governor of Shiga Prefecture from 1871 to 1875, and governor of Tokyo from 1879 to 1882.
Matsuda was sent to Ryukyu in 1879. He abolished Ryukyu ...
was appointed and sent with over seventy envoys to Ryūkyū.
Entering
Shuri Castle
was a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroye ...
on 14 July, they met with
Prince Nakijin, Shō Tai being indisposed, and presented a list of nine demands: (1) an end to the sending of tributary and congratulatory missions to China, and (2) to the reception of Chinese envoys in return; (3) adoption of
Japanese era name
The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...
s; (4) the dispatch of three officials to Tōkyō in relation to implementation of a new code of criminal law; (5) reform of Domain administration and hierarchies; (6) the dispatch of ten or so students to Tōkyō for study; (7) abolition of the
Ryūkyū-kan
were institutions serving as homes and bases of operations for Ryukyuan missions to Imperial China, Ryukyuan missions in early modern Fuzhou (Fujian province, China) and Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Kagoshima (Satsuma Domain, Japan).
Fuzhou
The Chines ...
in
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
; (8) a visit to Tōkyō by the King; and (9) the establishment of a Japanese garrison.
The local government agreed to the sending of officials and students and to a minimal garrison, while rejecting sole use of the Japanese ''
nengō
The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...
'', domestic reform (citing societal differences), and restriction of its diplomatic rights, excusing Shō Tai from travel due to his illness.
In his report to
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier.
A premier will normally be a head of governm ...
Sanjō Sanetomi
Prince was a Japanese Imperial court noble and statesman at the time of the Meiji Restoration. He held many high-ranking offices in the Meiji government.
Biography
Born in Kyoto, Sanjō was the son of ''Naidaijin'' Sanjō Sanetsumu. He hel ...
of 25 September, a frustrated Matsuda made mention of the possible future abolition of Ryūkyū Domain and establishment in its place of
Okinawa Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city o ...
.
In September 1876, a barracks was completed near the port of
Naha
is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...
and twenty-five soldiers from the Kumamoto garrison installed.
Three months later, the Ryūkyū Domain sent a secret mission to China, where they drew attention to Japanese interference in their
tributary missions.
In 1878, Chinese diplomat He Ruzhang would meet twice with Minister of Foreign Affairs
Terashima Munenori
Count was a Japanese politician and diplomat during the Meiji period. He served as the 3rd Chairman of the Chamber of Elders and Japan's 4th Foreign Minister.
Early life
Terashima was born to a ''samurai'' family in Satsuma Domain (in what is ...
to complain of the end to diplomatic relations with Ryūkyū.
A few months earlier, Ryūkyū representatives in Tōkyō sent secret letters to their US, French, and Dutch counterparts to complain of Japan's treatment and attempt to secure assistance.
Some fourteen petitions were also submitted to the Japanese government, requesting a return to the old system of dual allegiance, arguing that "Japan is our father, China our mother", but meeting with the response that "to serve two emperors is like a wife serving two husbands".
At the close of the year, Home Minister
Itō Hirobumi
was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era.
A London-educated samur ...
having taken the decision to replace the domain with a prefecture, Ryūkyū officials were expelled from Tōkyō and their official residence in the city closed.
![Shuri Castle Kankaimon with Soldiers of the Meiji Government](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Shuri_Castle_Kankaimon_with_Soldiers_of_the_Meiji_Government.jpg)
In January 1879,
Matsuda
Matsuda (written: lit. "pine ricefield") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*, Japanese badminton athlete
*Eiji Matsuda (1894–1978), Mexican botanist
*Fujio Matsuda (1924–2020), president of the University of Hawa ...
sailed south a second time, meeting with Domain officials in
Shuri and reading out a message from
Sanjō Sanetomi
Prince was a Japanese Imperial court noble and statesman at the time of the Meiji Restoration. He held many high-ranking offices in the Meiji government.
Biography
Born in Kyoto, Sanjō was the son of ''Naidaijin'' Sanjō Sanetsumu. He hel ...
demanding severance of diplomatic ties with China.
By letter and through his officials, Shō Tai responded that failure to pay tribute and offer congratulations would be punished by China, and sought understanding for the difficulty of his position".
On 11 March 1879, Matsuda received his instructions from Sanjō Sanetomi to travel to Ryūkyū once more.
This time he took with him, in addition to thirty-two officials from the Home Ministry and nine other officers, one hundred and sixty policemen, and three
or four
hundred soldiers, from the Kumamoto garrison.
Arriving in Naha on the 25th, two days later Disposition Officer Matsuda gave notice to
Prince Nakijin that, on the last day of the month, ''
Ryūkyū han'' would be abolished and ''
Okinawa ken'' instituted, instructing that
Shuri Castle
was a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroye ...
be vacated by that date.
On the 29th the king departed and two days later Matsuda marched unopposed with his men into
Shuri Castle
was a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroye ...
.
On 5 April, on the front page of the ''
Yomiuri Shimbun
The (lit. ''Reading-selling Newspaper'' or ''Selling by Reading Newspaper'') is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are t ...
'', the
Dajō-kan announced to the public that Ryūkyū Domain had been abolished and Okinawa Prefecture created in its place.
A few days later, the Emperor sent to enquire into Shō Tai's health and invite him to Tōkyō, placing the ''
Meiji Maru
is a Japanese sailing ship that serves as a museum ship in Tokyo. It is displayed at the Etchujima Campus of the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.
Construction
The ship was constructed for the Japanese government in Govan (now ...
'' at the former king's disposal; Shō Tai's illness ongoing, Tominokōji returned instead with
Shō Ten
was . He lost that title upon the abolition of the kingdom and the forced abdication of the king, his father, Shō Tai, in 1879, and later succeeded to the title of in the ''kazoku'' peerage following his father's death in 1901.
Life
Shō ...
.
After some further weeks of delay, possibly with a view to giving China time to intervene (leading Ryūkyūans crossed over to the continent and a letter from
Prince Kung was sent to the Japanese ministry in Peking drawing attention to China's respect for Ryūkyū's sovereignty and calling on Japan to abandon its plans, the response being that this was an internal affair and other countries had no right to interfere), on 27 May
Shō Tai
was the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom (8 June 1848 – 10 October 1872) and the head of the Ryukyu Domain (10 October 1872 – 27 March 1879). His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe a ...
sailed for Tōkyō, where, after an audience with the Emperor, he took up his position as
Marquis
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...
in the ''
kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan, which existed between 1869 and 1947. They succeeded the feudal lords () and court nobles (), but were abolished with the 1947 constitution.
Kazoku ( 華族) should not be confused with ' ...
'' peerage system.
As
Smits
Smits is a Dutch surname that is considered a variant of the more common Smit surname.Citation: Meertens Institute: Smit. The name is an old plural of Smid (blacksmith), though the plural in modern Dutch would be Smeden.
Frequency of occurrence ...
notes, however, the "issue of Ryukyuan sovereignty ... was not yet settled in the international arena".
With the Qing government vehemently protesting the annexation, spurred on by
hawks
Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica.
* The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily a ...
advocating armed resolution, the Ryūkyū question became an important contributing factor in the build up to the
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the po ...
.
At the urging of
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; 15 February 1823 – 7 November 1901) was a Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important ...
, and after mediation by
visiting former US President
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
, in 1880 Japan entered into negotiations with China.
Both sides proposed to divide the Ryūkyūs: Japan offered to hand over some of its home territory, in the form of the
Yaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa ...
and
Miyako Islands
The (also Miyako Jima group) are a group of islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, belonging to the Ryukyu Islands. They are situated between the Okinawa Island and Yaeyama Islands.
In the early 1870s, the population of the islands was estim ...
, in return for revision of the
Sino-Japanese Friendship and Trade Treaty
The Sino-Japanese Friendship and Trade Treaty (; ) was the first treaty between Japan and Qing China. It was signed on 13 September 1871 in Tientsin by Date Munenari and Plenipotentiary Li Hongzhang.
The treaty guaranteed the judiciary rights of ...
, whereby Japan might trade in the interior of China and be accorded
most favoured nation status; the Chinese proposed
Amami Ōshima
, also known as Amami, is the largest island in the Amami archipelago between Kyūshū and Okinawa. It is one of the Satsunan Islands.
The island, 712.35 km2 in area, has a population of approximately 73,000 people. Administratively it is d ...
and the
surrounding islands go to Japan,
Okinawa
is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi).
Naha is the capital and largest city ...
to the Ryūkyū King, and the Yaeyama and Miyako Islands to China, which would then restore them to the Ryūkyū King.
Negotiations reached an advanced stage, but at the end of the year China refused to ratify the agreement and the ''status quo'' continued.
Meanwhile, in its "Memorandum of Japan's sovereign rights to the Ryūkyū Islands, in response to the Chinese government's protest", the Meiji government advanced a number of factors in support of the legitimacy of its claims, citing geographic, historic, racial, linguistic, religious, and cultural propinquity, and stated that, with the abolition of the ''han'', Ryūkyū was the final domestic territory to be reformed and brought under centralized government control.
Within Okinawa itself, Japan's victory in the
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War (25 July 1894 – 17 April 1895) was a conflict between China and Japan primarily over influence in Korea. After more than six months of unbroken successes by Japanese land and naval forces and the loss of the po ...
brought any lingering discontent to an end.
Legacy of the term
After the war, the term ''Ryūkyū shobun'' saw reuse in relation to the status of the Ryūkyūs per Article 3 of the
Treaty of San Francisco
The , also called the , re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers on behalf of the United Nations by ending the legal state of war and providing for redress for hostile actions up to and including World War II. It w ...
, to representatives of Okinawa being left out of talks relating to
Reversion, and to the failure of the Japanese government to live up to the promises made during these negotiations.
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
Satō Eisaku
is the most common Japanese surname, often romanized as Sato, Satoh or Satou. A less common variant is . Notable people with the surname include:
*, Japanese actress and voice actress
*, Japanese actress
*, Japanese judoka
*, Japanese writer
* ...
was even accused in the
Diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake
** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
of contributing to a new ''Ryūkyū shobun'' in the context of the lack of Okinawan representation in the Reversion negotiations.
On the occasion of the second anniversary of Reversion, the ''
Okinawa Times'' referred to this as the ''Okinawa shobun''.
More recently, editorials in the ''
Ryūkyū Shimpō
The was the first Okinawan newspaper."Ryūkyū Shimpō." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia")Ryukyu Shimpo(琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 6 September 2009. It was founded in 1893 by S ...
'' and elsewhere have used the term ''Ryūkyū shobun'' in relation to the
question of US military bases on Okinawan soil.
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Hokkaidō Development Commission
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Okinawa Shrine
*
Ryukyu independence movement
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Ryukyuan assimilation policies
*
Sakishima Beacons
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryukyu Disposition
Ryukyu Kingdom
Foreign relations of the Ryukyu Kingdom
Annexation
History of Okinawa Prefecture
1870s in Japan
March 1879 events
Meiji period
Ryukyuan history
China–Japan relations