The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
and the
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
(Japanese: 徳川幕府) (1861) opened
diplomatic relations
Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...
and trade between the two countries. This would come in a
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
of
unequal treaties
Unequal treaty is the name given by the Chinese to a series of treaties signed during the 19th and early 20th centuries, between China (mostly referring to the Qing dynasty) and various Western powers (specifically the British Empire, France, the ...
imposed on the
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
in its
later stages.
Historical context
The treaty was signed in Edo on January 24, 1861, by Count
Friedrich Albrecht zu Eulenburg
Count Friedrich Albrecht zu Eulenburg (29 June 1815 – 2 June 1881) was a Prussian diplomat and politician. He led the Eulenburg Expedition and secured the Prusso-Japanese Treaty of 24 January 1861, which was similar to other unequal treaties ...
, Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Minister of the Prince Regent of Prussia at the Courts of China, Japan, and Siam on the one hand, and by
Muragaki Awaji no kami (村垣淡路守),
Takemoto Zusho no kami (竹本図書頭) and
Kurokawa Satsu (黒川左中), Plenipotentiaries of the
Shogun from Japan on the other side.
The Treaty was the 7th signed by Japan with a foreign country, and was preceded by similar treaties with the United States, France, Russia, Great-Britain and Holland in 1858 (the so-called
Ansei Treaties
The Ansei Treaties (Japanese:安政条約) or the Ansei Five-Power Treaties (Japanese:安政五カ国条約) are a series of treaties signed in 1858, during the Japanese Ansei era, between Japan on the one side, and the United States, Great Br ...
), and with Portugal in 1860. These treaties formed an essential part in opening up Japan, ending a period of some 250 years of Japan’s seclusion from the world, known as “
sakoku”.
Negotiations
When the
Eulenburg Expedition arrived in Edo on 4 September 1860, the position of the Shogun and its administration towards treaties with foreign countries had shifted. Japan considered its internal situation not stable enough for any additional international treaties, and this also applied to Prussia. The Treaty with Portugal signed on 3 August 1860 only came about because of a promise made to the Dutch in 1857 for such a treaty.
The Japanese refusal to treat with Prussia was only reversed after an intervention of the U.S. Representative
Townsend Harris
Townsend Harris (October 4, 1804 – February 25, 1878) was an American merchant and politician who served as the first United States Consul General to Japan. He negotiated the " Harris Treaty" between the US and Japan and is credited as the d ...
. He enabled a break through by combining negotiations for a Prussian treaty with the Japanese desire of postponing the opening of the cities of Osaka and Edo, and the Ports of Hyogo and Niigata, as foreseen in the first six treaties. Harris proposed to limit the ports open to Prussia to Nagasaki, Yokohama and Hakodate, and not to mention the opening of Osaka, Edo, Hyogo and Niigata. The proposal was accepted by the
Shogunate, and led to the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Prussia and Japan, signed on January 24, 1861, in Edo. It had taken 3 months and 3 weeks since the arrival of the Eulenburg mission at Edo.
Coverage and entry into force
The Treaty obtained was only half satisfactory to Count Eulenburg. He had been mandated to negotiate a treaty not only for Prussia, but also for the states belonging to the Zollverein, the Mecklenburg Grand Duchies and the Hanse Cities. Once understood how many states and cities this implied, the Government of the Shogun resolutely refused to include them in the negotiations. Therefore, the Treaty obtained only covered Prussia.
Article 23 of the Treaty contains the date of entry into force: 1 January 1863.
Exchange of the ratifications
The exchange of the ratifications of the Treaty of 24 January 1861 between Prussia and Japan took place on board the Prussian frigate SMS Gazelle in the Bay of Edo on 20 February 1864. The Prussian Envoy, Guido von Rehfues, had arrived at Yokohama mid August 1863 with the Treaty ratified by the King of Prussia. It took him 6 months to induce the Japanese Government to accept the exchange of the ratifications.
Description
The most important points of the Treaty between Prussia and Japan are:
* Exchange of diplomatic agents (article 2)
* The ports and cities of Hakodate, Nagasaki and Yokohama are open for trade with Prussian nationals, and Prussian nationals have the right to reside and trade at will in these ports (article 3).
* Freedom of religion for Prussians living in these 3 ports and cities (article 4).
* A system of extraterritoriality that provided for the subjugation of Prussian residents in the 3 ports or cities to the laws of their own consular courts instead of the Japanese law system (articles 5 to 7).
* Introduction of fixed import-export duties for Prussian trade with Japan (articles 8, 10 and 16)
The first Prussian Consul to Japan was
Maximalian von Brandt, who arrived in Japan on 25 December 1862.
See also
*
List of German ministers, envoys and ambassadors to Japan
The following is a List of German ministers, envoys and ambassadors to Japan
{, class="wikitable"
, -
!Inaugural date!!Official Position (Japanese)!!Official Position!!Name
, -
, January 19, 1863, , 領事, , Consul, ,
, -
, February 2, 1867, , ...
*
Germany-Japan relations
*
Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States-Japan) Treaty of Amity and Commerce may refer to:
* Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–France) (1778)
* Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States–Dutch Republic), a 1782 United States treaty
* Treaty of Amity and Commerce (United States ...
on July 29, 1858.
*
Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the Netherlands and Japan
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...
on August 18, 1858.
*
Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce on August 26, 1858.
*
Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and Japan
The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between France and Japan (Japanese: 日仏修好通商条約) (1858) opened diplomatic relations and trade between the two counties.
Description
The treaty was signed in Edo on October 9, 1858, by Jean-Baptiste ...
on October 9, 1858.
*
Treaty of Peace, Amity and Commerce between Portugal and Japan on August 3, 1860.
References
Further reading
*
National Diet Library,
Nihon koku Proshia koku Shūkō Tsūshō Jōyaku' (The Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Prussia and Japan)
External links
*
The Prussian Expedition to Japan 1860/61
{{Treaties of Japan
Treaties
Unequal treaties
1861 in Prussia
1861 in Japan
1861 treaties
Germany–Japan relations
Amity and Commerce (Prussia-Japan)
January 1861 events
Bilateral treaties of Japan
Bakumatsu