Changes

When the domains began to return their lands to the emperor in 1869, Sô Yoshiakira stepped down as "lord" and took the name Shigemasa, and Tsushima han was renamed Izuhara han. A year later, after a number of further initiatives had failed, Yoshiakira suggested eliminating himself, his family, and his retainers from their position as intermediaries in Korean relations, and instead having the Foreign Ministry act more directly to establish relations between the Korean Court and the Japanese central (national) government.<ref>Hellyer, 241-243.</ref>

When the domains began to return their lands to the emperor in 1869, Sô Yoshiakira stepped down as "lord" and took the name Shigemasa, and Tsushima han was renamed Izuhara han. A year later, after a number of further initiatives had failed, Yoshiakira suggested eliminating himself, his family, and his retainers from their position as intermediaries in Korean relations, and instead having the Foreign Ministry act more directly to establish relations between the Korean Court and the Japanese central (national) government.<ref>Hellyer, 241-243.</ref>

To accommodate the loss of the crucial shipments of rice from Korea, the Meiji government provided the Sô with 35,000 ''koku'' worth of lands. Meanwhile, unable to get Osaka merchants to loan any money to the heavily indebted domain, Tsushima representatives in Osaka obtained loans from Western merchants; before long, the domain owed 359,000 yen to Western merchants, in addition to its outstanding 700,000 yen in debts to Japanese merchants, making it the third most indebted domain in the country. In [[1871]]/7, however, the [[abolition of the han|domains were all abolished]], and the central government took on the debts of all the domains, thus absolving the now-former ''daimyô'' families of these financial burdens. Yoshiakira at that time ceased to be governor of Tsushima (Izuhara) domain, and was appointed assistant foreign minister. The ''Waegwan'' was renamed the "Japan Mission" (日本公館, ''Nihon kôkan'') soon afterwards, and though Yoshiakira continued to play a prominent role in efforts to restart relations with Korea, he now did so even more fully as merely a representative of the Imperial government. This marked the end of the tributary/vassal relationship between the Sô and the Korean Court, and though Sô Yoshiakira continued to be involved, the end of any privileged position for his family as agents separate from Japanese central authority. Formal diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Korea in the modern/Western mode were finally established in [[1876]], with the [[Treaty of Ganghwa]], also known as the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and Korea, which established for Japan many of the privileges Japan itself extended to the Western powers in its various [[Unequal Treaties|Treaties of Amity and Commerce]] with those powers.<ref>Hellyer, 242-245.</ref>

To accommodate the loss of the crucial shipments of rice from Korea, the Meiji government provided the Sô with 35,000 ''koku'' worth of lands. Meanwhile, unable to get Osaka merchants to loan any money to the heavily indebted domain, Tsushima representatives in Osaka obtained loans from Western merchants; before long, the domain owed 359,000 yen to Western merchants, in addition to its outstanding 700,000 yen in debts to Japanese merchants, making it the third most indebted domain in the country. In [[1871]]/7, however, the [[abolition of the han|domains were all abolished]], and the central government took on the debts of all the domains, thus absolving the now-former ''daimyô'' families of these financial burdens. Yoshiakira at that time ceased to be governor of the newly-established Izuhara prefecture, and was appointed assistant foreign minister. The ''Waegwan'' was renamed the "Japan Mission" (日本公館, ''Nihon kôkan'') soon afterwards, and though Yoshiakira continued to play a prominent role in efforts to restart relations with Korea, he now did so even more fully as merely a representative of the Imperial government. This marked the end of the tributary/vassal relationship between the Sô and the Korean Court, and though Sô Yoshiakira continued to be involved, the end of any privileged position for his family as agents separate from Japanese central authority. Formal diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Korea in the modern/Western mode were finally established in [[1876]], with the [[Treaty of Ganghwa]], also known as the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and Korea, which established for Japan many of the privileges Japan itself extended to the Western powers in its various [[Unequal Treaties|Treaties of Amity and Commerce]] with those powers.<ref>Hellyer, 242-245.</ref>

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