Changes

Several Ryukyuan officials, including [[Kochi ueekata|Kôchi ueekata]], secretly left for China in December 1876, meeting with Chinese officials in Fuzhou and securing promises that China would aim to resolve the situation through diplomatic means. [[He Ruzhang]], a new Resident Diplomatic Minister, arrived in Tokyo in December 1877, after meeting with Ryukyuan officials in [[Kobe]]; over the course of the next year, he would speak with Ryukyuan and Japanese officials on a number of occasions, and send reports back to Beijing requesting that strong measures be taken. Meanwhile, Ryukyuan officials sent letters to the American, French, and Dutch representatives in Tokyo, referring to their countries' respective treaties with the Kingdom of Ryûkyû, and complaining of Tokyo's behavior and intentions.

Several Ryukyuan officials, including [[Kochi ueekata|Kôchi ueekata]], secretly left for China in December 1876, meeting with Chinese officials in Fuzhou and securing promises that China would aim to resolve the situation through diplomatic means. [[He Ruzhang]], a new Resident Diplomatic Minister, arrived in Tokyo in December 1877, after meeting with Ryukyuan officials in [[Kobe]]; over the course of the next year, he would speak with Ryukyuan and Japanese officials on a number of occasions, and send reports back to Beijing requesting that strong measures be taken. Meanwhile, Ryukyuan officials sent letters to the American, French, and Dutch representatives in Tokyo, referring to their countries' respective treaties with the Kingdom of Ryûkyû, and complaining of Tokyo's behavior and intentions.

Matsuda Michiyuki returned to Ryûkyû in January 1879, and again in March, this time bringing with him a considerable entourage including 160 military police, and 400 soldiers from the Kumamoto Garrison. On March 27, he presented to Prince Nakijin the formal document declaring the abolition of the Ryûkyû Kingdom and the annexation of its lands as Okinawa Prefecture. King Shô Tai was given until March 31 to vacate the castle and leave for Tokyo; there, he would officially submit to the Emperor, be stripped of his title as "King" (or, by this time, ''han'ô''), and be absorbed into the [[kazoku|Japanese peerage]] as a Marquis (''kôshaku''). The king did so on March 30, and Japanese authorities immediately took over [[Shuri castle]], installing a military garrison there.

Matsuda Michiyuki returned to Ryûkyû in January 1879, and again in March, this time bringing with him a considerable entourage including 160 military police, and 400 soldiers from the Kumamoto Garrison. In February, Beijing sent diplomatic communications formally urging Tokyo to not unilaterally annex the Ryukyus. On March 27, Matsuda presented to Prince Nakijin the formal document declaring the abolition of the Ryûkyû Kingdom and the annexation of its lands as Okinawa Prefecture. King Shô Tai was given until March 31 to vacate the castle and leave for Tokyo; there, he would officially submit to the Emperor, be stripped of his title as "King" (or, by this time, ''han'ô''), and be absorbed into the [[kazoku|Japanese peerage]] as a Marquis (''kôshaku''). The king did so on March 30, and Japanese authorities immediately took over [[Shuri castle]], installing a military garrison there.

Over the ensuing months and years, Japanese control and administration would be, step by step, further expanded in the islands. Prefectural administration was dominated by Japanese officials, especially those from [[Satsuma han]] (now [[Kagoshima prefecture]]), and not by native Ryukyuans, least of all anyone formerly involved in the royal or ''han'' bureaucracy. [[Kinashi Seiichiro|Kinashi Seiichirô]] had been named Acting Governor of the not-yet-existent prefecture on March 3rd, but was replaced a few months later by [[Nabeshima Naoyoshi]], who is counted as the first Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, arriving on May 18th and serving in that capacity for almost exactly two years (until May 19, [[1881]]).

Over the ensuing months and years, Japanese control and administration would be, step by step, further expanded in the islands. Prefectural administration was dominated by Japanese officials, especially those from [[Satsuma han]] (now [[Kagoshima prefecture]]), and not by native Ryukyuans, least of all anyone formerly involved in the royal or ''han'' bureaucracy. [[Kinashi Seiichiro|Kinashi Seiichirô]] had been named Acting Governor of the not-yet-existent prefecture on March 3rd, but was replaced a few months later by [[Nabeshima Naoyoshi]], who is counted as the first Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, arriving on May 18th and serving in that capacity for almost exactly two years (until May 19, [[1881]]). Meanwhile, in March [[1880]], Tokyo communicated to the governments of the Western powers that Japan would now be taking on the responsibility of repaying any debts still owed to the Western powers by the Ryûkyû Kingdom.

The tax system and land organization (the administrative divisions of the villages and ''[[magiri]]'' districts) remained for a time as they had been under the Kingdom. From [[1882]], taxes on salt and rice paid in kind were permitted to paid in cash instead; however, sugar taxes continued to be paid in kind until [[1903]], when widespread land reforms were implemented.<ref>[[Gregory Smits|Smits, Gregory]]. ''Visions of Ryukyu''. University of Hawaii Press, 1999. p148.</ref>

 

The tax system and land organization (the administrative divisions of the [[Okinawan villages]] and ''[[magiri]]'' districts) remained for a time as they had been under the Kingdom. From [[1882]], taxes on salt and rice paid in kind were permitted to paid in cash instead; however, sugar taxes continued to be paid in kind until [[1903]], when widespread land reforms were implemented.<ref>[[Gregory Smits|Smits, Gregory]]. ''Visions of Ryukyu''. University of Hawaii Press, 1999. p148.</ref>

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