*1872/4 Deputy [[Finance Minister]] [[Inoue Kaoru]] suggests ending [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû's]] [[tribute|tributary relations]] with China and incorporating Ryûkyû into Japan. The [[Minister of the Left]] opposes this suggestion, arguing that Ryûkyû should remain subordinate and not be made a ''[[han]]'' or otherwise counted as ''naichi'', and further that since the Ryukyuans are ethnically not Japanese, the Ryukyuan king and royal family should not be made ''[[kazoku]]'' (Japanese aristocracy). | *1872/4 Deputy [[Finance Minister]] [[Inoue Kaoru]] suggests ending [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû's]] [[tribute|tributary relations]] with China and incorporating Ryûkyû into Japan. The [[Minister of the Left]] opposes this suggestion, arguing that Ryûkyû should remain subordinate and not be made a ''[[han]]'' or otherwise counted as ''naichi'', and further that since the Ryukyuans are ethnically not Japanese, the Ryukyuan king and royal family should not be made ''[[kazoku]]'' (Japanese aristocracy). |