Changes

The arrival of Russian ships at Sakhalin and some of the [[Kuril Islands]] in [[1806]] again inspired the shogunate to take action against Russian encroachment; they declared western Ezo and southern Sakhalin to be shogunal territory (''tenryô''). [[Mamiya Rinzo|Mamiya Rinzô]] explored and surveyed the island in [[1808]] to an extent no Japanese had ever done before, and in the process discovered (or confirmed) that it is in fact an island, and not a peninsula of the Asian mainland.

The arrival of Russian ships at Sakhalin and some of the [[Kuril Islands]] in [[1806]] again inspired the shogunate to take action against Russian encroachment; they declared western Ezo and southern Sakhalin to be shogunal territory (''tenryô''). [[Mamiya Rinzo|Mamiya Rinzô]] explored and surveyed the island in [[1808]] to an extent no Japanese had ever done before, and in the process discovered (or confirmed) that it is in fact an island, and not a peninsula of the Asian mainland.

Agents of the [[Russia-America Company]] again landed on the island in [[1854]], this time claiming it under the doctrine of ''terra nullius'' (i.e. that essentially no one was living there, and that it is therefore free for the taking). The following year, the [[Treaty of Shimoda]] resolved Russian/Japanese disputes over the Kuril Islands and some other territories, while the case of Sakhalin was left undetermined. Even so, this is significant as the first treaty which formally established Japanese national borders in the modern sense at all, even if only in the Kurils.<ref>Mitani Hiroshi, David Noble (trans.), ''Escape from Impasse'', International House of Japan (2006), 247-250, 292.</ref> A further agreement in [[1875]] resolved this, for the time being at least, with Japan taking all of the Kurils, and renouncing any claims to Sakhalin (which was thus left to Russia).

Agents of the [[Russia-America Company]] again landed on the island in [[1854]], this time claiming it under the doctrine of ''terra nullius'' (i.e. that essentially no one was living there, and that it is therefore free for the taking). The following year, the [[Treaty of Shimoda]] resolved Russian/Japanese disputes over the Kuril Islands and some other territories, while the case of Sakhalin was left undetermined. Even so, this is significant as the first treaty which formally established Japanese national borders in the modern sense at all, even if only in the Kurils.<ref>Mitani Hiroshi, David Noble (trans.), ''Escape from Impasse'', International House of Japan (2006), 247-250, 292.</ref> The [[Meiji government]] asked the US government to serve as a neutral mediator, to help arbitrate the dispute in [[1869]]-[[1870]], but though the US agreed, Russia refused to work with any third party. In [[1872]], Japan attempted to buy the island from Russia, but Russia refused this as well, offering instead to buy the island from Japan; this offer was also rejected.<ref>Jordan Walker, "Archipelagic Ambiguities: The Demarcation of Modern Japan, 1868-1879," ''Island Studies Journal'' 10:2 (2015), 209.</ref>

 

This dispute was finally resolved, for the time being at least, with a formal treaty signed in [[1875]]. In this agreement, Japan renounced all claims to Sakhalin in exchange for Russia recognizing all the Kurils as Japanese territory.

Sakhalin was the site of [[Battle of Karafuto|the last land battle]] of the [[Russo-Japanese War]]. In treaty negotiations following the war, Russia rejected Japanese demands for rights to all of Sakhalin. In he final agreement, the [[1905]] [[Treaty of Portsmouth]], Russia still ceded the southern portion of the island. A major [[Shinto shrine]], called [[Karafuto Shrine]], was established there in [[1912]]. Southern Sakhalin remained part of the Japanese Empire until the very last days of World War II, when the Soviet Union finally began attacking Japanese territory.  

Sakhalin was the site of [[Battle of Karafuto|the last land battle]] of the [[Russo-Japanese War]]. In treaty negotiations following the war, Russia rejected Japanese demands for rights to all of Sakhalin. In he final agreement, the [[1905]] [[Treaty of Portsmouth]], Russia still ceded the southern portion of the island. A major [[Shinto shrine]], called [[Karafuto Shrine]], was established there in [[1912]]. Southern Sakhalin remained part of the Japanese Empire until the very last days of World War II, when the Soviet Union finally began attacking Japanese territory.