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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>
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>
As in the [[seikanron|debate over invading Korea]], which was playing out simultaneously, two factions emerged within the Meiji government over whether to abandon Sakhalin, or to defend claims to it, even at the risk of war with Russia. [[Kuroda Kiyotaka]], head of the [[Hokkaido Development Office]], advocated abandoning Sakhalin. Very few Japanese lived there, the government had already poured considerable funds into it with little return, and Hokkaidô was still very much in need of development. He was opposed by [[Saigo Takamori|Saigô Takamori]], [[Eto Shinpei|Etô Shinpei]], [[Okamoto Kansuke]], [[Nabeshima Naomasa]], and others, who were concerned about the Russian threat, and who felt that military efforts to defend the island (much like an invasion of Ryûkyû) could serve as a release valve, so to speak, directing disgruntled [[shizoku|former samurai]] into productive military efforts so as to prevent them turning their restlessness into armed revolt against the government.<ref>Walker, 210.; Though Saigô and his supporters would get an overseas military expedition in [[1874]], in [[Taiwan Expedition of 1874|Taiwan]], many still rose up in [[shizoku rebellions|rebellion]] in [[1876]]-[[1877]].</ref>
The dispute with Russia over the territory 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.
