Changes

The 1873 debate over invading Korea came during a decade in which Japan faced territorial and border concerns on nearly every front. In [[1871]], a group of [[Miyako Islands|Miyako Islanders]], returning home after a [[tribute]] mission to [[Shuri]] (capital, on [[Okinawa Island]], of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]]), were thrown off-course by a storm, and were [[Taiwan Incident of 1871|killed]] by [[Taiwanese aborigines]]. As the Meiji government demanded reparations from the [[Qing Dynasty|Qing Court]], this quickly developed into a major diplomatic incident, throwing into question Chinese and Japanese claims to [[Taiwan]] and the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]]. The following year, Japan strengthened its position in the Ryukyus by declaring the Kingdom abolished, and absorbing it into the realm as [[Ryukyu han|Ryûkyû han]], with the former king, [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], as its lord. The ''Seikanron'', as already discussed, took place the year after that (1873), and in [[1874]] [[Saigo Tsugumichi|Saigô Tsugumichi]] led [[Taiwan Expedition of 1874|a punitive military campaign]] against the aboriginal Paiwan, or Botan, people in Taiwan. In [[1875]], Ryûkyû sent a tribute mission to [[Beijing]], as it had done for centuries. Tensions between China and Japan grew quite heated, culminating ultimately in [[1879]], when Japan unilaterally - and over Beijing's explicit objections - [[Ryukyu shobun|abolished the Ryûkyû Kingdom]] (now Ryûkyû han) entirely, annexing its territory as Okinawa prefecture, and appointing a governor, while the former king was to report to Tokyo and join the new peerage alongside (other) former ''daimyô''. That same year, [[Ulysses S. Grant]], having already completed his term as President of the United States in [[1877]], came to China and Japan as part of a private world tour vacation. The young Meiji Emperor reportedly eagerly asked Grant for advice on numerous aspects of how to build a modern, economically strong, and constitutionally democratic country. But Grant also served as mediator in this conflict over the Ryukyus, meeting with both [[Li Hongzhang|Chinese]] and Japanese officials, and ultimately securing a settlement in [[1880]] in which Japan would recognize Chinese sovereignty over the Miyako Islands and everything to their south, in exchange for China granting Japan "[[most favored nation]]" status. The Chinese initially agreed, but ultimately refused to sign, and so all of the Ryukyus, from the [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and [[Tokara Islands]] in the north (already annexed into [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]]/[[Kagoshima prefecture|Kagoshima]] territory centuries earlier) to [[Yonaguni Island]] in the south, remained Japanese territory. Tensions over Taiwan (and spheres of influence in [[Colonial Korea|Korea]]) were allayed for a time, but would later come to [[Sino-Japanese War|war with China]] in [[1894]]-[[1895]]; Japanese victory in that war made Taiwan a Japanese colony.

The 1873 debate over invading Korea came during a decade in which Japan faced territorial and border concerns on nearly every front. In [[1871]], a group of [[Miyako Islands|Miyako Islanders]], returning home after a [[tribute]] mission to [[Shuri]] (capital, on [[Okinawa Island]], of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]]), were thrown off-course by a storm, and were [[Taiwan Incident of 1871|killed]] by [[Taiwanese aborigines]]. As the Meiji government demanded reparations from the [[Qing Dynasty|Qing Court]], this quickly developed into a major diplomatic incident, throwing into question Chinese and Japanese claims to [[Taiwan]] and the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryûkyû Islands]]. The following year, Japan strengthened its position in the Ryukyus by declaring the Kingdom abolished, and absorbing it into the realm as [[Ryukyu han|Ryûkyû han]], with the former king, [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]], as its lord. The ''Seikanron'', as already discussed, took place the year after that (1873), and in [[1874]] [[Saigo Tsugumichi|Saigô Tsugumichi]] led [[Taiwan Expedition of 1874|a punitive military campaign]] against the aboriginal Paiwan, or Botan, people in Taiwan. In [[1875]], Ryûkyû sent a tribute mission to [[Beijing]], as it had done for centuries. Tensions between China and Japan grew quite heated, culminating ultimately in [[1879]], when Japan unilaterally - and over Beijing's explicit objections - [[Ryukyu shobun|abolished the Ryûkyû Kingdom]] (now Ryûkyû han) entirely, annexing its territory as Okinawa prefecture, and appointing a governor, while the former king was to report to Tokyo and join the new peerage alongside (other) former ''daimyô''. That same year, [[Ulysses S. Grant]], having already completed his term as President of the United States in [[1877]], came to China and Japan as part of a private world tour vacation. The young Meiji Emperor reportedly eagerly asked Grant for advice on numerous aspects of how to build a modern, economically strong, and constitutionally democratic country. But Grant also served as mediator in this conflict over the Ryukyus, meeting with both [[Li Hongzhang|Chinese]] and Japanese officials, and ultimately securing a settlement in [[1880]] in which Japan would recognize Chinese sovereignty over the Miyako Islands and everything to their south, in exchange for China granting Japan "[[most favored nation]]" status. The Chinese initially agreed, but ultimately refused to sign, and so all of the Ryukyus, from the [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and [[Tokara Islands]] in the north (already annexed into [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]]/[[Kagoshima prefecture|Kagoshima]] territory centuries earlier) to [[Yonaguni Island]] in the south, remained Japanese territory. Tensions over Taiwan (and spheres of influence in [[Colonial Korea|Korea]]) were allayed for a time, but would later come to [[Sino-Japanese War|war with China]] in [[1894]]-[[1895]]; Japanese victory in that war made Taiwan a Japanese colony.

Meanwhile, in the north, the [[1855]] [[Treaty of Shimoda]] had already established formal national boundaries between Japanese and Russian territory in the [[Kuril Islands]]; this was the first treaty to formally establish any Japanese national borders. However, this Treaty left the status of [[Sakhalin]] undetermined, and this continued to be a point of dispute between the two countries. The Meiji government formally annexed the island of Ezo in [[1869]], renaming it Hokkaidô, and asked the US to arbitrate the dispute over Sakhalin; however, Russia refused to have any third-party mediator. In [[1872]], both Russia and Japan refused to sell (their claims to) the island to the other. Finally, an agreement was reached in [[1875]] in which Japan renounced its claims to Sakhalin in exchange for Russia's recognition of the Kurils as Japanese territory.

Meanwhile, in the north, the [[1855]] [[Treaty of Shimoda]] had already established formal national boundaries between Japanese and Russian territory in the [[Kuril Islands]]; this was the first treaty to formally establish any Japanese national borders. However, this Treaty left the status of [[Sakhalin]] undetermined, and this continued to be a point of dispute between the two countries. The Meiji government formally annexed the island of Ezo in [[1869]], renaming it Hokkaidô, and asked the US to arbitrate the dispute over Sakhalin; however, Russia refused to have any third-party mediator. In [[1872]], both Russia and Japan refused to sell (their claims to) the island to the other. Finally, an agreement was reached in [[1875]] in which Japan renounced its claims to Sakhalin in exchange for Russia's recognition of the Kurils as Japanese territory. In the end, though Korea, Ryûkyû, and Sakhalin & the Kurils brought considerable diplomatic tensions over the course of the 1870s, all of these disputes were ultimately resolved (for the time being, as of 1879) with a minimum of outright fighting.<ref>Walker, 218.</ref> Only in the 1890s-1910s (and later, in the 1930s-40s) would Imperial Japan become embroiled in outright wars.

The 1880s saw the further development of Japan's formal diplomatic ties with other nations around the world. The Meiji government continued to honor treaties signed by the shogunate in the 1850s, and foreign communities, including formal consuls and delegations, continued on in [[Kobe]], [[Yokohama]], [[Hakodate]], and a few other port cities. The Emperor received former US President Grant in 1879, as mentioned above, and in [[1881]], he received [[King Kalakaua]] of Hawaii, and Princes Albert and George of the United Kingdom as formal state guests, the first foreign royals to visit Japan in such a capacity.<ref>King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] of the Ryûkyû Kingdom is very likely the only previous foreign royal to have visited Japan since the [[Asuka period|Asuka]] or [[Nara period]], doing so as a prisoner of war in [[1609]]-[[1611]], and thus not in a similar fashion as a diplomatic state guest.</ref> Through meetings with these and other heads of state, Meiji Japan began actively developing diplomatic ties with other countries.

The 1880s saw the further development of Japan's formal diplomatic ties with other nations around the world. The Meiji government continued to honor treaties signed by the shogunate in the 1850s, and foreign communities, including formal consuls and delegations, continued on in [[Kobe]], [[Yokohama]], [[Hakodate]], and a few other port cities. The Emperor received former US President Grant in 1879, as mentioned above, and in [[1881]], he received [[King Kalakaua]] of Hawaii, and Princes Albert and George of the United Kingdom as formal state guests, the first foreign royals to visit Japan in such a capacity.<ref>King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] of the Ryûkyû Kingdom is very likely the only previous foreign royal to have visited Japan since the [[Asuka period|Asuka]] or [[Nara period]], doing so as a prisoner of war in [[1609]]-[[1611]], and thus not in a similar fashion as a diplomatic state guest.</ref> Through meetings with these and other heads of state, Meiji Japan began actively developing diplomatic ties with other countries.