The most important diplomatic issue for the Meiji government was the revision of the unequal treaty that had been passed down since the end of the Edo period.
Therefore, 1871 (Meiji 4) Iwakura Tomomi Takayoshi Kido, Toshimichi Okubo, Hirobumi Ito Iwakura Mission Was dispatched to the United States and Europe.
Unfortunately, negotiations to revise the treaty broke down. However, I was able to observe the development of modern politics and industry in Western countries in detail.
Nevertheless, the government's tenacious negotiations continued, and in 1876, it won the restoration of tariff autonomy with the United States. However, European countries and others opposed it and did not get any results.
Japan's expansion into Asia
At the same time, the Meiji government is urging Asian countries to open their country.
1871 Sino-Japanese Friendship and Regulations against the Qing dynasty Was tied. It was the first treaty on an equal footing with a foreign country by Japan.
On the other hand, taking the policy of making the Ryukyu Kingdom Japanese territory, 1872 The Ryukyu Domain was placed in the area, and Sho Tai of the Ryukyu Kingdom was made the king of the domain. The Qing dynasty, who opposed this policy, strongly protested and did not approve this measure.
Meanwhile, an incident occurs in which the Ryukyu people are killed by residents in Taiwan.
Since the Qing dynasty is out of responsibility, it is extremely difficult to handle the case. In response to this Qing dynasty, military personnel and samurai preached a hard-line theory, and the government sent troops to Taiwan in 1874.
In response to this incident, the Qing dynasty acknowledged the legitimacy of the Japanese troop dispatch and paid compensation, partly due to mediation in the United Kingdom.
Then 1879 Abolished the Ryukyu Domain And Okinawa I forced the installation of.
As a result, Okinawa Prefecture was incorporated as Japanese territory, but the old system was left behind in the land system, tax system, local system, etc., and it was not until the Taisho era in 1912 that the House of Representatives election was held. .. The economic disparity with the mainland was large and the income of the citizens of the prefecture was low, so it seems that the population has decreased due to migrant workers and emigration to the mainland.
Korea , which the government has been negotiating from the beginning with the opening policy of Asia He did not respond to the negotiations because he had a policy of seclusion at that time and did not like Japan's negotiation attitude.
Therefore, Saigo Takamori / Itagaki Taisuke They are trying to open Korea by force, Seikanron Insist. However, Okubo Toshimichi returned to Japan as a delegation. There was strong opposition from them, and the Seikanron Saigo and others went down into the field.
The relationship with Korea was seen to move in 1875, and the Ganghwa Island Incident was bombarded by Korea for surveying the area around Ganghwa Island without notice. Japan occupies the island in the wake of this. That method was exactly what Japan once did for Perry.
Do what they have received to Korea Opening of the country and unequal treaty , Sino-Japanese Friendship Treaty Realize the conclusion of.
It is said that it was Saigo Takamori who opposed this method.
After that, the government Sakhalin-Kuril Islands Exchange Treaty with Russia. And transferred all the authority that Sakhalin had to Russia, and instead took over the entire Kuril Islands. The following year, we will confirm the territory by letting the United States recognize the territory of the Ogasawara Izu Islands.
Saigo Takamori's Last Rebellion, Satsuma Rebellion
The counselors who insisted on the theory of conquest and went down to the field separated from those who appealed to armed forces and those who appealed to speech. There is no doubt that both forces are rebels, so the government has set up a Ministry of Interior and the National Police Agency to prepare for this.
The press is Itagaki Taisuke Become the leader of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement.
Shinpei Eto was the first of the remaining war hawks to move. So, in Saga Prefecture, he led a rebellion at the head of the samurai. This rebellion is subdued in two months and Shinpei Eto is executed.
The final policy of the samurai who have been deprived of their privileges by the equality of the four people is abolition of swords and disposition of order . was. The samurai rebelled in various places in the wake of the Kumamoto rebellion.
There were also many peasant horsemen suffering from land tax.
Then, the largest rebellion will occur centered on the Kagoshima Shizoku of private school students, led by Takamori Saigo who went down to the field and returned home. The government will face the greatest civil war since the Boshin War, but will spend half a year to put it down. As a result, the strength of the new government army will be summoned, and this Satsuma Rebellion Finally, the rebellion by the samurai has subsided.