CHAPTER IV THE AWAKENING OF JAPAN First contact with Western nations-Overtures from the United 1 It was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that Japan entered into formal relations with Western countries, and her modern history may be said to date from the signing of the first treaty with America in 1854. The withdrawal of the British, who failed to derive permanent advantage from the labours of Captain Saris in 1613, had left the Dutch and Portuguese in possession of the foreign 1 NOTE. For the historical facts in this chapter I have mainly relied on the elaborate histories of Sir Francis Adams (1875) and Sir C. J. Reed (1880). My account of the recent changes in the political and social system of Japan is based on Dr. David Murray's admirable volume in the Story of the Nations series and Mr. Griffis's scholarly compilations (dealing with the Mikado's empire. In addition to these I have derived much assistance from Dr. Rein's Travels and Researches, M. Lamairesse's elaborate Le Japon, Manjiro Inagaki's Japan and the Pacific, de Rosny's La Civilisation Japonaise, and Mr. F. V. Dickins's excellent life of Sir Harry Parkes. My record of the events connected with the China-Japanese War is founded on the histories of Inouye, Vladmir, and Eastlake and Yamada, works which are models of patient research, and which leave little to choose between them. The more important of the remaining authors consulted will be found named as occasion arises, RUSSIA AND JAPAN 59 trade of Japan, and, despite the attempts made by foreign countries to obtain a footing there, nothing was accomplished for close on two hundred years. In 1780, the Japanese came for the first time into contact with Russia. A Japanese vessel was wrecked on the Siberian coast in the autumn of that year; and the crew, after being rescued by the Russian settlers, were seized by the governor's orders, and sent to Irkutsk, where they were compelled to teach their language to their captors. This incident prompted the Russians to visit the unknown country whence their captives came, and an expedition crossed the gulf of Tartary and visited the island of Saghalin, where they found the Japanese Aino inhabitants ill disposed to hold communication with them. After making several attempts to open up trade with the Japanese, Alexander I., whose attention had been drawn to the circumstances, sent a letter to the Shogun, asking that a commercial treaty might be arranged between the two countries. The letter was borne by an ambassador, who duly arrived at Nagasaki; but after delaying there for several months he returned to Russia without having attained anything. Despite this failure, the Russians did not give up their attempts to arrive at an understanding with their neighbours. In 1806, two Russian vessels visited Kushunkotan, the most important Japanese town in Saghalin, and on the inhabitants exhibiting resentment at the intrusion, the place was attacked, pillaged, and burned; and a number of Japanese and Ainos made prisoners and taken back to Siberia. An inscription was left on the Temple, to the effect that if the Japanese should change their minds and wish to trade with Siberia, they might send a message to Iturup; but if they persisted in refusing to treat with the Russians, the northern parts of Japan would be attacked and ravaged. In the following year the Russians made a descent on the island of Iturup in the Kurile group, which they took without resistance on the part of the natives, who fled. After burning the houses and destroying their contents, they issued a proclamation which was forwarded to Japan, in which the situation, from the Russian standpoint, was explained. This document has been preserved. It sets out that the distance between Russia and Japan being very small, the Russian emperor had sent officers across the sea to request that trade might be permitted between the two countries. Instead of arranging a friendly treaty, the Japanese had refused to negotiate; and, as a punishment, the emperor had ordered "that you should be given a specimen of his power as a punishment for refusing his request. If you persist in your conduct, the emperor will take all your northern territory away from you. The Russians can always cross to Saghalin and Iturup to punish you. If you comply with the emperor's wishes, we shall always be good friends with you. If not we will come again with our ships and behave in the same way as we have done before." In 1811 Russia sent a ship to survey the Kurile islands. The Japanese utilised the opportunity to take their revenge for past affronts, and seized the captain and most of his officers while they were ashore at Kunashiri. These were imprisoned by the Japanese. An account of their treatment was written, on their release two years later, by Captain Golovnin, who bears tribute to the humanity of his gaolers. The seizure of the officers of the Diana served only to strengthen the determination of the Russians to teach the Japanese a lesson. The people on the Siberian coastline were encouraged to emigrate to Saghalin, where a considerable number of Russians took up quarters in the north of the island, which was very sparsely inhabited. Meanwhile the Japanese settlements in the south of the island increased, and the two peoples gradually approached one another as they grew in numbers, and spread each towards the other. Nor were the Russians the only foreigners who sought to have dealings with the Japanese. In 1837, the United States deemed it time to make a second attempt to penetrate the exclusiveness of the Japanese, A brig, the |