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A New Interpretation of the Bakufu's Refusal to Open the Ryukyus to Commodore Perry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Marco Tinello
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Abstract

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In this article I seek to show that, while the Ryukyu shobun refers to the process by which the Meiji government annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom between 1872 and 1879, it can best be understood by investigating its antecedents in the Bakumatsu era and by viewing it in the wider context of East Asian and world history. I show that, following negotiations with Commodore Perry, the bakufu recognized the importance of claiming Japanese control over the Ryukyus. This study clarifies the changing nature of Japanese diplomacy regarding the Ryukyus from Bakumatsu in the late 1840s to early Meiji.

Keywords

Tokugawa bakufuBakumatsuRyukyu shobunCommodore PerryJapan
Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 16 , Issue 17 , September 2018 , e3
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2018

References

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