The Meiji State in its Formative Period : Reflections on Policy towards Korea at the time of the Koshin Incident 甲申事変(1884)

Takahashi Hidenao

doi:10.24471/shigaku.98.3_295

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Other Title

形成期明治国家と朝鮮問題 : 甲申事変期の朝鮮政策の政治・外交史的検討
ケイセイキメイジコッカトチョウセンモンダイコウシンジヘンキノ

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Description

In this paper the author studies two subjects. First, he considers the connection between Japanese modern history and the political conflicts the Korea Policy at the time of the Koshin Incident. Second, he reconsiders the popular view that in the Meiji Era the Japanese Government had consistently made it a fundamental policy to conquer Korea. He consequently surveys the process by which the Japanese Government formulated its Korea Policy in the cabinet councils soon after the Jingo Incident 壬午事変 (1882) to after the defeat in the Koshin Incident. He then analyses the attitudes of the major factional powers (the Choshu clan 長閥, the Satsuma clan 薩閥, the militant journalism faction represented by Fukuzawa Yukichi 福沢諭吉 and the Emperor). He comes to the following conclusion. During this time there were two attitudes toward the Korea Policy. On the one hand, the Choshu clan had been expanding its influence in Korea without going to war with Chi'ng China. On the other hand, the Satsuma clan had been trying to gain over political control of Korea, and was prepared to go to war with China. After the Jingo Incident, the Choshu policy took priority over that of Satsuma. But after the Koshin Incident, the latter came to contend with the former for acceptance. Under these circumstances, the alternatives open to the Japanese Government were between peace and war, but this diplomatic conflict was at the same time a struggle between the Satsuma clan and the Choshu clan.

Journal

SHIGAKU ZASSHI

SHIGAKU ZASSHI 98 (3), 295-331,452, 1989

The Historical Society of Japan