The following books are a must-read not only for Japanese people but also for people worldwide to know the world before, during, and after the war.
The author, Mr. Henry Stokes' "Testament to the Japanese," is heavy and precious.
I am convinced that the fourth wave of the current corona disaster, the Wuhan virus, was a biological weapon, but I will discuss this later.
It would be a blessing in disguise to subscribe to this book as GW is declaring a state of emergency.
Japanese citizens should head to their nearest bookstore right now to subscribe.
It is a very readable but truthful book.
p167-p169
An act of aggression by the white powers called the Three Power Intervention.
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan focused its efforts on building a wealthy and robust military under the threat of the Western powers.
It was because it was the only way to protect Japan's independence.
At the same time, it became an urgent task to revise the unequal treaties with the white powers that had concluded between the end of the Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji period.
For example, the trade treaties that the Edo shogunate had concluded with the United States, Russia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France in 1858 (the Ansei Five-Party Treaty) were extremely disadvantageous to Japan, as they:
- Granted foreign countries consular jurisdiction and prevented Japanese laws and judicial decisions from being applied to foreign crimes (extraterritoriality).
- It gave Japan no autonomy over tariffs.
- Approved unconditional and unilateral MFN clauses.
The Meiji government spent an enormous amount of energy trying to resolve these issues, but the Western powers would not give up the advantageous treaties they had acquired.
The Sino-Japanese War took place in such a situation.
The world had never imagined that Japan, a newly emerging nation in the corner of Asia, would defeat the Qing Dynasty, a significant power in Asia.
The result, however, was a series of victories for Japan on land and at sea.
Japan and the Qing Empire called a truce on March 20, 1985, and immediately began talks for peace.
On April 17, the peace conference was held at Shunpanro in Shimonoseki, attended by Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito and Foreign Minister Munemitsu Mutsu on the Japanese side, and Li Hongzhang and others on the Qing side.
The Treaty of Shimonoseki was concluded, ending the war.
The main contents of the Shimonoseki Treaty were as follows
First, China recognized the independence of Korea, and the tribute, offerings, and ceremonies from Korea to the Qing Dynasty, which hindered its independence, were abolished forever.
2. The Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands were to be transferred to Japan.
3. The Qing Dynasty will pay 300 million Ryo (tail) to Japan.
4. Japan will be granted the same privileges as other countries in the Qing Empire.
This victory in the Sino-Japanese War energized the Japanese people. They began to seek a more even relationship with the Western powers and work for a complete revision of the unequal treaties.
However, it was the white powers that intercepted Japan's victory there.
Russia, in collaboration with France and Germany, exerted pressure on Japan.
On April 23, 1895, the ministers of the three countries sent a letter to Japan saying that it would be better to return the Liaodong Peninsula to the Qing Dynasty, the so-called Three Power Interference.
Japan, with its low national power, could not win a war against the three white powers. It had no choice but to accept the recommendation.
Japan had no choice but to accept the recommendation. ...... Japan was determined to endure all kinds of hardships to redeem itself from this humiliation.
Incidentally, three years later, the three countries demanded that the Qing government pay for this.
Russia leased Lushun and Dalian, Germany leased Jiaozhou Bay, and France leased Guangzhou Bay.
Incidentally, the British leased Weihaiwei and the Kowloon Peninsula.
Through these three interventions, Japan must have felt the threat of the white powers, including Russia, overrunning Asia.
