Taiwan Expedition

In 1874 (Meiji 7), the Japanese government sent troops to Taiwan to pursue responsibility for the mistreatment of Japanese castaways by the Taiwanese aborigines. This incident is also known as the "Sei-Taiwan War" or the "Taiwan Incident." In 1871, Yaeyama Islanders from the Ryukyu Islands were washed ashore on the southeast coast of Taiwan, 54 of whom were killed by the Botansha aborigines. Oyama Tsunayoshi, a councilor in Kagoshima Prefecture, which had jurisdiction over the Ryukyu Islands, recommended that the government send troops to pursue responsibility. In 1873, a ship from Kashiwajima Village in Bitchu Province (Okayama Prefecture) was washed ashore on Taiwan, and four crew members were robbed. This led to growing calls for an invasion of Taiwan both within and outside the government. In the same year, Minister of Foreign Affairs Soejima Taneomi, who traveled to China as an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, had his attendant Yanagihara Sakimitsu question him about the matter, but the Qing foreign affairs authorities avoided responsibility by saying that the aboriginal people of Taiwan were "foreigners" and outside the Qing's rule. With the government split over the dispatch of a Korean envoy in the autumn of that year (the so-called Meiji 6th Year Coup), the attempted assassination of Iwakura Tomomi in January the following year, and the Saga Rebellion in February, the political unrest intensified. With the aim of diverting domestic discontent outward, the government decided to launch an invasion of Taiwan. In April, the councilor Okuma Shigenobu was appointed Director General of the Taiwan Aborigines Affairs Bureau, and Lieutenant General Saigo Tsugumichi was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Taiwan Aborigines Affairs Bureau, and preparations for dispatching troops began. However, the British and American envoys to Japan expressed their opposition to the dispatch of troops, fearing that it would disturb the peace of the Far East, so the government decided to cancel it. However, Saigo, leading 3,000 soldiers, unilaterally went ahead with the dispatch, and the government was forced to approve it. The Japanese army assembled in full force at Sharyo Port in Taiwan on May 22 and began operations, and by June 3 they had almost completely taken control of the indigenous areas. Twelve men were killed in action, but 561 had died of the endemic malaria. The Qing Dynasty protested Japan's actions and demanded that the troops be withdrawn. In August, Councillor Okubo Toshimichi was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary, traveled to China, and began negotiations with Prince Kyoshinno, Minister of the Prime Minister's Office. The talks were difficult, but with the mediation of British envoy to China Wade, the "Japan-China Interchangeable Treaty" was signed on October 31, and the incident was settled under the condition that China acknowledged Japan's dispatch of troops and paid compensation to refugees, on which Japan agreed to withdraw its troops. Furthermore, because China approved the actions of the Japanese military, the Yaeyama Islanders became Japanese, and the Ryukyu Islands' ownership of Japan was internationally confirmed.

[Toshihiko Mori]

“Taiwan International Political History Research” by Dai Tianzhao (1971, Hosei University Press)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1874年（明治7）台湾原住民による日本人漂流民虐待の責任追及を理由に日本政府が台湾に出兵した事件。「征台の役」「台湾事件」などともいう。1871年琉球(りゅうきゅう)八重山(やえやま)島民が台湾南東岸に漂着、うち54名が牡丹社(ぼたんしゃ)原住民に殺害され、琉球を管轄していた鹿児島県参事大山綱良(つなよし)は政府に責任追及の出兵を建議した。73年には備中(びっちゅう)国（岡山県）柏島村の船が台湾に漂着し、乗組員4名が略奪を受けた。こうして政府内外に台湾征討の声が高まった。同年特命全権大使として渡清(としん)した外務卿副島種臣(そえじまたねおみ)は随員柳原前光(やなぎはらさきみつ)にこの件を問いたださせたが、清国外務当局は台湾原住民は「化外(かがい)」であり、清国の統治の外にあると述べて責任を回避した。同年秋の朝鮮使節派遣をめぐる政府分裂（いわゆる明治六年の政変）、翌74年1月の岩倉具視(ともみ)暗殺未遂事件、2月の佐賀の乱と政情不穏が高まると、政府は国内の不満を外にそらすねらいもあって台湾征討に踏み切り、4月参議大隈重信(おおくましげのぶ)を台湾蕃地(ばんち)事務局長官に、陸軍中将西郷従道(さいごうつぐみち)を台湾蕃地事務都督に任命し出兵準備に入った。ところが駐日イギリス公使、アメリカ公使が極東の平和を乱すおそれがあると出兵反対の意向を示したので政府は中止を決めた。しかし、西郷は兵3000を率いて独断で出兵を強行し、政府はやむなく追認した。日本軍は5月22日台湾社寮(しゃりょう)港に全軍集結して行動を開始し、6月3日原住民地区をほぼ制圧した。戦死者12名、しかし風土病マラリアのため561名が病死した。清国は日本の行動に抗議し撤兵を要求した。そこで8月参議大久保利通(としみち)が全権弁理大臣に任命され、渡清して総理衙門(がもん)大臣恭親王(きょうしんのう)と交渉に入った。会談は難航したが、駐清イギリス公使ウェードの仲介で、10月31日「日清両国互換条款」が調印され、清国が日本の出兵を認め遭難民に見舞金（撫恤(ぶじゅつ)金）を支払うことを条件に日本は撤兵に同意することになって事件は落着した。かつ清国が日本軍の行動を承認したので八重山島民は日本人ということになり、琉球の日本帰属が国際的に確認された形となった。

［毛利敏彦］

『戴天昭著『台湾国際政治史研究』（1971・法政大学出版局）』

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