Nikko Incident

A conflict that occurred during the Siberian Expedition. In February 1920, a Japanese army battalion and over 700 residents occupying Nikolaevsk (Niigata) at the mouth of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk on the Heilongjiang River were surrounded by about 4,000 partisans and accepted a ceasefire agreement. However, on March 12, the Japanese side launched an illegal attack, which led to a counterattack by the partisans, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Japanese army and 122 soldiers and residents being taken prisoner. When a Japanese relief force headed for Niigata in May, the partisans killed all the Japanese prisoners and counter-revolutionary Russians, burned down the city, and retreated. Japan widely publicized this incident as an example of the cruelty of the "extremists," and increased anti-Soviet public opinion. Taking advantage of this, the General Staff decided to halt the withdrawal of troops from Amur Oblast, and in July decided to continue stationing troops in Khabarovsk, and also decided to occupy North Sakhalin as a security until the incident was resolved. In 1925, in negotiations to restore diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union, Japan demanded compensation, but the Soviet Union refused, and the issue was eventually resolved by withdrawing troops from Sakhalin in May.

[Masaomi Yui]

"The History of the Spanish Expedition to Western Europe from 1918 to 1922, compiled by the General Staff Office, 3 volumes (1938/Reprint, 6 volumes, 1972, Shinjidaisha)" ▽ "Japanese Militarism II, by Kiyoshi Inoue (1953, University of Tokyo Press)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

シベリア出兵中の紛争事件。1920年（大正9）2月、黒竜江のオホーツク海河口にあるニコラエフスク（尼港）を占領中の日本軍1個大隊と居留民700余名は、約4000のパルチザンに包囲され、休戦協定を受諾した。ところが3月12日、日本側が不法攻撃に出たため、パルチザンの反撃を受けて日本軍は全滅し、将兵、居留民122名が捕虜となった。5月日本の救援軍が尼港に向かうと、パルチザンは日本人捕虜と反革命派ロシア人を全員殺害し、市街を焼き払って撤退した。日本はこの事件を「過激派」の残虐性を示すものとして大々的に宣伝し、反ソ世論を高めた。参謀本部はこれを利用して、アムール州からの撤兵を中止し、7月にはハバロフスク駐兵の継続を決め、またこの事件の解決をみるまで北樺太(からふと)を保障占領するとして、これを実行した。25年日ソ国交回復交渉で日本は賠償請求したがソ連は拒み、結局5月に樺太から撤兵して解決した。

［由井正臣］

『参謀本部編『大正7年乃至11年西伯利出兵史』全3巻（1938／復刻版・全六巻・1972・新時代社）』▽『井上清著『日本の軍国主義Ⅱ』（1953・東京大学出版会）』

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