Ryukyu Disposition - Ryukyu Shobun

Japanese: 琉球処分 - りゅうきゅうしょぶん

This refers to the abolition of the feudal domains and establishment of prefectures in Okinawa, which was carried out by the Meiji government in 1879 (Meiji 12), which led to the collapse of the Ryukyu Kingdom and the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture. As will be described later, the term is sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to the series of events from the establishment of the Ryukyu Domain in 1872 to the issue of island division, which was a diplomatic issue between the Meiji government and China (Qing Dynasty) in 1880 (the so-called Ryukyu sovereignty issue).

[Takara Kurayoshi]

background

The early modern Ryukyu Kingdom had three characteristics. First, it was clearly organized as part of the Shogunate-han system, with the Satsuma Domain as its direct administrator. Second, unlike the other domains, it had traditional diplomatic and trade relations with China (Qing Dynasty), with the king receiving investiture from the emperor and regularly paying tribute to the emperor. Third, it had its own independent kingdom system and directly managed its territory. Many researchers point out this situation as being under the control of both Japan and China, but recently the view that it was a "foreign country within the Shogunate-han system" is gaining popularity. This is because, although it belonged to both Japan and China, its belonging to Japan (the Shogunate-han system) was considered to be more substantial, while its belonging to China was more formal.

With the start of a modern nation with the Meiji Restoration, the status of Ryukyu naturally became an issue. The treatment of Ryukyu was a major issue in terms of territorial determination, but the Meiji government did not have a clear policy and, when the feudal domains were abolished and prefectures were established in 1871, placed Ryukyu under the jurisdiction of Kagoshima Prefecture for the time being. In November of the same year, 69 people from Miyako Island in Ryukyu were washed ashore in Taiwan, and 54 of them were killed by local residents (Miyako Islanders Shipwreck Incident). This incident prompted the government to get serious about settling the Ryukyu issue, and in the following year of 1872, a Ryukyu envoy was sent to Japan, where the Ryukyu King, Shō Tai, was made king of the Ryukyu Domain and ranked as a member of the nobility (marquis), and it was announced that the Ryukyu Kingdom would become the Ryukyu Domain. The jurisdiction of the Ryukyu Domain was then transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1874, the government sent troops to Taiwan as a retaliatory measure for the crimes committed against the people of the Ryukyu Domain, and succeeded in getting China to recognize the victims as "subjects of Japan" in the Beijing Protocol concluded with China to settle the incident, and in doing so, obtaining compensation. This series of measures was taken to impress upon both Japan and overseas that the Ryukyus were Japanese territory and that their people were Japanese nationals, and the establishment of the Ryukyu Domain was positioned as a stepping stone to the eventual abolition of the feudal domains and establishment of prefectures.

[Takara Kurayoshi]

Progress

In May 1875, the government appointed Matsuda Michiyuki as the Ryukyu Disposal Officer and began to settle the Ryukyu issue. Matsuda visited Ryukyu in July of the same year and presented the following demands to the Ryukyu side: (1) prohibition of sending tribute envoys to Qing China and of receiving investiture from Qing China; (2) abolishing the Qing era names and using the Meiji era names; and (3) that feudal lord Shō Tai himself come to Tokyo as an envoy of gratitude to the Meiji government. The Ryukyu side refused to accept these demands, so Matsuda returned to Tokyo, and returned in January 1879 to repeat the same demands. However, Ryukyu also maintained a similar refusal, so in March of the same year, Matsuda visited Ryukyu for the third time, this time leading over 300 troops and over 160 police officers to present his demands with military force, and issued a proclamation on March 11th to abolish the Ryukyu Domain and establish Okinawa Prefecture, and vigorously demanded that the royal palace, Shuri Castle, be vacated by March 31. As a result, Sho Tai left the castle with his retainers, and the Ryukyu Kingdom collapsed, and the abolition of the domains and establishment of prefectures was achieved.

However, there was a deep-rooted atmosphere of opposition to the Meiji government's heavy-handed measures, and the situation became uneasy, with movements of non-compliance and people secretly traveling to China to petition the Chinese authorities (the "anti-Qing movement"). The Chinese, claiming to retain sovereignty over the Ryukyus, used diplomatic means to strongly protest to Japan, and the Ryukyu issue quickly developed into a major incident between Japan and China. Some Qing officials were hardliners who were prepared to use force, but Li Hongzhang asked former U.S. President Grant, who was visiting Japan at the time, to mediate the Ryukyu issue. In July 1879, Grant came to Japan from China and recommended a peaceful resolution to the issue to the Meiji government, and in response, the government began diplomatic negotiations with the Qing, and in October of the following year, 1880, presented a proposal to separate and increase the islands. The proposal was broadly divided into two points. One was to cede Miyako and Yaeyama within the Ryukyu territory to China, and the other was to add more favorable provisions for Japan's most-favored-nation status in the Sino-Japanese Treaty of Amity (concluded in 1871) in exchange. Japan and China tried to settle the Ryukyu issue along these lines, but China eventually found the contents unfavorable and refused to sign, so this plan was not realized at the last minute (Island Division Issue). The Ryukyu issue between Japan and China continued to simmer after that, and there was also an uneasy atmosphere in some parts of Okinawa Prefecture, but it was finally put to an end with Japan's victory in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95).

[Takara Kurayoshi]

evaluation

Many researchers have been making various assessments of the Ryukyu Disposition, which has the background and process described above, since before the Second World War. Roughly speaking, they can be broadly divided into: (1) the view that it is positively evaluated as part of the national unification at the time of the formation of the modern nation-state in Japan; (2) the view that there is no doubt that it was part of the national unification, but that the authoritarian and national aspects that appeared in the process of unification should also be emphasized; and (3) the view that it should be seen as an aggressive annexation rather than a national unification. However, even within the views (1) to (3), the nuances vary depending on the person making the assessment, and the assessments are not necessarily consistent. This is because the disposition was promoted solely for the convenience of the Meiji government, and was carried out in a heteronomous manner without fully taking into account the wishes of the Ryukyu residents, as symbolized by the fact that the issue of island division arose immediately after the abolition of the feudal domains and establishment of prefectures in Okinawa, which was supposed to have been a national unification, making it difficult to assess. Due to this nature of the Ryukyu Disposition, the term "Second Ryukyu Disposition" even appeared after World War II, when criticizing the Japanese government's Okinawa policy regarding the issue of Okinawa's return, particularly around 1972 (Showa 47).

It is an undeniable fact that the Ryukyu Disposition caused the collapse of the Ryukyu Kingdom and created the 47th prefecture in Japan. It is also true that after this incident, the Ryukyu people became part of Japanese society as citizens of Okinawa Prefecture. This tells us that although the Ryukyu Disposition contained many problems, it was historically significant as part of the process of ethnic unification. At the same time, it also teaches us that we need to recognize that the process of ethnic unification in modern Japan unfolded while also embracing problems such as those seen in the Ryukyu Disposition.

[Takara Kurayoshi]

"The Disposition of the Ryukyu Islands" by Kinjo Masahiro (1978, Okinawa Times Publishing)" ▽ "The Meiji State and Okinawa" by Gabe Masao (1979, Sanichi Shobo Publishing)" ▽ "A New Theory of Okinawa History" by Arashiro Moriaki (1980, Okinawa Times Publishing)" ▽ "The Idea of Freedom and Civil Rights and Okinawa" by Hiyane Teruo (1983, Kenbun Publishing)

[Reference] | Ryukyu Domain

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

1879年（明治12）に明治政府の手で行われた沖縄の廃藩置県のことで、これにより琉球王国は崩壊し沖縄県が設置された。なお後述のように、1872年の琉球藩設置から80年の中国（清(しん)国）と明治政府の外交問題である分島問題までの一連の過程（いわゆる琉球帰属問題）をさして広義に使う場合もある。

［高良倉吉］

背景

近世の琉球王国は三つの性格をもっていた。第一は、薩摩(さつま)藩を直接の管理者としつつ幕藩体制の一環に明瞭(めいりょう)に編成されていたことである。第二は、諸藩と異なり中国（清国）との間に伝統的な外交・貿易関係をもっており、国王は皇帝の冊封(さくほう)を受け、定期的に皇帝に進貢（朝貢）を行っていたことである。そして第三は、独自の王国体制をもって領内を直接的に経営していたことである。こうした状況を「日支両属」と指摘する研究者が多いが、最近では「幕藩体制のなかの異国」と規定する見解が有力になりつつある。というのは、日本・中国両国に属したとはいっても、日本（幕藩体制）への属し方はより実質的であり、中国への属し方は形式的側面が強かったと評価されているからである。

　明治維新により近代国家がスタートすると、当然のことながら琉球の位置づけが問題となった。領土確定問題としても琉球の処遇は一大案件であったが、明治政府は明確な方針をもたぬまま1871年の廃藩置県に際しては琉球をひとまず鹿児島県の管轄とした。同年11月、琉球内の宮古(みやこ)島民69人が台湾に漂着し、うち54人が現地住民に殺害されるという事件が発生した（宮古島民遭難事件）。この事件をきっかけに政府は琉球問題の決着に本腰を入れ、翌72年に琉球使節を来朝させ、琉球国王尚泰(しょうたい)を琉球藩王として華族（侯爵）に列し、琉球王国を琉球藩とする旨宣告した。そして琉球藩の管轄を外務省に移した。74年、政府は琉球藩民に対する加害への報復措置として台湾へ出兵、事変処理にあたって中国との間で取り交わした北京(ペキン)議定書のなかで被害者を「日本国属民」と認めさせ、賠償金を払わせることに成功した。これら一連の措置は、琉球が日本の領土であり、その人民が日本国民であることを内外に印象づけるためにとられたもので、琉球藩設置はきたるべき廃藩置県への布石として位置づけられていた。

［高良倉吉］

経過

1875年5月、政府は松田道之(みちゆき)を琉球処分官に任じ琉球問題の決着に着手する。同年7月訪琉した松田は、琉球側に対し、〔1〕清国への進貢使派遣および清国から冊封を受けることの禁止、〔2〕清国年号をやめ明治年号を使用すること、〔3〕明治政府への謝恩使として藩王尚泰自ら上京すること、などの要求を突きつけた。これに対し琉球側がその受諾を拒んだため、松田はいったん帰京、79年1月にふたたび訪れて同趣旨の要求を繰り返した。しかし琉球もまた同様に拒否の態度を崩さなかったため、同年3月、三度琉球を訪れた松田は、今度は軍隊300余、警官160余を率いて武力を背景に要求を提示するとともに、琉球藩を廃し沖縄県を設置する旨3月11日付けで布達し、同31日限りで王宮首里(しゅり)城を明け渡すよう激しく迫った。その結果、尚泰が臣下とともに城を出たため、琉球王国は崩壊し廃藩置県が達成されることになった。

　しかし、明治政府の強行的な処分に反対する空気は根強く、不服従運動をはじめ、清国へひそかに渡航して清国当局に嘆願する動き（脱清運動）が出るなど不穏な情勢となった。清国も琉球に対する宗主権を保持するとして外交的手段を用いて日本に厳重な抗議を行ったため、琉球問題は一気に日清両国の重大事件に発展することとなった。清国当局者の一部には武力発動も辞さないとする強硬派もいたが、李鴻章(りこうしょう)は来訪中のアメリカ前大統領グラントに琉球問題の調停を依頼した。1879年7月、清国から来日したグラントは明治政府に対して問題の平和的解決を勧告し、これを受けて政府は清国との間に外交的折衝を開始、翌80年10月、分島・増約案を提示した。その内容は大きく分けて二つの点からなっている。一つは琉球領内のうち宮古・八重山(やえやま)を清国に割譲すること、一つは、そのかわりに日清修好条規（1871年締結）にうたわれている日本の最恵国待遇規定をさらに有利に追加する、というものであった。日清両国はこの線に沿って琉球問題の妥結をみたが、清国がやがて内容を不利と判断して調印を拒んだため、この案は土壇場で実現されなかった（分島問題）。その後も日清間における琉球問題はくすぶり続け、また、沖縄県内においても一部に不穏な空気が流れ続けたが、最終的には日清戦争（1894～95）で日本が勝利することにより終止符が打たれた。

［高良倉吉］

評価

前述したような背景・経過をもつ琉球処分とはいったいなんだったのか、第二次世界大戦前から多くの研究者がさまざまな評価を行っている。大づかみに整理すると、〔1〕日本における近代国家形成時の民族統一の一環として積極的に評価する見解、〔2〕民族統一の一環である点は疑いないが、統一の過程に現れた強権的・国家的側面を同時に重視すべきだとする見解、〔3〕民族統一というよりも侵略的な併合とみるべきではないかとする見解、に大別される。しかし〔1〕～〔3〕の見解内部でも論者によりニュアンスが異なるなど、評価はかならずしも一致していない。そのことは、民族統一であったはずの沖縄の廃藩置県の直後に、分島問題が惹起(じゃっき)した点に象徴されるように、もっぱら明治政府の都合により処分が推進され、琉球住民の意向を十分にくみ取ることなく、他律的な形で実施されたことが、評価をむずかしくさせているからである。琉球処分のこうした性格に絡んで、第二次世界大戦後、とくに1972年（昭和47）前後の沖縄返還問題をめぐる日本国政府の沖縄施策を批判する際に、「第二の琉球処分」という用語も登場したほどである。

　琉球処分が琉球王国を崩壊させ、47番目の県を日本につくったのは紛れもない事実である。そしてまた、この事件以後、琉球住民が沖縄県民として日本社会の一員となったことも事実である。このことは、琉球処分が多くの問題を含みつつも歴史的には民族統一の一環としての意義を帯びたものだったことを教えてくれる。同時に、近代日本の民族統一過程は琉球処分にみるような問題をも包含しつつ展開したことを認知する必要があることも教えている。

［高良倉吉］

『金城正篤著『琉球処分論』（1978・沖縄タイムス社）』▽『我部政男著『明治国家と沖縄』（1979・三一書房）』▽『安良城盛昭著『新・沖縄史論』（1980・沖縄タイムス社）』▽『比屋根照夫著『自由民権思想と沖縄』（1983・研文出版）』

[参照項目] | 琉球藩

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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