Having examined (the situation) on the basis of this, it is the duty of the local officials to rescue them when the citizens of your country encouter a storm. We are deeply impressed that you have sent such a polite expression of gratitude from afar. As stated in the above, we will send reports and notices (to each local official), and have them reply and confirm to your Consul-General. The above will be returned to Mr. YAMAZA, Acting Consul to the Consulate General of Japan in Shanghai.
Content
Attachment: reply letter
| Related archives | S1893092000102 |
|---|
| Document title | Attachment: reply letter |
|---|---|
| Date created (Western calendar) | January 23, 1894 |
| Date created (Japanese era) | January 23, Meiji 27 |
| Author(s) / Editor(s) | Chen (Superintendent of coastal defense for Funing in Fujian Province, and in charge of Trade and Commerce) |
| Publisher | |
| Name of publication | On the matter of the conveyance of gratitude to local officials of the Qing Dynasty who rescued Yakita IZAWA, a citizen of Kumamoto Prefecture, and two others when they were drifted to that country / 1893 |
| Content | Yakita IZAWA and the other citizens of Kumamoto Prefecture introduced in the Kyushu Nichinichi Shimbun [newspaper] article "Castaways return from the Qing Dynasty" were taken into custody and investigated by local officials and others of the Qing Dynasty after they were drifted to that country, and were then safely repatriated to Japan through diplomatic routes. Under orders from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, the Consulate General of Japan in Shanghai was instructed to express gratitude to the relevant persons on the side of the Qing Dynasty. This document records that the local official of the Qing Dynasty, Mr. Chen, replied to Mr. YAMAGISHI of the Consulate General of Japan in Shanghai in a letter dated January 13th, 1894, to the effect that he had received the letter of gratitude sent by the Consulate General and had conveyed the gratitude to the relevant persons. In the main text, the content of the letter of gratitude is quoted in its entirety, stating that IZAWA and the others were caught in a storm while heading from "Yaeyama Island" to "Kuba Island" (the Senkaku Islands), and were drifted to "coastal seas of the Qing Dynasty". There is no sign of any awareness that "Kuba Island" is the territory of the Qing Dynasty in this text. The content also shows that none of the officials of the Qing Dynasty who investigated IZAWA and the others saw it as problematic that they had been engaged in activities on "Kuba Island", but that the letter of gratitude from the Japanese side was accepted without question. Stationery of the Consulate General of Japan in Shanghai. |
| Language | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Public access | Open |
| Repository | Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Medium | Paper/Hand-bound |
| Copies | 2 |
| Reference No. | S1894012300101 |
| Reference & information | Follow the instruction at the Diplomatic Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan |
| Notes |