On the matter of requesting for making a port call at Kuba Island from Tatsushiro KOGA: Letter dated January 19, 1899, from Shigeru NARAHARA, the Okinawa Prefectural Governor, to Tokugoro NAKAHASHI, the President of Osaka Shosen Kabushiki Kaisha (Osaka mercantile steamship inc.)

Drafted on January 19, 1899
Along with a request to the president of Osaka Shosen Kabushiki Kaisha inc., I would like to ask you a ship course plan of Tatsushiro KOGA as follows:

Dear Mr. NAKAHASHI,

I hope this letter finds you well. Kuba Island and Uotsuri Island located within Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa have remained uninhabited and unexplored; however, since a civilian named Tatsuhiro KOGA living at 23 Aza-Nishi, Naha-ku, Okinawa submitted a land lease and development request, I granted him permission in August 1896. He has managed to hire a steamer once or twice, and planned to visit the islands with a dozen fishermen and farmers. Both islands (Kuba and Uotsuri) are fertile, and I believe developing the land would serve the best interests of Japan. However, the islands are isolated and transportation to them is extremely inconvenient, so he cannot execute the project as he would expect. Hiring a steamer for every visit is too expensive and is unsustainable. He reached the conclusion that the only and best solution is to request a favour from your company (Osaka Shosen Kabushiki Kaisha), and thus he asked me to contact you. Tatsushiro wishes to personally ask you as well, so please ask him for any details which may help him achieve his goals.

Sincerely,

Shigeru NARAHARA

January 19, 1899