Incorporation into Japan’s territory

January 14, 1895 (Meiji 28)

Cabinet decision to incorporate the Senkaku Islands into the jurisdiction of Okinawa Prefecture, and erect national markers for the need to regulate fishing operator No.6-7

 At the proposal by Okinawa Prefecture, a Cabinet decision was made to admit the erection of national markers on the Senkaku Islands (Uotsuri and Kuba Islands) and incorporate the islands into the jurisdiction of Okinawa Prefecture for the need to regulate fishing operators.
 By this Cabinet decision, the Japanese Government formally incorporated the Senkaku Islands into Japan’s territory.

No.6
Document by which the Minister of Home Affairs requested a Cabinet meeting

 This is a document dated January 12, 1895, prepared by the Minister of Home Affairs for submission to the Cabinet when responding to the report of November 2, 1893, submitted to the Minister of Home Affairs by the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture. In the report, the Governor proposed to the Minister that Kuba and Uotsuri Islands be placed under the jurisdiction of Okinawa Prefecture and national markers be erected to regulate fishing, since, in recent years, people had started attempting fishery operations around the islands, which had been uninhabited until then. The Minister requested a Cabinet meeting with the aim of granting the Governor's wish to incorporate the islands into the prefecture.

Excerpt

Kuba and Uotsuri Islands located to the northwest of the Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa Prefecture used to be uninhabited islands, but recently people have been going to these islands to attempt fishery and other activities, and such activities need to be controlled.


Viscount Yasushi Nomura, Minister of Home Affairs
Hibetsu No. 133 / On the matter of erecting markers
Kobun Ruishu (the compiled records of the precedents and law) Edition No. 19, 1895
January 12, 1895 (Meiji 28)
[Repository] National Archives of Japan

Document by which the Minister of Home Affairs requested a Cabinet meeting
No.7
Cabinet decision permitting Okinawa Prefecture to erect national markers and have jurisdiction over the Senkaku Islands

 This document contains the text of the Cabinet decision permitting Okinawa Prefecture to have jurisdiction over Uotsuri and Kuba Islands (dated January 14, 1895) and the text of a draft instruction to the prefecture.

Excerpt

…we [the members of the Cabinet] have no particular objection regarding the matter of permitting the erection of markers as requested by the Governor of Okinawa Prefecture by permitting the Prefecture to have jurisdiction over the islands.

Cabinet decision / Draft Instruction / On the matter of erecting markers, as the request stated Kobun Ruishu (the covmpiled records of the precedents and law) Edition No. 19, 1895
January 12, 1895 (Meiji 28)
[Repository] National Archives of Japan

Cabinet decision permitting Okinawa Prefecture to erect national markers and have jurisdiction over the Senkaku Islands

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Development of the Senkaku Islands by Tatsushiro Koga

 In the following year of January 1895, when the Senkaku Islands were incorporated into Japan’s territory, Tatsushiro Koga, seafood merchant from Fukuoka Prefecture, was permitted to use for free of rent the state-owned four islands, Minami-kojima, Kita-kojima, Uoturi and Kuba Islands, and engaged in the development of those islands.

 In March 1897, Tatsushiro Koga dispatched 35 workers to the Senkaku Islands to start the project of collecting feathers of albatross and the development of the islands. The development started from Kuba Island, and the project of collecting feathers expanded, which led the sharp decrease in the number of albatross. In 1900, experts were invited to conduct research in each island, while other measures were taken.

 By 1900 several houses were built in Kuba Island, and a hut and stone fence was built on the sand beach in northwest of Minami-kojima Island. Photo (1) shows the situation in Minami-kojima Island, with three main-land Japanese style boats on front, and a Okinawan style “Sabani” boat left behind, which indicates that the island was used as a fishing base.

 Meanwhile, the project of collecting feathers of albatross shrunk, and Tatushiro Koga started the businesses of producing stuffed birds of small-sized sea birds such as sooty terns, and also fishing bonitos and producing dried bonitos. In Uotsuri Island, a factory of producing dried bonitos was built (photo (2)). A photo remains now, which appeared to have taken with a research mission for rock phosphate led by Noritaka Tsunetou (photo (3)).

 In 1908, the project of producing dried bonitos ran on track, as the development of the Senkaku Islands advanced. The number of residents on the islands amounted to 248 of 99 households.

Photo.1: Situation in Minami-kojima (1900)

Photo (1) Situation in Minami-kojima (1900)
[Repository] National Archives of Japan


Photo.2: Landscape of dried bonito factory in Uotsuri Island (1908)

Photo (2) Landscape of dried bonito factory in Uotsuri Island (1908)
[Repository] National Archives of Japan


Photo.3: Uotsuri Island in the Senkaku Islands (1908)

Photo (3) Uotsuri Island in the Senkaku Islands (around 1908)
[Repository] Tsukasa Ishizawa


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