The main contents of the Treaty of Shimonoseki…I. It is recognizing the independence of Korea and abolishing the tribute, offerings, liturgy, etc., forever from Korea to the Qing Dynasty, which hinders its autonomy.
The chapter posted on the goo blog on 2021-05-02 was criminalized by obstructing searches, so that I will republish it in this column.
The book “The World Wants a Japan That Can Face China,” by Henry Stokes, former Tokyo bureau chief of the New York Times, is a must-read for Japanese citizens and people worldwide to understand the world before, during, and after the war.
The author’s “testament to the Japanese people” is heavy and precious.
I am convinced that the fourth wave of the current corona disaster, the Wuhan virus, was a biological weapon, but I will discuss this later.
It would be a blessing in disguise to subscribe to this book as GW is declaring a state of emergency.
Japanese citizens should head to their nearest bookstore right now to subscribe.
It’s very eye-friendly, but it’s a book full of truth.
p167-p169
An act of aggression by the white powers was called the Three Power Intervention.
After the Meiji Restoration, Japan focused its efforts on building a wealthy nation and a strong military under the threat of the Western powers.
It was because it was the only way to protect Japan’s independence.
At the same time, it became an urgent issue to revise the unequal treaties with the white powers that had concluded between the end of the Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji period.
For example, in 1858, the Edo Shogunate concluded a treaty of commerce with the United States, Russia, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and France (the Ansei Five-Party Treaty), which stated
“The Treaty of Five Kingdoms, which the Edo Shogunate signed with the U.S., Russia, the Netherlands, the U.K., and France in 1858, was a treaty of commerce.
“Second, Japan has no right of customs autonomy.
“The Meiji government was determined to eliminate this disadvantage.
The Meiji government spent an enormous amount of energy trying to resolve these issues, but the Western powers would not give up the advantageous treaties they had acquired.
The Sino-Japanese War took place in such a situation.
The world had never imagined that Japan, a newly emerging nation in the corner of Asia, would be able to defeat the Qing Dynasty, a significant power in Asia.
The result, however, was a series of victories for Japan on land and at sea.
Japan and the Qing Empire called a truce on March 20, 1985, and immediately began talks for peace.
On April 17, the peace conference was held at Shunpanro in Shimonoseki, attended by Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito, Foreign Minister Munemitsu Mutsu on the Japanese side, and Li Hongzhang and others on the Qing side.
The Treaty of Shimonoseki was concluded, ending the war.　
The main contents of the Shimonoseki Treaty were as follows
First, it recognized the independence of Korea, and the tribute, offerings, and ceremonies from Korea to the Qing Dynasty, which hindered its freedom, were abolished forever.

2. The Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands were to be transferred to Japan.
3. The Qing Dynasty will pay 300 million Ryo (tail) to Japan.
   Japan will be granted the same privileges as other countries in the Qing Empire.
   This victory in the Sino-Japanese War energized the Japanese people. They began to seek a more even relationship with the Western powers and ultimately revise the unequal treaties.
   However, it was the white powers that intercepted Japan’s victory there.
   Russia, in collaboration with France and Germany, exerted pressure on Japan.
   On April 23, 1895, the ministers of the three countries sent a letter to Japan saying that it would be better to return the Liaodong Peninsula to the Qing Dynasty, the so-called Three Power Interference.
   Japan, with its low national power, could not win a war against the three white forces.
   It had no choice but to accept the recommendation.
   “Japan had no choice but to accept the recommendation. …… Japan was determined to endure all kinds of hardships to redeem itself from this humiliation.
   Incidentally, three years later, the three countries demanded that the Qing government pay for this.
   Russia leased Lushun and Dalian, Germany leased Jiaozhou Bay, and France leased Guangzhou Bay.
   Incidentally, the British leased Weihaiwei and the Kowloon Peninsula.
   Through these three interventions, Japan must have felt the threat of the white powers, including Russia, overrunning Asia.