FOREIGN OFFICE FILES FOR JAPAN AND THE FAR EAST
Series One: Embassy & Consular Archives - Japan (1905-1940)
(Public Record Office Class FO 262)

Part 1: Correspondence to and from Japan, 1905-1920 (PRO Class FO 262/1466-1511 & 2033-2034)

Part 2: Detailed Correspondence for 1921-1923 (PRO Class FO 262/1512-1601)

PUBLISHER'S NOTE

Through the complete files of the British Embassy and Consular Archives in Japan this project documents the immense political, social and economic changes in Japan since the beginning of this century.

Part 1: Imperial Expansion and the Rise of Capitalism concentrates on the years 1905-1920. Immediately after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) Japan acquired significant and increased recognition around the world.

Theodore Roosevelt conducted the Peace Treaty at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA. The Great Powers opened embassies in Tokyo and Japanese legations in London, Washington, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome and St Petersburg were raised to the status of embassies. Sir Claude M Macdonald was appointed as the first British Ambassador in Tokyo in November 1905. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance of 1902 was renewed and revised.

The last decade of the Meiji era witnessed the growth of a new confidence, and intensification in national pride, experimentation in the realms of literature and art, imperial expansion spheres of influence in Manchuria.

The diplomatic offensive against China and the "Twenty One Demands " of 1915 brought further territorial, commercial and economic advantages, but awakened British and particularly American eyes to the consequences of Japanese opportunism.

Japan sent a strong delegation of sixty members to the Paris Peace Conference at the end of the First World War. Japan was given a permanent seat on the newly created Council of the League of Nations. This amounted to full recognition of Japan's status as a world power.

From 1918 Japanese troops were involved in the Allied interventions in Siberia. Japan took part in the important Washington Conference, 1921-1922. Japan took part in the important Washington Conference, 1921-1922. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance  was replaced by a 'Four Power Treaty' with Britain, France and the United States. This rise to world power status was already well recognised by 1920 with the 'Four Power' discussions on loans to China, continued involvement in Siberia, discussions on the future of India and a regular exchange of ideas on all the major issues of the time.

This exchange of ideas is well documented in the Foreign office files covered by this microfilm edition.

Throughout the entire period these files are packed with information on all subjects. The data and assessments give us a fascinating insight into the views, policies, decisions and actions of the Japanese, British, Americans, Soviets, Chinese and other nations involved all over the Far East.

Subjects featured include the First World War, the Russian Revolution, Railways in Manchuria, Customs Duties and Tariffs, Commercial Legislation, Trade Marks and Patents, International Trade and Shipping, Treaty Negotiations, Immigration, Taxation, Prize Courts, the boycott of Japanese Goods in China, Fishery Limits, Industrial and Perpetual Leases, the Japanese Red Cross Society, Japanese Prisons, Trade Restrictions during the First World War and Prohibitions on Trading with the Enemy.

A fuller flavour of the subject contents of these files is given in the detailed listing. The material is arranged chronologically, but correspondence to the Japanese is contained under separate piece numbers from Correspondence from the Japanese.

The following is an example of a typical entry. It is an extract from the Minutes of a Meeting of the Most Influential Men held at the House of Marquis Katsura on 14 March 1909:

"Marquis Inouye declared the meeting open and explained the reasons for it being called which may be summarised as follows:

He was happy to say that owing to the friendly relations existing between Japan and England, and to the Political Alliance, and the daily drawing closer of the bonds uniting the two countries which, on the economic side, was leading to the formation or consideration of joint commercial undertakings whose fruitful results would, he believed, add to the permanence and value of the Political Alliance, the joint Anglo-Japanese Hydro-Electric undertaking assumed a considerable national importance, intensified owing to the fact that owing to the present commercial depression in Japan, a difficulty had arisen at an advanced stage of the negotiations, viz: the Japanese side found it difficult to raise their half of the capital. At this juncture, the British side had come forward with an offer to find four-fifths of the capital if necessary, but he was of the opinion that the Japanese side should make a great effort to provide all of their half, especially as the money market is now easing "

Another example concerns the careful watch on suspect persons and suspicious firms after Japanese entry into the First World War. It refers to the frequent visits of G Kiehl to No. 19 Gochome Hirakawa Cho where he is met by other Germans:

"There is said to be a German Reference Library at this house which is where I believe the late Dr Scriba's widow lives. It would be interesting to know whether the Germans use this library as an excuse for meetings or whether the books in the library are consulted with a view to preparing material for Propaganda."

March 11, 1918.

A final example is the following Confidential Note from the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, January 29, 1919:

"The Japanese Government have not been unmindful of the report that Chinese coolies enlisted in the Bolshevik forces have been engaging in the horrible acts of carnage and devastation in Russia. No effective measures, however, have yet been found to see to the release of those coolies from Bolshevik association. The action contemplated in the proposed telegram from the British Government to their representative at Peking, text of which His Excellency the British Ambassador was so good as to communicated to Mr Shidehara on January 20, does not seem to the Japanese Government to serve the desired end.  The summons to be made by the Chinese Government to the Government of the Soviets for discharging the men from the Bolshevik army might be wholly ignored or peremptorily rejected, and, in that event, the Chinese government would be placed in a peculiarly awkward position.  If, on the other hand, such summons is readily accepted, then it should be presumed that the Chinese so discharges are in all probability entrusted with the sinister mission of Bolshevik propaganda in China and elsewhere. The repatriation of more than ten thousand men given to lawless habit and anarchic tendency would no doubt be a source of grave danger to the public order and security, particularly in a country which is inadequately equipped with police organisation. In any case, it appears in-advisable, in the interest of both China and the Allied Powers, to proceed to any definite course of action, until fuller and more precise information of the actual conditions of those coolies is obtained."

Part 2: The Early Twenties - Growth of a New World Power covers the years 1921 to 1923 inclusive and features important files on the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, Arms Traffic, China, Drugs, the internal political situation in Japan, the Pan Asiatic League, the Safeguarding of Industries, Siberia, Socialism, Trade Marks and the Washington Conference of 1921-1922 on Naval Disarmament and questions in the Far East. There is also material on the Dutch East Indies, The Great Earthquake of 1923 and the requirements for Earthquake Relief. The files in this second part are arranged in a different manner from part 1.  The chronological arrangement is replaced by a system of subject files arranged in alphabetical sequence for each year. The Detailed Listing gives a comprehensive list of all these subject files.

The following are one or two examples of the kind of material contained in these files. A 14 page report of January 1921 highlights the special advantages enjoyed by Japan in Manchuria and assesses the principle of equal opportunity for all nationalities in the region. The report states that:

"The practical monopoly which Japan possesses of the foreign import trade of Manchuria can obviously be only due to certain special local advantages enjoyed by Japanese goods in competition with those of other countries which do not obtain for them elsewhere in China where Japanese trade makes proportionately a far poorer showing than in Manchuria.

These special advantages, in the order in which they will be dealt with in this report, are proximity to the market, presence in Manchuria of a large Japanese population, demand for Manchurian produce in Japan, reduced Customs duties on railway borne traffic from Japan, political influence, and control of railway and postal facilities in South Manchuria …” The report then goes on to look at each aspect in depth.

Another file on the Philippines includes the Report of the Special Mission to the Philippines in 1921 chaired by Major-General Leonard Wood. During the Wood-Forbes Commission's nine day visit to Japan in October, General Wood's comments are recorded as follows:

"The relations between Japan and the United States had, he said, always been cordial and he felt confident this cordiality would increase as the years went on. Indeed it must, for, as General Yamanashi had said, upon these relations between the two nations depended in a large measure the peace of the Far East. Closer and more frequent intercourse and the frank and direct interchange of views would not only conduce to a better understanding, but also help to clear up such difficulties as might arise and to strengthen the friendship between the two countries. America wished to build up her commercial relations under conditions of free and friendly competition, and in the process she would contribute to the prosperity of both herself and Japan."

Later in the week, speaking at a dinner of Members of the America-Japan Society at the Banker's Club, General Wood said, in replying to the speech of welcome by Viscount Kaneko, the President of the Society:

"… the loose and foolish talk about trouble between Japan and the US was all nonsense. The American people wished to live on the most friendly relations with their neighbours of Japan. Both countries had fought side by side for the same ideals in the Great War,  and he hoped and believed they would continue to stand together for the right. The US wished to build up American trade and commerce with the rest of the world; but they welcomed every opportunity for open and fair competition, and he felt sure that that was all Japan too asked for. Strenuous commercial rivalry was following the war, and America had to look to her commercial laurels. But there was room enough for all. It would be a terrible reflection on modern civilization if the US and Japan could not meet at the conferences board and settle all or nearly all their differences …”

The files on Siberia contain a similar amount of detail.  The section for January to July 1921 includes a 47 page "Narrative of Events in Siberia, 1918-1920" followed by much analysis and comment.

A major feature of the period was the Washington Conference on Naval Disarmament.

The Naval Attaché's Report of 26 November 1921 regarding proposals of the Conference states:

"… Admiral Funakoshi told me that he had recently been to several of the Yards and private establishments in Japan really to study the labour situation in the event of a satisfactory conclusion being arrived at in Washington. He told me that at the present moment he was employing 20,000 men in Yokosuka and did not think that he would have to discharge any of them after the hoped-for limitation was arrived at. He imagined all the other Imperial Yards were much the same way, and he felt sure that for some time they would be kept busy building small craft, light cruisers, destroyers, submarines, etc…, in which Japanese Navy at the present moment was far below the ratio that would be allowed. He told me that the private yards had been warned by the Kaigunsho that soon they would have to look elsewhere than to the Imperial Japanese Navy for work, and the Admiral said that the sooner they turned their attentions to making railway material, electrical machinery, bridges, building houses, and Civil Engineering generally, the better for the shareholders.”

He continued:

"In conclusion, I feel that the opinion in Japan is still extremely optimistic as to the satisfactory outcome of the Conference; all the educated thinking people that I meet say a reduction of Armaments is absolutely necessary for the good of the country and consequently for the betterment of the Japanese people. The vernacular press appears to me misleading and inaccurate; the Japan Advertiser at times would appear to try and stir up strife, therefore it would seem that the only way to gather logical conclusions is by associating with the educated men of Japan whom one knows and respects …”

A Statement by Mr T Yamamoto, Member of the Diet and a Manager of the Seiyukurai (Ministerialist) Party, attending the Washington Conference as a representative of his party, dated 24 November 1921, reads as follows:

"Japan is very willing indeed to agree to limitation of armaments, but there is first the question of the solution of the difficulties presented by the faits accomplis (the Far Eastern and the Pacific problems). Japan has no aggressive intentions whatever, and although there may still be militarists in this country, the Japanese recognize that militarism is impossible. At the same time she must obtain from the Powers recognition of her special rights in Manchuria and Siberia. This is not aggression in the least, but simply a condition of Japan's national existence. She must find a dumping ground for her surplus population, and she must have access to other sources for the raw materials with which she herself is inadequately supplied. These are conditions necessary to ensure her national existence, and for her to demand special rights in the Far West at her doors is only just and proper …”

He emphasizes “Japan's special duty at this juncture is to get Foreign Powers fully to grasp the fact that she has no aggressive intentions. It is with this object in view that I and my companions are going to the US in addition to the official delegates ...”

Finally he comments: “Turning from this to economic questions, the changes which have taken place in the economic conditions prevailing in America during the war and after show a remarkable similarity with the changes which have taken place during the same period in Japan.

The similarity is even noticeable in the recent rise of the price of commodities which in both countries had for a time fallen heavily. It is my intention during my stay in the US to investigate this point.”

The month of September 1923 and the ensuing period was dominated by the Great Earthquake that devastated much of Yokohama, Tokyo and surrounding districts. A Document entitled "Earthquake Relief Work and Foreign Assistance" reports on March 1924:

"The disaster was unparalleled in the history of this country in the extent of the damage done. Not only were there caused very serious private losses, but the country generally was adversely affected industrially, economically and otherwise.  Fortunately, however, conditions are being steadily restored to their former state, and a spirit of revival and reconstruction is in evidence in the districts laid waste by the calamity.  This is in no small measure due to the powerful moral support and generous material assistance given us by foreign countries ..."

The Official Report of Captain Robinson of the Empress of Australia gives dramatic details of events of the first day of September at Yokohama:

"It was then realised that the whole of the town, including the Foreign Settlement and Residential District on the Bluff had been destroyed. Fires could be seen burning fiercely all along the foreshore and in all directions for miles inland. Later, glares in the sky in the directions of Tokyo and Yokosuka showed that they were burning too. We put out lifeboats with all the men available and sent them to the shore of the Bund to pick up survivors, all the Europeans among the ship's company who could be spared, and several passengers who volunteered, forming search and stretcher parties for the injured. This work was continued all through the night and was at times a task of considerable danger."

There are very full and detailed reports on proceedings in the Diet throughout the period.  Weekly analysis of the political situation in Japan, details in the personalities involved, and the achievements of the various sessions provide an excellent picture of Japanese politics. The following small extract is from a letter from Sir Charles Eliott to the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, March 2, 1923:

"The chief feature of the proceedings in the Diet during the last week has been the debate in the Lower House on universal suffrage. A big demonstration in Tokyo and a strong newspaper campaign in the larger towns in its favour preceded the debate but there is nothing to show that popular sentiment is stronger than last year. After very disorderly scenes in the House the proposal was rejected yesterday by a large majority."

All these extracts give a flavour of the contents of the subject dossiers. There is a wealth of intelligence gathered by a highly trained diplomatic corps. These files provide an interesting foil to the US State Department Central Files for the period.

This guide contains contents reel, detailed listings and additional background material on the major events, personalities and officials of the period.

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