Articles

The Nagasaki Harbour Incident (1808) and Marine Defense Concept in Japan

Vostok/Oriens '2018, №2

DOI: 10.31857/S086919080000113-1

 
The article examines the Nagasaki Harbour Incident (1808), when HMS Phaeton entered Nagasaki and took two Dutch hostages. Although there was no conflict and the ship abandoned Nagasaki in two days, the Incident showed the very low level of Nagasaki defense structure and was a shock for the Japanese Central Government. The article deals with such governmental measures as strengthening the Edo and Nagasaki bays, issue of Anti-Foreigner Laws culminating in the 1825 Law against all foreign ships. Much attention in the article is given to the development of Marine Defense Concept, which played a significant role in the nineteenth century, when ships from Russia, USA, England, and France came to Japan thus threatening the basis of Japanese seclusion policy. Besides political sphere, the author also traces the influence of HMS Phaeton intrusion into the Nagasaki Harbour upon the translation of European books into Japanese and compilation of sources related to England and military field in Japan.

Keywords: Japan, England, the Netherlands, Russia, Nagasaki, Phaeton, isolation, Marine Defense, artillery

Pages: С. 32–45