The Edge of Ryukyu
The Yaeyama Islands—Ishigaki, Iriomote, Taketomi—were incorporated into the Ryukyu Kingdom in the fifteenth century, but they remained peripheral. Distance from the capital at Shuri meant lighter administrative control but also less protection. The nintō (poll tax), calculated without regard to crop yields or local conditions, created significant obligations for island communities. When Commodore Perry's Black Ships reached Okinawa in 1853, some Yaeyama islanders wondered if external intervention might bring change to their circumstances.
The 1871 Incident
In December 1871, a Ryukyuan tribute ship bound for Shuri was blown off course and wrecked on the southeast coast of Taiwan. Fifty-four sailors who made it to shore lost their lives in an encounter with Paiwan indigenous people. The survivors who reached Qing-administered territory were eventually repatriated. But the incident exposed a dangerous ambiguity: were Ryukyuans Chinese subjects, Japanese subjects, or something else? The Qing disclaimed responsibility for the "raw savage" territory. Japan claimed the victims as its nationals—and used the incident to justify a military expedition to Taiwan in 1874.
Islands as Evidence
The Japanese expedition commander brought along a young photographer to document the campaign. They also brought maps—specifically, maps that showed the Ryukyu Islands extending down to the Yaeyama chain, positioning Japan's southern frontier close to Taiwan. The expedition wasn't just about responding to the killings; it was about establishing facts on the ground (and sea) that would support future territorial claims. Islands, mapped and photographed, became evidence in sovereignty disputes.