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Treaty of Kanagawa and the Japanese Unequal Treaties

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Global Encyclopedia of Territorial Rights
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Synonyms

Isolation policy; Opening of Japan; Perry expedition; Unfair treaties

Definitions

The Japanese unequal treaties (also known as the Unfair, Enforced, Rapacious, or Enslaved Treaties) – in the history of Japan, bilateral international agreements entered into in the late nineteenth (Aust 2005) and early twentieth centuries, were imposed on Japan as a result of coercion and force by the United States and other Western powers. The treaties imposed unilateral obligations on the Japanese Empire.

The treaties imposed strict conditions on Japan, granting special rights to citizens of stronger nations and breaching sovereignty of goals. The concept of unfair treaties was connected with the imbalance between the parties and the compulsory nature of the treaties. The treaties were commonly signed following a military defeat or its imminent threat. The unequal treaties played a key part in forming nationalism not only in Japan but also in China or Korea.

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Correspondence to Anna Dąbrowska .

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Dąbrowska, A. (2021). Treaty of Kanagawa and the Japanese Unequal Treaties. In: Gray, K.W. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Territorial Rights. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68846-6_640-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68846-6_640-1

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