History of the study of Sakhalin based on Japanese sources (late 18th — early 19th centuries)
https://doi.org/10.55105/2500-2872-2025-4-5-23
Abstract
This article presents new sources on the history of the study of Sakhalin, which are stored in state archives and private collections of Japan and are listed in Nihon hokuhen kankei kyūki mokuroku 日本北辺関係旧記目録 (An Annotated Catalog of Japanese Manuscripts Sources). The author describes materials from 1763 to the first half of the 19th century and analyzes the role of Sakhalin in the history of Russian-Japanese relations.
The sources are divided into four periods. The first period (before 1785) represent records of general content that described what was heard or seen on Sakhalin.
The second period (1781 1791) is devoted to a description of geographical features, the state of the fishing industry and the history of the development of Sakhalin. In the 1780s, the bakufu government turned its attention to Sakhalin and ordered the first government expeditions.
The third period (1792 1801) deserves special attention. The sources contain not only descriptions of the lands of Ezo and records of the elders of Ainu settlements, but also reports of the shogun's vassals who were patrolling Sakhalin. Particular attention is paid to the description of various parts of Sakhalin, natural and climatic conditions. There are also lists of place names and maps of the island. Newly revealed geodetic documents contain valuable information about the guard posts and their location.
The fourth period (1802 1820s) shows a tendency towards strengthening the presence of the bakufu in the northern borders of the country due to fears of the expansion of Russian influence. Japanese government made an unprecedented decision to include the northern lands of Ezo, which included the southern part of Sakhalin, into the so-called interior regions of the country, taking these territories under its control. However, in the 1820s, when Russia was forced to stop trying to establish trade relations with Japan, the bakufu government's policy changed again, and it returned control of the Northern Ezo Lands back to the Matsumae clan.
About the Author
O. V. Klimova
HSE University
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Klimova Olga V., PhD, Associate Professor of the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Head of the Department of Japanese Studies
Saint Petersburg, Griboedov Channel Emb., 123,
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Review
For citations:
Klimova O.V. History of the study of Sakhalin based on Japanese sources (late 18th — early 19th centuries). Japanese Studies in Russia. 2025;(4):5-23. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55105/2500-2872-2025-4-5-23
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