Journal paper

Issue No.	No. 72
Title	Satsuma and Ryukyu’s Concealment Strategies in Foreign Relations during the Early Modern Period: A Study Centered on Satsuma Ships’ Drifting Incidents from the Seventeenth to the Nineteenth Century
Author	Yu-hui Shen
Page	127-188
Abstract	This article focuses on cases of ships from the Satsuma Domain drifting to Joseon Korea and Qing China, which have received relatively little attention until now. By comparing records from Joseon, Japan, and Qing China, this study reveals that while Satsuma tried to conceal its relations with Ryukyu from Qing China, it did not attempt to do the same with Joseon, except in cases where Ryukyuan passengers were involved. This is because, unlike Ryukyu, Satsuma generally adhered to the shogunate’s closed-country and anti-Christian policies, and therefore did not implement strict concealment strategies towards Joseon. Additionally, after Satsuma's invasion of Ryukyu in 1609, Joseon, aware of the Satsuma-Ryukyu relationship, generally followed the standard repatriation system for Japanese and Korean castaways based on their testimonies. Satsuma castaways were typically repatriated either independently or via Tsushima, meaning that Satsuma ships drifting to Joseon did not affect Ryukyu-Qing relations, regardless of any concealment measures taken. This reflects the inconsistent application of Satsuma's concealment policies. On the other hand, while Satsuma initially implemented the concealment strategy proactively, Ryukyu’s role gradually grew more dominant following the Ming-Qing transition. Previous studies attribute this shift primarily to the priority given to Qing-Ryukyu relations by the shogunate and Satsuma during this period. However, economic and political considerations for both Ryukyu and Satsuma were also critical factors. Ryukyu depended on Satsuma’s resources and distribution channels for the funds and goods required for its tributary relationship with Qing China. Although Satsuma’s economic gains from financing tribute trade were limited, it leveraged Ryukyu’s status as a secondary tributary nation to enhance its own official rank and domestic standing. This, in turn, provided favorable conditions for increasing sales of Chinese goods to the shogunate. Thus, the strict concealment strategy towards Qing China was a mutually beneficial arrangement, allowing both Satsuma and Ryukyu to achieve their respective goals. Furthermore, since both Joseon and Qing China were likely aware of Satsuma-Ryukyu relations, the concealment strategy’s true purpose was to foster an image of Ryukyu as an independent and autonomous nation. This strategy not only benefited Satsuma but also provided Ryukyu with favorable conditions to resist Satsuma’s oversight and assert its autonomy, while avoiding conflicts with the foreign policy structures of Qing China and Japan, with which Ryukyu had no formal diplomatic relations.
Keyword	Ryukyu ; Satsuma Domain ; Concealment Strategy ; Drifting Incidents ; Joseon
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