Overview

This book asserts that the albatross was the reason for the advance of the Japanese into the isolated islands in the Pacific after the abolition of the Japanese “closed-door” policy that had been in effect from the seventeenth century to the latter part of the nineteenth century. The birds’ plumage was of high quality and sold at quite a good price in Europe. The Japanese realized the advantage of this global trade, and their desire to capture albatross motivated them to advance into the Pacific. The exploration of the uninhabited islands had become a fast-moving trend, defined by the author as the  “Bird Rush”. As a consequence, the advance into the Pacific by the Japanese resulted in the expansion of Japanese territory. The author has interpreted this Japanese movement into the Pacific by making use of the framework of three distinct shifts: in the aim of their actions from birds to guano / phosphate ore, in the agents of action from individual speculators to commercial capital and then to monopolistic capital, and from the sea near Japan to the wider Pacific. This concept can be termed “a view of history centered on the albatross”.

Full Product Details

Author:   Akitoshi Hiraoka
Publisher:   Springer Verlag, Singapore
Imprint:   Springer Verlag, Singapore
Edition:   Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2018
Volume:   7
Weight:   0.454kg
ISBN:  

9789811353307

ISBN 10:   9811353301
Pages:   151
Publication Date:   11 February 2019
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

"Introduction – Catalyst and Approach 1 The Albatross and the Territorial Expansion of the Japanese Empire1.1  In Pursuit of the Albatross: Purpose of Advance into the South Sea1.2  Transition from Marcus Island to Minami-Torishima (South Bird Island) 1.3  The Albatross and the Senkaku Islands                        1.4  Discovery and Colonization of Phantom Island 2 From the Decrease of Bird Resources to the Advance into Uninhabited Islands2.1  Export Expansion of Plumage and Mounted Birds2.2  Vicissitudes of Continuous Lease Difficulties of Torishima (Bird Island) and Sales of Government Property2.3  Large Eruption of Torishima and Han-emon Tamaoki2.4  From the Albatross Decrease to Search for New Islands2.5  Han-emon Tamaoki's Advance into Minami-Daito Island: From the Albatross to Sugarcane 3 The ""Bird Rush"" and Japanese Advance into the Pacific Ocean3.1  The ""Guano Rush"" and ""Bird Rush"": U.S. and Japan Advance into the Pacific Ocean3.2  Lease of the Midway Islands and the Sovereignty Issue3.3  Bird-Poaching Incident in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ca. 19043.4  The ""Bird Rush"": Bird Poaching Structure and Tragedy 4 From Advance into Islands in the South Sea to Invasion: From the Albatross to Guano/Phosphate Ore Mining.4.1  Japanese Advance into Uninhabited Islands North of the Islands of Taiwan4.2  Territorial Delimitation of Rasa Island and the Phosphate Ore Mining Industry4.3  Japanese Advance in Pratas Island and the Nishizawa Island Incident4.4  Military Advance into Angaur Island, Palau, and the Race to Obtain Phosphate Ore< Conclusion"

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Author Information

Akitoshi Hiraoka is professor emeritus of Shimonoseki City University, Japan. He has been interested in the people and life on Japanese islands and those once controlled by Japan for many years. He has conducted research on these subjects that is presented in the many books he has published. In 2004, he established a study group engaged in research of “remote island regions”. As the organizer of the group, he has carried out extensive research into human geography. Professor Hiraoka has been a member of the Association of Japanese Geographers, the Human Geographical Society of Japan, the Association of Historical Geographers in Japan, and the Japan Association on Geographical Space for many years.

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