The Price of National Prestige: An Interpretation of the Japan-U.S. Confrontation over Hawaii at the Turn of the Century

Abstract

In March 1897, the Hawaiian government refused entry to Japanese emigrants. That refusal led to a confrontation between Japan and the Republic of Hawaii. Because the United States had started to commit itself to the annexation of Hawaii however, the rivalry between Japan and the Republic of Hawaii transformed into enmity between Japan and the United States.

The primary purpose of this paper is to analyze the Japan-U.S. confrontation at the turn of the century over Hawaii from the perspective of Japan’s pursuit of national prestige and America’s promotion of overseas expansion. This viewpoint has been insufficiently addressed in reports of the relevant literature. Rivalry with the United States over Hawaii and annexation of the islands as its consequence were the price Japan paid for its national prestige. Confrontation with the United States over Hawaii was an unintended result to Japan.

From March 1897, Japan had had no intention of occupying Hawaii or challenging the supremacy of the United States over the islands. Japan sought merely to emulate Western powers and achieve equal status to that which other countries had enjoyed. The primary objective was national prestige. When its citizens were refused entry into Hawaii, the Japanese government demanded indemnity, even resorting to the dispatch of a warship. When the United States attempted to annex Hawaii, it protested diplomatically but vehemently against the effort. Finally, in return for approval of America’s annexation of Hawaii, the Japanese government demanded that the United States guarantee its vested rights and most-favored-nation treatment. It was important to the Japanese government that Japanese emigrants in Hawaii be able to enjoy equal status to those of citizens of the Western powers, without suffering discrimination.

Although Japan’s vigorous behavior related to Hawaii was primarily undertaken for national prestige, the behavior was mistakenly regarded as a severe threat by the United States, which valued the geographical position of Hawaii in the context of commerce and geopolitics. The United States adopted the annexation of Hawaii as a measure to meet the threat posed by Japan. The Japanese government persisted strenuously in maintaining its national prestige as a great power. Thereby, it spoiled its friendship with the United States contrary to its intentions, even producing the unintended result of promoting America’s annexation of Hawaii. Confrontation with the United States over Hawaii and annexation of the islands as its consequence were the price Japan paid to assert its national prestige.