The Treaty of Commerce and Navigation that Japan signed with Germany in 1896 had intrigued less attention than the one singed with Britain in 1894.
However, Germany should not be neglected as it played a leading role along with Britain through the treaty revision negotiations between Japan and the Western Powers in the Meiji era.
Therefore, this paper traces the process of negotiations of the above-mentioned German Treaty based on German documents as well as Japanese ones.
Although Germany was struck by the above-mentioned British Treaty, Germany started negotiation with Japan as the German Minister to Japan, Gutschmid, urged for fear of isolation. German demands for Japan were formulated on basis of rivalry with Britain and precaution against Japan. Germany tried to gain more profits than Britain and to suppress Japan to maximize its own interests.
Japan was forced to make concessions in the protection of patents, etc., partly due to the conciliatory attitude of Aoki Shuzo, Japanese Minister to Germany.
German high profile was the reflection of its recognition that Japan may compete with Germany in the future, which symbolized the new stage of Japan-Germany relations.
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