I don’t recall exactly how I came across it, but I recently found out about the 2011 book Pacific Gibraltar: US-Japanese Rivalry over the Annexation of Hawaiʻi, 1885-1898 by William Michael Morgan.
The Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, as we all know, was overthrown in 1893, and annexed by the United States five years later, by a unilateral Act of Congress (meaning, without Treaty or any other arrangement or agreement with the government of Hawaiʻi). Meanwhile, Hawaiʻi’s King Kalākaua had visited Japan in 1881, becoming the first reigning foreign head of state to visit Japan of his own volition (King Shô Nei of Ryûkyû had been taken to Japan in 1609 as a hostage). Kalākaua made agreements with the Japanese government to arrange for the beginning of Japanese immigration to Hawaiʻi; the first immigrants arrived in the islands in 1885.
And that’s pretty much all I know about it. I never suspected there was any more connection or involvement, really, between the Japanese government and the overthrow and annexation of Hawaiʻi. But the title of this book would seem to imply that there was actually a rivalry between Washington and Tokyo for control of Hawaiʻi, i.e. that Japan had a lot more involvement in Hawaiʻi at this time than simply sending plantation workers.
Sadly, I know that I’m not going to get a chance to read this book anytime soon. But I’m terribly curious to do so, to learn more about Japan-Hawaiʻi relations, and about the overthrow and annexation of the kingdom.
This book sounds very interesting. I hope I will be able to get a hold of a copy soon.
From what I understand, Japan and Hawai’i very much wanted to deepen their relationship and there was more than one attempt to arrange a marriage between Ka’iulani and a Prince of Japan. During the overthrow, the Japanese battleship Naniwa gave the Kingdom of Hawai’i passive support by refusing to lower the flag of Hawaii. I think Japan was eager to help Hawai’i from a desire to protect the Eastern sphere of the world from Western exploitation, and very much saw Hawaii after her annexation as a lesson in the ill way Western nations treated non-white nations.
Sounds about right. Thanks so much for reading, and taking the time to comment!