Otsu Scandal
Encyclopedia
The was a failed assassination
attempt on Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia (later Tsar Nicholas II) on 11 May 1891, while Nicholas was visiting Japan
during his eastern journey
.
marking the start of construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Tsarevich Nicholas made an official visit to Japan. The Russian Pacific Fleet with the Tsarevich first called on Kagoshima
, then Nagasaki, and then Kobe
. From Kobe, the Tsarevich journeyed overland to Kyoto
, where he was met by a delegation headed by Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
. As this was the first visit by such an important foreign prince to Japan since those of Prince Heinrich of Prussia
in 1880 and two British princes in HMS Bacchante
in 1881, and as the military influence of the Russian Empire
was growing rapidly in the far east, the Japanese government placed heavy emphasis on using this visit to foster better Russo-Japanese relations.
Prince Nikolai showed interest in the Japanese traditional crafts, had a tattoo
on his body, and bought an ornamental hairpin
for a Japanese girl who happened to be near him.
, or 11 May of the modern Gregorian calendar
), while Nicholas was returning to Kyoto after a day trip to Lake Biwa
in Ōtsu
, Shiga Prefecture
. He was attacked by Tsuda Sanzō (1855–1891), one of his escort policemen, who swung at the Tsarevich's face with a saber. The quick action of Nicholas's cousin, Prince George of Greece and Denmark
, who parried the second blow with his cane, saved his life. Tsuda then attempted to flee, but two rickshaw drivers in Nicholas's entourage chased him down and pulled him to the ground. Nicholas was left with a 9 centimeter long scar on the right side of his forehead, but his wound was not life-threatening.
Nicholas was rushed back to Kyoto, where Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
ordered that he be taken into the Kyoto Imperial Palace to rest, and messages were sent to Tokyo
. Anxious that the incident would be used by Russia as a pretext for war, and knowing that Japan's military was no match for Russia at the time, Prime Minister
Matsukata Masayoshi
advised Emperor Meiji
to go immediately to visit the Tsarevich. The Emperor boarded a train at Shimbashi Station
, and traveled through the night so as to reach Kyoto the following morning.
The following day, when Nicholas expressed a desire to return to his fleet in Kobe, Emperor Meiji ordered Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, Prince Arisugawa Takahito and Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
to accompany him. Later, Emperor Meiji, ignoring protests from some senior statesman that he might be taken hostage, paid a personal visit to the Tsarevich, who was recuperating on a Russian warship in Kobe harbor.
even legally forbade the use of the family name "Tsuda" and the given name "Sanzō". When Nicholas cut his trip to Japan short in spite of Emperor Meiji's apology, a young seamstress, Yuko Hatakeyama, slit her throat with a razor in front of the Kyoto Prefectural Office as an act of public contrition, and soon died in a hospital. Japanese media at the time labeled her as "retsujo" (lit. valiant woman) and praised her patriotism.
The government applied pressure to the Court to try Tsuda under Article 116 of the Criminal Code, which demanded the death penalty for acts against the emperor, empress or crown prince of Japan. However, Chief Justice Kojima Iken ruled that Article 116 did not apply in this case, and sentenced Tsuda to life imprisonment
instead. Although controversial at the time, Kojima's decision was later used as an example of the independence of the judiciary in Japan and one of the justifications for the revision of the unequal treaties
.
Accepting responsibility for the lapse in security, Home Minister
Saigō Tsugumichi and Foreign Minister
Aoki Shūzō
resigned.
The Russian government officially expressed full satisfaction in the outcome of Japan's actions, and indeed formally stated that had Tsuda been sentenced to death, they would have pushed for clemency; however, later historians have often speculated on how the incident (which left the Tsarevich Nicholas permanently scarred), may have later influenced his opinion of Japan and the Japanese, and how this may have influenced his decisions in the process up to and during the Russo-Japanese War
of 1904–1905.
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
attempt on Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich of Russia (later Tsar Nicholas II) on 11 May 1891, while Nicholas was visiting Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during his eastern journey
Eastern journey of Nicholas II
The eastern journey of Nicholas II in 1890–1891 was a trip of His Imperial Highness Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich, the future Tsar Nicholas II, around the greater part of the continent of Eurasia....
.
Background
Before opening ceremonies in VladivostokVladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
marking the start of construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, Tsarevich Nicholas made an official visit to Japan. The Russian Pacific Fleet with the Tsarevich first called on Kagoshima
Kagoshima, Kagoshima
is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture at the southwestern tip of the Kyūshū island of Japan, and the largest city in the prefecture by some margin...
, then Nagasaki, and then Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. From Kobe, the Tsarevich journeyed overland to Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, where he was met by a delegation headed by Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
. As this was the first visit by such an important foreign prince to Japan since those of Prince Heinrich of Prussia
Prince Heinrich of Prussia
Prince Henry of Prussia was a younger brother of German Emperor William II and a Prince of Prussia...
in 1880 and two British princes in HMS Bacchante
HMS Bacchante (1876)
HMS Bacchante was a Bacchante-class ironclad screw-propelled corvette of the Royal Navy. She is particularly famous for being the ship on which the Princes George and Albert served as midshipmen....
in 1881, and as the military influence of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
was growing rapidly in the far east, the Japanese government placed heavy emphasis on using this visit to foster better Russo-Japanese relations.
Prince Nikolai showed interest in the Japanese traditional crafts, had a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on his body, and bought an ornamental hairpin
Kanzashi
are hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. Some believe they may also have been used for defence in an emergency.In the English-speaking world, the term "kanzashi" is sometimes applied to the folded cloth flowers that traditionally adorned tsumami kanzashi, or to the technique used...
for a Japanese girl who happened to be near him.
Details of the attack
The assassination attempt occurred on 29 April 1891 (on Julian CalendarJulian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
, or 11 May of the modern Gregorian calendar
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
), while Nicholas was returning to Kyoto after a day trip to Lake Biwa
Lake Biwa
is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...
in Ōtsu
Otsu, Shiga
is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...
, Shiga Prefecture
Shiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
. He was attacked by Tsuda Sanzō (1855–1891), one of his escort policemen, who swung at the Tsarevich's face with a saber. The quick action of Nicholas's cousin, Prince George of Greece and Denmark
Prince George of Greece and Denmark
align=right| Prince George of Greece and Denmark was the second son of King George I of the Hellenes and Grand Duchess Olga, and is remembered chiefly for having saved the life of a future Emperor of Russia, Nicholas II...
, who parried the second blow with his cane, saved his life. Tsuda then attempted to flee, but two rickshaw drivers in Nicholas's entourage chased him down and pulled him to the ground. Nicholas was left with a 9 centimeter long scar on the right side of his forehead, but his wound was not life-threatening.
Nicholas was rushed back to Kyoto, where Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
of Japan, was the 2nd head of a collateral branch of the Japanese imperial family.- Early life :Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa was the ninth son of Prince Fushimi Kuniye . He entered the Buddhist priesthood under the title Rinnoji-no-miya...
ordered that he be taken into the Kyoto Imperial Palace to rest, and messages were sent to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Anxious that the incident would be used by Russia as a pretext for war, and knowing that Japan's military was no match for Russia at the time, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Matsukata Masayoshi
Matsukata Masayoshi
Prince was a Japanese politician and the 4th and 6th Prime Minister of Japan.-Early life:...
advised Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
to go immediately to visit the Tsarevich. The Emperor boarded a train at Shimbashi Station
Shimbashi Station
is a major interchange station in Tokyo's Minato Ward. Located centrally and a 10-minute walk from the Ginza shopping district, directly south of Tokyo station.-History:...
, and traveled through the night so as to reach Kyoto the following morning.
The following day, when Nicholas expressed a desire to return to his fleet in Kobe, Emperor Meiji ordered Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, Prince Arisugawa Takahito and Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
became the 9th head of line of shinnōke cadet branches of the Imperial Family of Japan on September 9, 1871. He was a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.-Early life:...
to accompany him. Later, Emperor Meiji, ignoring protests from some senior statesman that he might be taken hostage, paid a personal visit to the Tsarevich, who was recuperating on a Russian warship in Kobe harbor.
Aftermath of the attack
Emperor Meiji publicly expressed sorrow at Japan's lack of hospitality towards a state guest, which led to an outpouring of public support and messages of condolences for the Tsarevich. More than 10,000 telegrams were sent wishing the Tsarevich a speedy recovery. One town in Yamagata PrefectureYamagata Prefecture
-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...
even legally forbade the use of the family name "Tsuda" and the given name "Sanzō". When Nicholas cut his trip to Japan short in spite of Emperor Meiji's apology, a young seamstress, Yuko Hatakeyama, slit her throat with a razor in front of the Kyoto Prefectural Office as an act of public contrition, and soon died in a hospital. Japanese media at the time labeled her as "retsujo" (lit. valiant woman) and praised her patriotism.
The government applied pressure to the Court to try Tsuda under Article 116 of the Criminal Code, which demanded the death penalty for acts against the emperor, empress or crown prince of Japan. However, Chief Justice Kojima Iken ruled that Article 116 did not apply in this case, and sentenced Tsuda to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
instead. Although controversial at the time, Kojima's decision was later used as an example of the independence of the judiciary in Japan and one of the justifications for the revision of the unequal treaties
Unequal Treaties
“Unequal treaty” is a term used in specific reference to a number of treaties imposed by Western powers, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, on Qing Dynasty China and late Tokugawa Japan...
.
Accepting responsibility for the lapse in security, Home Minister
Home Ministry (Japan)
The ' was a Cabinet-level ministry established under the Meiji Constitution that managed the internal affairs of Empire of Japan from 1873-1947...
Saigō Tsugumichi and Foreign Minister
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The of Japan is the Cabinet member responsible for Japanese foreign policy and the chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Since the end of the American occupation of Japan, the position has been one of the most powerful in the Cabinet, as Japan's economic interests have long relied on...
Aoki Shūzō
Aoki Shuzo
was a diplomat and Foreign Minister in Meiji period Japan.-Biography:Viscount Aoki was born to a samurai family as son of the Chōshū domain's physician in what is now part of Sanyō Onoda in Yamaguchi Prefecture)...
resigned.
The Russian government officially expressed full satisfaction in the outcome of Japan's actions, and indeed formally stated that had Tsuda been sentenced to death, they would have pushed for clemency; however, later historians have often speculated on how the incident (which left the Tsarevich Nicholas permanently scarred), may have later influenced his opinion of Japan and the Japanese, and how this may have influenced his decisions in the process up to and during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904–1905.
Later events
- Tsuda was sent to prison near KushiroKushiro, Hokkaidois a city located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous city in eastern Hokkaidō....
, HokkaidōHokkaido, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, and died of an illness in September of the same year.
- The rickshaw drivers who captured Tsuda, Mukaihata Jizaburo (1854–1928) and Kitagaichi Ichitaro (1859–1914) were later called to the Russian fleet by the Tsarevich, where they were feted by the Russian marines, given medals, and a reward of 2,500 yenJapanese yenThe is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
plus an additional 1,000 yen pension, which was a tremendous sum for the time. They were celebrated in the media as national heroes. However, during the Russo-Japanese War, the admiration of their friends and neighbors turned sour, they lost their pensions, were accused of being spies, and had to suffer harassment from the police.
- In 1993, when the Russian government was attempting to verify whether or not bone fragments recovered from the YekaterinburgYekaterinburgYekaterinburg is a major city in the central part of Russia, the administrative center of Sverdlovsk Oblast. Situated on the eastern side of the Ural mountain range, it is the main industrial and cultural center of the Urals Federal District with a population of 1,350,136 , making it Russia's...
murder site belonged to Tsar Nicholas II, a sample of the Tsar's DNADNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
was required. Relics from the Otsu Scandal were examined to see if enough blood stains were present to make a positive identification possible, but the results were not conclusive.