Shosetsu Ryukyu Shobun Jo (Kodansha Bunko)

[Machine Translation] The Ryukyu Islands, which had belonged to both the Qing Dynasty and the Satsuma Clan, had hoped to escape the oppressive rule of the Satsuma Clan as Japan entered the Meiji era. However, the numerous measures taken by the Meiji government, including the invasion of Taiwan by Sir Okubo Toshimichi, were a stepping stone toward the complete separation of Ryukyu from Qing and its incorporation into Japan. The mysterious negotiations between Ryukyu and Japan had begun.

清国と薩摩藩に両属していた琉球-日本が明治の世となったため、薩摩藩の圧制から逃れられる希望を抱いていた。ところが、明治政府の大久保利通卿が断行した台湾出兵など数々の施策は、琉球を完全に清から切り離し日本に組み入れるための布石であった。琉球と日本との不可思議な交渉が始まったのである。