Episode 1 of 4

Extraterritoriality Trial

When: 1886
Where: Kobe
Part of: The British merchant vessel Normanton sinks off Japan, triggering the Normanton incident

Drake and his crew were tried by the British consular court in Kobe under extraterritoriality laws, resulting in their exoneration.

Under Anglo-Japanese treaties, Drake and his European crew were subject to extraterritoriality. They were tried by the British consular court in Kobe, which fully exonerated them of wrongdoing. This legal framework prevented Japanese authorities from prosecuting them directly.

Sources

Normanton incident Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-13

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