Tsushima incident: Russian corvette Posadnik provokes Shogunate reaction
- When
- 1861
- Where
- Inlet of Ozaki; Tsushima Island
- Episodes
- 3
The Tsushima incident occurred in 1861 when the Russian corvette Posadnik arrived at Tsushima Island, a Japanese territory between Kyushu and Korea. The Russians attempted to establish a year-round anchorage, triggering fear in the Tokugawa Shogunate due to prior Russian incursions. The incident involved clashes between Russian sailors and local samurai and farmers, culminating in the departure of the Russian ships in September 1861.
Episodes
- Arrival of Posadnik
The Russian corvette Posadnik arrived at Tsushima Island on 13 March 1861, demanding landing rights in the inlet of Ozaki.
- Clash with Samurai and Farmers
A clash between Russian sailors and local samurai and farmers resulted in one farmer killed and one samurai captured.
- Departure of Russian Ships
Posadnik left Tsushima in September 1861, following the arrival of Admiral Hope and the presence of Japanese warships.
Background and detail
Arrival and Demand. The Russian corvette Posadnik, captained by Nicolai Birilev, arrived at Tsushima Island on 13 March 1861. The captain demanded landing rights in the inlet of Ozaki. This event triggered fear in the Japanese Shogunate, as the Russians had previously attempted to breach Japan's isolation policy in Hokkaido through events involving Adam Laxman, village burnings, and the arrest of Vasilii Golovnin.
Clashes and Resolution. On 13 May 1861, Russians sent a launch to explore the eastern coast despite the presence of Saga Domain warships. On 21 May, a clash occurred between Russian sailors and local samurai and farmers, resulting in one farmer killed and one samurai captured. Admiral Hope arrived in August, and Posadnik finally left Tsushima on 19 September 1861.
People involved
- Nicolai Birilev · Captain of the Russian corvette Posadnik
- Ivan Likhachev · Vice Admiral commanding the Russian squadron
- Matsumura Yasugorō · Leader of local peasants
- Admiral Hope · Admiral
Sources
- Tsushima incident Wikipedia, revision of 2026-01-06
- Tsushima Island Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-03
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.