Claiming the Bonin Islands: Captain Beechey’s Plaque

Captain Beechey’s plaque, affixed to a tree on Peel Island (Chichijima) in 1827, marked Britain’s early territorial claim over the Ogasawara Islands. While its sovereign significance waned over time, this study reasserts its historical importance as a catalyst for Anglo-Japanese diplomatic interactions and Japan’s first negotiations with the West over territorial sovereignty. The research traces the plaque’s provenance, revealing its role in shaping the transnational past of Chichijima’s descendants. Though later overshadowed by Japanese claims, the plaque remains a pivotal artifact in understanding early colonial diplomacy in the Pacific.

Chapman, D. (2017). Claiming the Bonin Islands: Captain Beechey’s Plaque. The Journal of Pacific History, 52(4), 501–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223344.2017.1410600