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Nagasaki was the place where a regular sea route was established in the 1870s, and a lot of information was gathered as it acted as an intermediate port connecting Shanghai of China and Vladivostok of Russia while many people and goods were actively coming and going. It was also a transit area before crossing to Korea. Those who traveled from Nagasaki to Vladivostok frequently witnessed Ulleungdo Island. This led to the submission of petitions by the Japanese people to develop Matsushima Island (Ulleungdo Island). It was an expression of the ambition to take profits through Ulleungdo Island's abundant timber and seafood, and mining products. The desire to pioneer Ulleungdo Island was not exclusive to civilians. The same was true of Hisato Sewaki, who visited Vladivostok in the first half of 1875 and served as a trade secretary in the area from the following year. When traveling between Nagasaki and Vladivostok, they often used the steamship called the Dragon, which regularly traveled to Shanghai, China. Passengers on this ship often witnessed Ulleungdo Island in the East Sea. The story of seeing the island was also carried in the North China Herald, published in Shanghai at the time. An article dated July 15, 1876, illustrates Ulleungdo Island's "rugged rocks and dense slopes" forming "an apparent contrast with the deep blue waters surrounding it." Trade secretary Sewaki mentioned that the UK and Russia were in conflict at the time, and these countries had fixed their eyes on Ulleungdo Island and the northern part of Korea. In the midst of this, he repeatedly emphasized the need for Japan to seize the initiative and start pioneering 'Matsushima Island.'

Initiative for the Development of “Matsushima Island” by the Governor of Nagasaki Prefecture