Gapsin Coup
On 1 August 1886 (Meiji 19), the Qing dynasty's Beiyang Fleet, consisting of four warships, the "Dingyuan", the "Zhenyuan", the "Jiyuan", and "Weiyuan", entered the Nagasaki harbor port during a visit to various major Asian harbours. At that time, the Qing dynasty was much stronger than Japan. The "Dingyuan" was a heavier ship than the heaviest Japanese cruisers, due to Japan's policy of following the Jeune École naval strategy, which emphasized small rapid assault craft. In addition, Japan had suffered a setback during the Gapsin Coup in which 400 outnumbered Japanese soldiers were defeated by 2000 Qing-Joseon soldiers.