Mutsu Munemitsu was the Foreign Minister of Japan during the time of the Sino-Japanese War from 1894 until the signing of the peace treaty on May 8, 1895. Mutsu was responsible for the secret documents on diplomatic matters in which he was involved, such as the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and the facts about the Triple Intervention. The phrase "kenken" means "serving the sovereign with a pained heart," thus showing his loyalty to serve the Emperor. The documents in this book are exceedingly important as they are virtually the only material mentioning the diplomatic situations in the days of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895.