Japan / China: 'A Modern Day Kagesue'. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908), 1895, private collection. The First Sino-Japanese War (1 August 1894 - 17 April 1895) was waged between Qing Dynasty China and the Japanese Empire, primarily over control of the Korean peninsula. In China, the war is commonly known as the War of Jiawu, while in Japan it is called the Japan-Qing War, and in Korea, the Qing-Japan War.