Japanese Alaska

On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Less well known was the assassination of Secretary of State William H. Seward by Lewis Powell. In OTL, Seward survived the attempt, and went on to negotiate the purchase of Alaska from Russia. In this ATL, Russia retains Alaska.

Russia had been looking for someone to sell Alaska to, as it was proving too remote for them to exploit, and proved more expensive than it was worth. Besides the United States, only Britain, specifically the Dominion of Canada, would be potentially interested in the purchase. However, Russian antagonism towards Britain prevented them from selling it to them.

Enter. In 1875, Japan and Russia negotiated the Treaty of Saint Petersburg, under which Japan renounced Sakhalin Island in exchange for the Kurile Islands. The Japanese looked eastwards with interest at Alaska. In 1887, Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi negotiated the purchase of Alaska.