Arrival of the Black Ships (Perry Expedition)

Overview

On the evening of the 3rd day of the 6th month of Kaei 6 (July 8, 1853), an American squadron anchored off Uraga. It consisted of four ships: the steam paddle frigates Susquehanna (the flagship) and Mississippi, and the sailing sloops Saratoga and Plymouth. This is the event known as the arrival of the "Black Ships," and it set the Tokugawa shogunate on the path to the Treaty of Peace and Amity concluded the following year.

Negotiations off Uraga

Officials of the Uraga magistracy, Nakajima Saburōsuke and Kayama Eizaemon, dealt with the squadron. Perry's side is reported to have demanded that a high-ranking official receive the President's letter, threatening to sail up Edo Bay otherwise. During the stay, the squadron's boats entered Edo Bay to take soundings.

Reception of the Letter at Kurihama

Abe Masahiro, the chief senior councillor (rōjū shuza), permitted Perry's party to land at Kurihama on the 9th day of the 6th month (July 14). The Uraga magistrates Toda Ujiyoshi and Ido Hiromichi met them and received the President's letter. The shogunate asked for time to reply, citing the shogun's illness; Perry announced he would return in a year and withdrew on July 17.

The Shogunate's Response

Abe showed a Japanese translation of the letter to the daimyo and sought opinions widely, including from the shogunate's retainers. Following an inspection of Edo Bay by Egawa Hidetatsu and others, the construction of batteries (daiba) off Shinagawa was decided, and in the 9th month of Kaei 6 the ban on building large ships was lifted. The shogunate thus pursued coastal defense and the gathering of opinion at the same time.

The Second Visit and the Treaty of Peace and Amity

Perry returned on the 16th day of the 1st month of Kaei 7 (February 13, 1854), and after negotiation over the venue, talks were held at Yokohama. The shogunate's policy was to permit only the rescue of shipwrecked sailors and the supply of provisions, and to refuse trade; the matter of trade was set aside, partly owing to the strong opposition of Tokugawa Nariaki.

The treaty was signed on the 3rd day of the 3rd month of Kaei 7 (March 31, 1854) at Kanagawa (the reception hall at Yokohama village). The Japanese plenipotentiary was Hayashi Fukusai, and the American was Perry. Ratifications were exchanged at Shimoda on February 21, 1855, and the treaty took effect. Its main provisions were:

- Article 1: Permanent peace and amity between the two countries - Article 2: Shimoda opened immediately and Hakodate after one year, with supplies of firewood, water, provisions and coal - Article 3: Shipwrecked Americans to be conveyed to Shimoda or Hakodate - Articles 4 and 5: Americans staying in Japan not to be restricted as the Dutch and Chinese were at Nagasaki; at Shimoda they were allowed to move within seven ri - Article 9: One-sided most-favored-nation treatment - Article 10: Ships forbidden to call at ports other than Shimoda and Hakodate except in distress or bad weather - Article 11: The United States may station a consul at Shimoda after eighteen months, if both governments deem it necessary

The Shimoda supplementary agreement (13 articles) setting out detailed rules was signed at Ryōsen-ji in Shimoda in the 5th month of the same year.

Legacy

The arrival marked a turning point in the shogunate's foreign policy, which had been maintained under the seclusion system. The shogunate's broad consultation with the daimyo and its own retainers, together with military changes such as the construction of batteries and the lifting of the ban on large ships, are described as the starting point of the political movements of the Bakumatsu period.