HISTORY
The Perry Expedition
In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Japan Tokugawa shogunate in Edo (now Tokyo) and became its first shōgun which was extensively known as the Edo period. In 1635, under the shōgun’s sovereignty, any existing trade with foreign lands was banned, except for allowed exchanges with China and the Netherlands. Despite all foreign economic and commercial activities being cut off, the Edo period remained among Japanese history’s most flourishing periods. Until 3 June 1853, the Perry Expedition, a diplomatic expedition from the United States Navy commanded by Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, arrived in the Japanese waters with the goal of ending over two hundred years of isolationist policy and opening the ports to trading with Americans. The navy consisted of four vessels, namely the Susquehanna, the Mississippi, the Plymouth and the Saratoga, approaching Uraga through the Edo Bay. The fleets were well equipped with cannons and, under gunboat diplomacy threat, the Japanese government was in a state of terror and tried every means towards maintaining peaceful solidarity. On 16 January of the following year, Perry led another nine-vessel fleet to the Edo Bay, and, confronted by unmatched military power, the Tokugawa shogunate helplessly accepted Perry’s demands.
During the Edo period, the government structure consisted of the han system which was the daimyo’s feudal domain or estate. It was the equivalent of the administrative divisions having their own authority and powers governed by a daimyo. There were two hundred seventy-six han in total which were transformed into prefectures following the Meiji Restoration. At the time of the Perry Expedition, some daimyo advocated a permanent opening in order to embrace technological advancements, they might otherwise suffer the risk of being eliminated by foreign powers. Others believed that the Tokugawa shogunate should be tough and ready for a fight if foreign powers posed a severe threat, were widely viewed as “western barbarians”. The self-reliance built in the basic understanding of the Sonnō jōi concept, revering the Emperor and expelling barbarians, became a powerful political stance in the upcoming years. In short, the Perry Expedition was definitely the twist and turn leading to Kyoto’s subsequent turmoil as well as Japan’s upheaval.
Despite the followers of the Sonnō jōi concept being militarily suppressed by the shogunate, foreign land threats had been unfailing. On 5 August 1864, joint forces from Great Britain, the United States, France and the Netherlands approached the Shimonoseki Strait and launched fierce attacks with advanced military technology. Overwhelmed by the aggressivity and combined show of force, the shogunate surrendered in less than three days of battle. The humiliating loss echoed a whining cry to the Sonnō jōi protagonists. It was unexpected that the shogunate’s military level was too inferior to match western forces. The Japanese were left behind in the global technological superiority race. It was however a tough lesson to learn, the Emperor signified the Japanese’s spiritual pillar, although his Highness’ ruling to excel capacity was another story. Therefore, to get back on the right track, the protagonists agreed to first topple the shogunate followed by expelling the barbarians. Along the years, the Chōshū was eager to specialize in western technology in order to remain competitive in the upcoming movements.
Perry’s Landing monument
Located in Japan’s Yokosuka Kanagawa, the Perry’s Landing monument was established to commemorate Perry and his sailors’ landing on the site where Perry first landed in 1854. The local city of Shimoda, now a peaceful coastal city in the south of the Izu Peninsula, is of historical significance where Perry’s landing marked the end of Japan’s self-isolation policy from the rest of the world. The Kurofune Matsuri (Blackship Festival) is an annual event in Shimoda on May’s third weekend, where the locals wearing the American navy’s uniform and Japanese traditional haori of the period join in the parade highlighting the landing scene. With a marching band playing along, visitors can take a stroll in the Shimoda Park, Perry Road, the Shimoda History Museum and the Ryosenji Temple. Established in 1635, the Ryosenji Temple was a government guesthouse and negotiation venue with the Perry officials, leading, in 1854, to the signing of the Shimoda Peace and Amity Treaty between the US and Japan. The Temple has a rich blackship artefacts’ collection and is also well known as ‘The Nation Opening Hall'.
Address: 7-14 Kurihama, Yokosuka City, Kanagawa
Getting there: 20-minute walk from the Izukyu Line’s Shimoda Station
English 
Chinese