Arrival in Japan
Perry and his American crew sailed into Japan's Edo Bay (today's Tokyo Bay) in 1853. Commodore Perry presented an official letter from U.S. President Fillmore asking Japan to end its long seclusion. After presenting the letter, Perry informed the Japanese that he would return in one year for their answer.

As you might imagine, the arrival of American ships caused great excitement and concern among the Japanese officials in Edo, then the Shogunal capital of Japan. The Japanese were greatly disturbed to see foreign ships so close to their important capital. And they were unprepared to meet Perry's demands which were backed up by threatening warships.

The Perry Expedition returned in February of 1854. The Japanese were awed by the size and power of Perry's squadron of ships and cannon. They called Perry's ships the 'Black Ships' because of their black hulls and the plumes of black smoke that streamed from their coal engines. Perry used the ships to negotiate the treaty, sometimes threatening war if Japan did not agree to the treaty. After intense negotiation, the Japanese reluctantly signed the treaty knowing that they did not have much of a choice. The Treaty of Kanagawa was the first treaty Japan had ever signed with a Western nation.

The Black Ships in Shimoda
By signing the treaty, the Japanese agreed to open several ports to Americans. The first port opened was in Shimoda. On April 18th, Perry's squadron of ships sailed to Shimoda, a small village with about a thousand houses and 7,000 residents. At Shimoda the Americans first came ashore to study the area and interact with the local people. Japanese artists created many painted scrolls depicting the American visit to Shimoda in 1854. The paintings in Sam's Tour are part of one such scroll called the Black Ship Scroll painted during the Perry Expedition to Shimoda in 1854. This original scroll, painted by an unknown Japanese artist, tells the story of day-to-day encounters between members of the Perry Expedition and residents of Shimoda village.

Join me on a tour of the Black Ship Scroll to learn more about this first American visit to Japan in 1854!

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