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A Handbook of Modern Japan

Chapter 22: II. Period of Treaty-Making (1854-1858). CHRONOLOGY.
By Ernest W. Clement
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About This Book

The work surveys Japan’s physical geography, economy, transport, daily life, customs, and national character, then reviews both older and modern history alongside constitutional, local, and legal institutions. It examines religion, philosophy, literature, education, aesthetics, social change, and the role of women, and it assesses Japan’s international position including wartime and expansion topics. The author presents social transformation as largely government-directed, with conservative popular attitudes contrasted against progressive official reforms. Organized into concise chapters with maps, illustrations, and bibliographies, the volume functions as a compact handbook offering an overview of contemporary conditions and references for further study.

II. Period of Treaty-Making (1854-1858).

CHRONOLOGY.

1854.

Perry’s treaty of peace and amity.
 

British treaty of peace and amity.
1855.

Russian treaty of peace and amity.
 

Terrible earthquake.
1856.

Fire in Yedo; 100,000 lives lost.
 

Dutch treaty of peace and amity.
 

Townsend Harris, United States Consul, arrived.
1857.

Harris in audience with the Shōgun.
1858.

Harris treaty of trade and commerce.
 

Elgin treaty of trade and commerce.

PERRY MONUMENT, NEAR URAGA

This is the era which was opened by Commodore Perry, and was almost entirely devoted to the persevering attempts of Perry, Harris, Curtius, Lord Elgin, and others to negotiate treaties, first of friendship and amity, and afterwards of trade and commerce, with Japan. It is rather interesting that the only events chronicled above, besides treaty-making, are terrible catastrophes, which the superstitious conservatives believed to have been visited upon their country as a punishment for treating with the barbarians! It is again a matter of peculiar pride to Americans that the first treaty of friendship and amity was negotiated by Perry; that the first foreign flag raised officially in Japan was the Stars and Stripes, hoisted at Shimoda by Harris on September 4, 1856; that Harris was the first accredited diplomatic agent from a foreign country to Japan; that he also had the honor of the first audience of a foreign representative with the Shōgun, then supposed to be the Emperor; and that he negotiated the first treaty of trade and commerce.