Los Angeles (CA 135) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 131 text:

The coming of Perr) and his black ships , though it took many years for foreign people to be accepted fully, can be looked on now as a great blessing which has enabled Japan and Western powers to develope mutually profitable and friendly relations. As represented in an old Japanese print i above) the sight of Perry s coal burning vessels was a strange and unusual one to the people in Japan who had had no contact with foreigners. The people of Shinioda were among the first to see the black smoke of Perr s ships as thy approached and far from celebrating with fire works then, there was undoubtedly much consternation before Perrv was able to land further north into .Sagami an and eventually meet with the Tokugawa Shogunate Commission in Yokohama.

Page 130 text:

taieE- ' Lr BLACK SHIP FESTIVAL Our isit to Shimoda occurred at the time when the Japanese in this city mark with celebrations the visit of another American ship and a occasion which was historic for Japan and The I nited States. The Land of the Rising Sun «as a closed country from the late 1630s when a decision was made to close Japan from virtually all contact with the rest of the world excepting a restricted number of C hinese. Koreans and a few Dutch. Mth the Industrial Revolution and the invention of steamships the countries of Europe and the Tnited States were establishing coaling stations in new and more distant areas. Conmiodore Matthew C. PtTTy commanding a small squadron of American ships went into Japan in 1853 with the express purpose of reopening the countrv. Perry had been specifically instructed to obtain coahng stations in Japan, get guarantees of the safty of .American persons and property which might be landed in Japan and to open Japanese ports to American trade. These terms «ere left with the Japanese and upon Perry ' s return in early 1854 negotiations «ere begim which resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa on March 31 of that year. The Treaty of Kanagawa was the first negotiated on a footing of equality between Japan and a Western power. As treaties were concluded with France. Great Britain. Russia and the Netherlands in the years that followed Japan ' s future was changed. 126

Page 132 text:

The traditional Samurai costume of the Japanese dignitaries who met with Perrj as representatives of the Shogim Tokugawa and those of the American Conunodore and liis party were a highlight of the parades and ceremonies. On the more serious side of the celebrations the young school girls honor at the Buddhist shrine where he was buried, an American Marine who lost his life on the I ' SS MISSISSIPPI one of the ships of Perry ' s black fleet. The visit to .Shinioda was of course high- lighted with the .Activities of the Black Ship Festival, but sonic of us ventured up to the great national symbol of Japan. Mt. I uji, being closer to it than we had been before while in Shimoda. 128