Departments
Intermediate Japanese - Free Online Course
KUROBUNE
黒舟
black ship
When U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay in 1853, the sight of his warships caused a shock among the Japanese who witnessed them. Frightened fisherman reportedly dove from the bows of their boats, and witnesses on the shore scattered in every direction. The vessels of the interlopers were subsequently given an ominous nickname: “black ships.”
Perry’s warships would seem like toys beside any warship of today; but they were a fearsome sight to the residents of a closed, Edo-period Japan. By 1853, the Tokugawa government had banned Western ships from Japanese ports for more than two centuries.
An Ultimatum from President Fillmore
The Japanese did not exactly roll out the welcome mat for Matthew Perry. The commodore, however, refused to leave until he was permitted to deliver a message from President Millard Fillmore. Unable to force the American’s departure, the Japanese authorities finally agreed to accept the letter from the U.S. commander-in-chief. After delivering the letter, Perry and his black ships steamed away. They promised to return within a few months for a response to the President’s missive.
The letter contained “suggestions” that Japan open its doors to foreigners—at least on a trial basis for five or ten years. Although the message was conveyed through the courteous language of diplomacy, the Japanese did not miss the underlying ultimatum.
President Fillmore’s letter outlined three primary demands. The first was permission for U.S. ships to refuel and replenish their supplies in Japanese ports. The second was an assurance of humane treatment for shipwrecked American sailors. Finally, the President wanted to establish a trade relationship between the U.S. and Japan.
There were several larger historical trends and motives at work behind Perry’s mission to Japan. The nineteenth century was the era of “Manifest Destiny” in the United States. In the 1840s, the U.S. fought a war with Mexico and acquired the former Mexican province of California. America was now a Pacific power. The American government wanted to use California as a base to increase trade with China, and to expand American whaling operations in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The establishment of an open relationship with Japan would greatly facilitate these objectives.
The Shogun’s Response
The shogun’s government—the bakufu—now had to decide how to respond. The shogun put the problem before his advisors. Some of the advisors were diehards who wanted to resist the Americans at all costs. In the end, however, cooler heads prevailed. The military superiority of the Americans was clear. Moreover, by interacting with foreigners, Japan could absorb the secrets of Western technology. The shogun therefore decided to accept Millard Fillmore’s “suggestion” to open the country.
When the Perry returned, he brought gifts that were symbolic of American might: weapons, a telegraph, books, and even a miniature train. Each Japanese government official in the reception party was given a sword, a clock, a rifle, a revolver—and a keg of whisky. The Japanese reciprocated with gifts of ceramics and textiles. These notably failed to impress the Americans.
Next there were some more dramatic displays of American power. Perry’s men demonstrated fighting techniques and conducted a mock ambush on a ship. They fired their cannons so the shogun and his officials could witness the destructive capabilities of an American warship.
After the visit, the bakufu signed a treaty that guaranteed the fair treatment of shipwrecked American seamen, and allowed American ships the right to dock in Japanese ports. (A trade treaty came some time later.)
Once the Americans pushed open the doors of Japan, other nations soon followed. The other major Western powers negotiated similar treaties with Japan within a few years.