Treaty of Kanagawa

An American Squadron in Edo Bay

The Treaty of Kanagawa, signed on March 31, 1854, established the first formal agreement between the United States and Japan. Commodore Matthew C. Perry negotiated with representatives of the Tokugawa shogunate after bringing an American naval squadron to Edo Bay. The agreement arose from the expansion of American shipping across the Pacific: whalers needed refuge, steamships needed fuel, and merchants sought access to Japanese markets. President Millard Fillmore had instructed Perry to pursue protection for sailors and opportunities for commerce. [1]

Japan maintained tightly controlled foreign relations, including trade with Dutch and Chinese merchants at Nagasaki. Perry arrived in 1853 with a presidential letter and returned in 1854 with a larger force. His use of naval power made the negotiations coercive, while the shogunate sought terms that would meet immediate American demands without opening the country to unrestricted foreign commerce. [2]

Ports, Sailors, and a Consul

The treaty permitted American ships to obtain water, food, wood, and coal at Shimoda and Hakodate. Japanese authorities undertook to rescue shipwrecked Americans and return their surviving possessions. Purchasing provisions remained subject to official arrangements, and American ships were generally restricted to the two designated ports. The agreement also extended to Americans any additional privileges Japan subsequently granted another country. [3]

Article XI allowed the United States to appoint a consul or agent at Shimoda after eighteen months if either government considered it necessary. Townsend Harris subsequently took up the post. This limited opening left the broader terms of commercial exchange unresolved; Harris negotiated the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1858, which expanded access and established the framework for resident diplomatic representation. [3] [4]

Related Reading

• Japan and the United States
• Japan