United States expedition to Japan

In 1853, U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry led an expedition to Japan, which had been isolated from the West for over two centuries. Perry's mission, authorized by President Millard Fillmore, aimed to establish trade and diplomatic relations between the two nations.1

Perry arrived in Uraga Bay with a fleet of warships, presenting a letter from the U.S. President. After a period of negotiation, and aware of China's recent defeat by Western powers, the Japanese government agreed to open two ports, Shimoda and Hakodate, to U.S. ships for supplies and to accept a U.S. consul. This resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa on March 31, 1854. This treaty marked the end of Japan's isolationist policy, known as sakoku, and paved the way for similar treaties with other Western nations. The expedition significantly impacted Japan, contributing to the eventual collapse of the shogunate and initiating the country's modernization.123