by Whickham » Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:55 am
Thank you George you have have a good point there.
Searching on the web I have found that:
From 1633, when the Tokugawa Shogunate proclaimed the isolation of Japan, until the middle of the 19th century, the Country's external relations and trade had been confined to China and Holland, and the only port open for these purposes was Nagasaki.
In June 1853, the U.S. East India Fleet, commanded by Commodore Matthew C. Perry, entered Uraga Harbor near Yokohama.
In March 1854, acceding to Commodore Perry's demands backed by threatening arms, the Government of Japan signed a "Treaty of Peace and Amity between the Emperor of Japan and the United States of America." This was the very first step taken by Japan towards joining the international community.
This historic treaty opened the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to the United States in order to supply the U.S. ships with fuel, food, etc. It was followed by similar treaties with Holland, Russia, the United Kingdom and France.
I wonder what time frame my questioner had in mind? I will ask for more details.
Dave