Perry signs the Convention of Kanagawa opening Shimoda and Hakodate

Background. The Convention of Kanagawa was signed between the United States and the Tokugawa Shogunate on March 31, 1854. It effectively ended Japan's 220-year-old policy of national seclusion (sakoku) by opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American vessels. The treaty was written in English, Dutch, Chinese, and Japanese.

Negotiations. Perry arrived in Japan in 1853 and returned in February 1854 with a larger force to secure a treaty. The Japanese side conceded to most demands, except for a commercial agreement which was deferred. The treaty was signed at Kaikō Hiroba in Yokohama, though it was not signed by the shogun or his Rōjū.

Ratification. The treaty was ratified on February 21, 1855. The Tokugawa shogunate noted that the treaty was not signed by the shogun or his Rōjū, but it averted immediate military confrontation. Similar agreements followed with the United Kingdom, Russia, and France.