Historedia
Asia PacificEvent

Commodore Perry arrives in Edo Bay

When
1853
Where
Uraga; Susquehanna; Edo; Kurihama
Episodes
4

Commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived in Edo Bay in July 1853 to deliver a diplomatic letter requesting trade relations. His mission, authorized by President Millard Fillmore, aimed to end Japan's isolationism through gunboat diplomacy. Perry reached Uraga on July 8, but was directed to Kurihama for landing on July 14, marking the initial contact with the Tokugawa shogunate.

Episodes

  1. July 8-9, 1853 · UragaArrival at Uraga

    Perry arrived at the entrance to Edo Bay on July 8, 1853, initiating contact with Japanese authorities.

  2. July 10, 1853 · SusquehannaAdvice to Travel to Nagasaki

    Japanese officials advised Perry to proceed to Nagasaki, the designated port for foreign contact, on July 10.

  3. July 11, 1853 · EdoAcceptance of Diplomatic Letter

    Rōjū Abe Masahiro decided that accepting the American letter did not violate Japanese sovereignty.

  4. July 14, 1853 · KurihamaLanding at Kurihama

    Perry was allowed to land at Kurihama on July 14, 1853, after moving his fleet southwest.

Background and detail

Background. The Perry Expedition was a diplomatic and military mission to the Tokugawa shogunate. Its primary goal was to force an end to Japan's 220-year policy of isolation and open ports to American trade. President Millard Fillmore authorized the mission, granting Perry latitude to use gunboat diplomacy if necessary to secure friendship and commerce.

Arrival in Edo Bay. Perry reached Uraga at the entrance to Edo Bay on July 8, 1853. Initial contact involved Japanese officials rowing out to his flagship, the Susquehanna. On July 10, a yoriki advised Perry to travel to Nagasaki, the designated port for foreign contact, but Perry remained in the bay to deliver his letter.

Initial Negotiations. Senior rōjū Abe Masahiro decided that accepting a letter from the Americans would not violate Japanese sovereignty. Perry was asked to move his fleet to Kurihama, where he was allowed to land on July 14, 1853. This event marked the first significant diplomatic engagement between the US and the Tokugawa government.

People involved

Sources

  1. Matthew C. Perry Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-01
  2. Perry Expedition Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-06

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.