COMMODORE PERRY
WHEN THE AMERICANS VISITED JAPAN WITH A FLEET OF STEAM SHIPS, THE GULF IN TECHNOLOGY PROMPTED A RADICAL DRIVE TO MODERNISE THE NATION
In 1635, eager to fight the subversive power of foreign influence, the paranoid Tokugawa regime banned anyone from travelling or sending ships abroad. While its cities underwent rapid economic growth and cultural development, by the 19th century, Japan had technologically been left far behind its Western counterparts – who had undergone an enormous maritime expansion.
When the Americans sent a pair of warships to request a trade agreement with the Tokugawa in 1845, they were turned away. However, they returned in 1853, with four magnificent, black steam warships, churning out black smoke. As the Japanese looked on in awe, Commodore Matthew Perry advised that if they did not agree to a treaty, he would return with a larger fleet. True to his word, he came back with nine ships the next year, with more than 100 mounted guns and 1,800 crewmen. This time, the Tokugawa agreed to an unfavourable treaty – opening up Japan for further deals with European powers.
Crucially, the incident revealed to the Japanese just how far they had fallen behind. Soon after, the shogunate would be overthrown, and the emperor restored his prerogative powers – sparking off a period of rapid modernisation. By the early 20th century, the country would become a military superpower, paving the way for World War II.