American Commodore Matthew Perry arrives with four warships at the Tokyo Bay harbor, seeking to re-establish trade relations with Japan. Perry was not the first westerner to visit the islands. Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch traders engaged in regular trade with Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries, but attempts by the Europeans to convert the Japanese to Christianity and unfair trading practices led Japan to expel most foreigners in 1639.
For the two centuries that followed, Japan limited trade access to Dutch and Chinese ships with special charters. Perry's visit led to the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854. officially ending Japan's self-imposed isolation and opening the country to foreign trade and influence. Lasting and profound consequences for Japan followed, including: embarking on a rapid program of modernization and industrialization to catch up with the Western powers, the beginning of a new era of imperial rule and a rapidly development of Japan's military, becoming a major regional power and ultimately to conflicts like World War II. More
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