"Early on the morning of July 2, 1853, a Japanese fisherman reported a strange sight." ""I was told there were ships on fire." ""I ran up the mountain to get a good look." ""The ships came nearer and nearer" ""until the shape of them showed us they were not Japanese ships," ""but foreign," ""and what we had taken for a conflagration on sea" ""was really the black smoke rising out of their smokestacks"." "Steamships, like most Western innovations, were unknown in Japan." "Now there were four in the harbour." "The American squadron, armed with cannons and almost 1000 men, was ready to force its way onto Japanese shores." "Japan was a land shrouded in mystery, a warrior society ruled by the powerful Tokugawa shogunate." "They had successfully kept the West at bay for over 200 years." "But now the Western powers demanded entry." "Could the samurai nation repel the industrial might of a determined West?" "These are the memoirs of Japan's Secret Empire." ""All those who are in contact with us" ""are bound by an oath and signed with their blood" ""not to talk or entrust to us information about the situation" ""of their country, their relation and secrets of government"." "So reported the German doctor Engelbert Kaempfer, one of the few Europeans allowed in Japan." "It was the year 1690 and the Japanese viewed Westerners as barbarians who threatened their orderly society." "The Japanese were determined to keep their doors closed to the West... for as long as they could." "There was one exception..." "a small settlement of Dutch traders who agreed to live in confinement on an island in Nagasaki Harbour." "For over 200 years, this sequestered trading post would be Europe's only window to this impenetrable land." "The Dutch East Indies Company sent Dr Kaempfer to provide medical care for the Dutch community." "He was also asked to gather information about the everyday life of the Japanese." "It would not be an easy task." ""They are strictly and strongly guarded" ""from the inside and the outside" ""by various guards treating us not like honest men," ""but like criminals, traitors, spies, prisoners," ""or, to say the least, hostages of the shogun." ""This jail goes by the name of Dejima"." "The Dutch lived like prisoners on Dejima." "But Kaempfer was fascinated by the opportunity to write about something nobody else could get access to." "Dejima was tiny." "Kaempfer counted 236 steps across and 82 wide." "There were never more than 19 men allowed on the island at a time and never any Western women." "Far from home, the men did what they could to transform the unfamiliar Japanese-style buildings into a little touch of Holland." "They placed chairs and high tables on the woven grass mats, replaced futons with poster beds and insisted on being served Dutch food rather than eating Japanese." "No Japanese, except for prostitutes, were allowed unsupervised contact with the Dutch." "Yet, in order to gather information for his reports," "Kaempfer managed to create a small group of inadvertent Japanese informants." ""I served them willingly and without charge" ""in my profession with medicines" ""while cordially serving them European liqueurs." ""I questioned them about local matters..." ""nature and secular and spiritual topics..." ""with total freedom"." "The Japanese were as inquisitive as Kaempfer." "The Dutch settlement was their window to the exotic world of the West." "But the trickle of information that arrived from overseas was carefully guarded." "Every time a Dutch ship arrived, the Dutch ship would have the latest news from Europe and that news would be given to the Dutch authorities in Nagasaki and then that news would be translated into Japanese and rushed immediately to the headquarters of the shogun." "The ruler of Japan, the shogun, hungered for news of the outside world." "He commanded the Westerners to present themselves at his castle once a year." "The only time Kaempfer really saw Japan was when he travelled from Nagasaki to Edo, which was the shogun's capital." "The road trip to Edo gave Kaempfer revealing glimpses into the world of the Japanese." "He recorded every detail of his month-long trip." ""We received many of the honours" ""that are generally shown to the provincial lords." ""The roads are swept with brooms and water to keep the dust down." ""In the houses bordering the road, people kneel behind the blinds," ""watching our procession in profound silence." ""An incredible number of people" ""daily use the highways of Japan's provinces." ""Indeed, at certain times of the year," ""they are as crowded as the streets of a populous European city." ""The reason for these crowds" ""is partly that the Japanese travel more often than other people"." "Kaempfer would write about all of the travellers... samurai and their lords, called 'daimyo', merchants and roadside performers," "Buddhist monks, and a group of young women who dressed like nuns." ""They cover their shorn heads with silk hoods" ""and adorn themselves nicely." ""Each attaches herself to one particular traveller," ""starts up a rustic tune" ""and, as long as it's to her advantage," ""she accompanies and amuses him for several hours"." "As the road traffic grew, so did the number of merchants who catered to the travellers' needs." ""We saw many fine stalls..." ""those of merchants and cloth dealers," ""medicine dealers, traders in idols," ""booksellers, glassblowers, pharmacists" ""and people crying out their wares." ""There are countless humble inns, roadside food stalls," ""sake or beer taverns," ""cake and sweet stalls along our road." ""Outside tables also have a variety of biscuits" ""of different colours and shapes on display." ""They are pretty to look at" ""but are generally so tough that it is difficult to move one's teeth" ""if one attempts to chew them"." "T radesmen, once considered social parasites, were beginning to improve their position in Japanese society." "Successful street peddlers became roadside merchants who would eventually build bigger stores and even move to the cities." "Kaempfer was witnessing a changing way of life in Japan that would soon shake the very foundations of this highly ordered society." "The samurai weren't allowed to engage in trade, so the merchants' standard of living was rising while that of the samurai was falling." "And that was just not appropriate for Tokugawa society, where the samurai were the top class." "The samurai were the elite ruling class, less than 10% of the population." "In Tokugawa Japan, one was born a samurai and only a samurai had the right to carry two swords." "Obligation and loyalty to one's daimyo master formed the basis of their warrior code." "But now, in an era of peace, the once-privileged samurai faced an uncertain future." "There were no wars to fight and many daimyo found it difficult to keep a full army on staff." "While higher-level samurai could find work as civil servants, other samurai were not allowed to work in occupations considered beneath their class." "An increasing number of unemployed samurai, called 'ronin', wandered the countryside, looking for a new master." "The search for new opportunities led many to the cities." "And there was no more rapidly growing city than Edo, later to be known as Tokyo." "Edo was the capital of the Tokugawa shogunate, and Dr Kaempfer's destination." "Here he would finally come face-to-face with the shogun, the most powerful person in Japan." "When Dr Kaempfer arrived in Edo, he was sequestered in guarded quarters for two weeks." "Finally he was summoned to appear at the castle of the fifth shogun..." "Tokugawa Tsunayoshi." ""The shogun's residence is spacious" ""with many long corridors and large rooms" ""which can be closed off by sliding partitions." ""According to the finest design of Japanese traditions," ""the ceilings, beams and pillars," ""patterned by nature, covered with lacquer" ""or carved and gilded artistically into patterns of birds and foliage"." "The important thing about the fifth Tokugawa shogun, Tsunayoshi, was that he was the first shogun who was not educated as a samurai." "He was educated as a scholar because he was never meant to become shogun." "And so he had quite a different view of the world." "The shogun's mother was a merchant's daughter." "She broke class barriers by catching the eye of the reigning shogun." "Her son, Tsunayoshi, carried within him both samurai and merchant values." "He would preside over a new direction in Japanese society." "At his court, scholarship rather than martial prowess was the fashion and daimyo lords who wished to curry favour with him became patrons of the arts and letters." "It was a time of cultural flowering in Japan." "Tsunayoshi changed samurai society." "He condemned violence, which, of course, was part of the samurai ethic." "Influenced by his childhood study of Buddhism and the Confucian classics, the shogun's laws of compassion were intended to protect all of nature's creatures." "Tsunayoshi's laws of compassion protected those at the bottom of the social scale." "He had laws against infanticide, and that is quite advanced." "Children were abandoned when parents could no longer feed them." "They were simply left to die." "But Tsunayoshi ordered that from now on, officials had to take care of them, feed them and find homes for them." "But T sunayoshi was also known for lavishing the national treasury on his own pleasures and he began to pursue his reforms to harsh and unpopular extremes." "Born in the Year of the Dog," "Tsunayoshi issued strict laws protecting dogs." "The samurai kept a large number of dogs in their mansions." "And those who were not wanted were let go and roamed the city and often attacked children." "Nobody wanted to be responsible for a dog but he, of course, could not order that these dogs be killed." "He ended up building dog pounds and apparently there were eventually some 40, 000 dogs fed in dog pounds." "And, of course, the feudal lords, the daimyo, had to pay for that." "Tsunayoshi would become known as the 'Dog Shogun'." "Dr Kaempfer observed with humour..." ""When dogs die, they are carried up the mountains" ""and buried no less carefully than people." ""A certain farmer laboriously carrying his dead dog up the hill" ""complained to his neighbour about the year of the birth of the shogun." ""The other replied 'My friend, let us not complain." "'If he was born in the Year of the Horse, 'our load would be much heavier!" "'" "It was the Dog Shogun who Dr Kaempfer was finally summoned to meet." "After a month-long trip and two weeks of waiting," "Kaempfer was so impressed with the experience, he drew sketches to illustrate his account of the command performance." ""After we had been drilled for two hours," ""he ordered us to take off our cloaks," ""to dance, to jump, to play the drunkard," ""to speak broken Japanese, to sing." ""At the demand of the shogun," ""we had to put up with providing such amusements" ""and perform innumerable other monkey tricks"." "Kaempfer and the fifth shogun shared one thing... a great curiosity." "But at the audience, the shogun sat behind a bamboo screen." "And he asked Kaempfer to come close to the bamboo screen, even take his wig off, and dance and sing for him." "And Kaempfer strained his eyes to see what the shogun looked like, and his wives, behind the bamboo screen." "But they never were able to talk to each other directly." "The shogun and the doctor would meet only three times." "But each provided a brief glimpse for the other into his world." "Kaempfer's account of Japan became a bestseller." "It first appeared in English then was translated into Dutch, French... several translations, even Russian." "And, basically, all knowledge until the 20th century was based on Kaempfer's so-called 'History of Japan '." "Japan had no desire to open its doors to the West." "The country was at peace." "But the economy was in decline." "Thousands of disenfranchised samurai warriors would keep the nation on edge." "By the beginning of the 18th century," "Edo was probably the largest city in the world, with over a million people." "Unlike the European capitals, its citizens enjoyed a safe, clean city with an advanced recycling program." "And it was prosperous beyond measure." ""Copper coins flow like currents of water," ""while silver piles up like drifting snow." ""Every morning, fish are sold in such quantities that one may well wonder" ""whether or not the supply in the seas has been exhausted." ""Visible in the distance is Mount Fuji," ""rising in all its magnificence against the horizon"." "At least half of Edo's population were samurai warriors who had come to the capital with their daimyo lords." "Since there were no wars to fight, the samurai had leisure time... but not always the means to enjoy it." "The downside of the era of peace for samurai was that the samurai weren't allowed to engage in commerce and therefore, gradually, they see a lot of wealthy merchants more able to do all of the things that they want to do," "because they have more money than your common samurai." "Ironically, merchants who catered to the needs of the samurai were the ones who benefited." "They could now afford to get education, develop their taste, cultural taste, and emulate the high-class samurai, whom these merchants always admired and envied." "The social barrier was breaking down." "Since the beginning of the Tokugawa era, a restrictive class structure had kept everyone in their place." "Although the classes were not supposed to fraternise, the rules began to bend." "In social situations, such as the popular haiku clubs, where both samurai and merchants were active participants, rather than addressing each other by their acknowledged family names, each would create a pen-name." "In this way, they freed themselves from adhering to the rigid rules demanded by their social standing." "Encouraged by peace and a prosperous economy, the arts and entertainment flourished." "Samurai interest in education had encouraged literacy among all social groups." "85% of the male population of Edo were avid readers." "In 1800... there about 120 or more haiku poetry circles." "And also there about 500 bookstores and very active publishing activities." "The people demanded these books and information." "They want to read exciting fictions." "Some of the best-selling novels of the day were written by a merchant-turned-author named Ihara Saikaku." "His books celebrated the era's emerging pop culture, a totally new genre in Japanese fiction." "Saikaku haunted the streets of Edo for his literary material." "He knew prostitutes and daimyo as well as beggars and merchants." "And he wrote about them all with unabashed candour and ribald humour, especially the newly prosperous merchants, who tried to emulate the refined samurai." ""If you didn't know better," ""you'd think they all came from fine families." ""But let me tell you, that one in the shiny coat..." ""he's a gluemaker." ""He deals in cattle bones and cow slobber." ""But the way he dresses," ""you'd think his own bones were the product of fine breeding." ""He's had to put his house in hock." ""His creditors have taken him to court." ""If you ask me, he's crazy to be out for a night on the town"." "In Edo, a night on the town often meant kabuki, the most popular form of stage entertainment." "To Edo people, the kabuki actors were like Hollywood stars." "The fans would collect woodblock prints of their favourite actors, not only for the fun of collecting them, but also to see what fantastic costumes their favourite actors were wearing onstage." "If the fans really liked a certain style or design, in a flash, it would become the newest fashion trend." "The kabuki plays were romantic, heroic tales." "One of the most famous, Chushingura, was based on a notorious real-life event." "A daimyo lord had been humiliated in a confrontation with a court official." "The ruling shogun had ordered the lord to commit seppuku, ceremonial suicide." "Outraged by his death, 47 of the lord's samurai warriors avenged his honour by killing the official." "This presented the ruling shogun with a dilemma." "The samurai had obeyed their code of honour, yet they had challenged the shogun's authority." "The people begged for clemency but the shogun would not yield." "He ordered the samurai to commit suicide." "These samurai had lived and died by their own code of honour." "The incident captured the public's attention like no other." "Soon these men were immortalised on the kabuki stage, a nostalgic tribute to a bygone era." "It represented for them the ideal that samurai were so selfless and devoted to honour and their lord that they would give up their lives." "And this was reassuring to them in a messy, commercialistic world in which most samurai spent their time drinking and partying and watching the theatre and being selfish like us." "Here, there are 47 samurai, really act like warriors." ""All raise a shout of acclaim..." "'Well done!" "Well done!" "'" ""And this praise will be echoed through ages to come" ""for these loyal retainers." ""We have recorded here their glory, ever renewed," ""like the leaves of the bamboo"." "The honour of the samurai would live on in myth and legend." "But in Tokugawa Japan, there were no wars, no more quests for eternal glory." "In real life, the samurai would have to find another outlet for their passion." ""The courtesan arranges her clothing" ""so that the red silk undergarment will flip open" ""to reveal a flash of white skin." ""When men witness such a sight, they go insane," ""and spend the money they are entrusted with," ""even if it means literally losing their heads the next day." ""But most men only gape," ""envious of the men who can pay the courtesan's price"." "More than 3000 courtesans and geisha plied their trade in Yoshiwara, the pleasure district of Edo." "Yoshiwara was government-regulated, an effective tool for keeping the restless male population under careful control." "Like soldiers on perpetual leave, the samurai often spent their idle hours and squandered their meagre stipends on its seductive illusions." "Yoshiwara was a dreamland for Edo men." "It gave them fantasy, imagination and romance." "It was like Hollywood, where celebrity was so important." "Gated, walled and surrounded by a moat, it was a city unto itself." "No Westerner was ever allowed to explore its pleasures." "There was a distinct difference between the geisha and courtesans." "Geisha were professional entertainers." "They did not rely on sex, um..." "for entertaining men." "They had their music, their singing, playing musical instruments and dancing." "Whereas the courtesans entertained the clients with conversation and sexual gratifications." "Y oshiwara courtesans were the elite of the prostitutes." "If they just wanted to fulfil their sexual need, all over Edo, there were plenty of illegal, cheap prostitutes." "But they wanted to come to Yoshiwara because it was such a prestigious and special place." "Recruited at a young age from impoverished families, both geishas and courtesans were schooled in fastidious etiquette and endowed with a magnificent sense of style and artistic refinement." "Their ability to hold a conversation about the latest play or city scandal was as important as what came afterwards." "The courtesans and their clients gathered in neighbouring tea-houses." "They were stylish centres of elegance and wit, much like the London coffee houses of the same period." "To properly partake of Yoshiwara's delights was an art in itself." "And the Yoshiwara courtesans were trained to think that they were better than their clients." "And that if a man wanted to visit Yoshiwara, he had to prepare for it six months in prior." "He had to buy a fine set of swords, he had to think about what to wear, because he wouldn't just go there." "The courtesan had a right to turn down her client if she didn't like him, even if he could afford to pay for her." "Therefore, he wanted to make a good impression on the courtesan." "And then, once he's committed to her, he had no right to see other women." "And if he... on the sly, went to see any other person, the courtesan's entourage had every right to punish him." "His hair would cut off, he would be made to wear woman's red kimono and he would be taunted by everyone." "Yoshiwara nurtured its own unique customs, art, fashion and language." "It was a world seemingly set adrift from the harsh realities of life." ""Living only for the moment." ""Giving all our time to the pleasures of the moon," ""the snow, cherry blossoms and maple leaves." ""Singing songs, drinking sake." ""Caressing each other." "Just drifting." ""Drifting." ""Never give a care if we had no money." ""Refusing to be disheartened." ""Like a gourd, floating along the river current." ""This is what is called 'ukiyo '..." "'the floating world'"." "But the word 'ukiyo ' still retained its Buddhistic sense of "this transitory life ", its... its impermanence." "This life's suffering was still there, particularly for the courtesans and prostitutes, all of whom had some kind of trouble." "They were very unhappy and yet they had to present the very brilliant, gay, um... external appearance to the general public." "It makes me think of the music of blues in jazz world... this indefinable, indescribable pathos, sadness and languidness." "This is very reminiscent of the word 'ukiyo', to me." "For the samurai who frequented Yoshiwara, times were changing." "They continued to train daily for battle, but without a war to fight, many became aimless." ""Today's warriors..." ""all they talk about is women, eating and drinking," ""actors and dramatic productions." ""Their fencing practice and lancework are only for personal vendetta." ""Their study of archery and gunnery are solely for show," ""their riding just for ceremonies"." "Katsu Kokichi was a mid-level samurai drawn to Yoshiwara, but without the income to fulfil his desires." ""I was 21 and penniless." ""I had no choice but to sell my everyday sword." ""I had only the clothes on my back." ""To take my mind off my woes, I went to the Yoshiwara"." "They are protesting youngsters that did not fit into this society, wearing oversized kimonos, with interesting hairstyles, sometimes skinhead, as a way of protest." "Many of these young men, unemployed and desperate like Katsu Kokichi, lived on the edge of society, often falling into debt, theft and gangsterism." ""When we entered the shrine precinct," ""a couple of sharp-looking characters sauntered after us, humming a tune." ""Without warning, my buddy spat in the face of one of the men"." ""We then noticed a group of about 20 men," ""all armed with long, hooked spears." ""Outside the gates" ""was a reinforcement of some 30 men with pine poles"." ""We were 4 against 50"." "For Katsu Kokichi, the samurai code of honour was all but gone." "By the middle of the 18th century, the expensive delights of Yoshiwara were no longer affordable for most samurai." "The pleasure district took on an increasingly ugly edge." "And brothel keepers lost their pride." "They had become slaves of moneymaking and they became much less compassionate." "Some of them became very, very cruel and treated prostitutes miserably and there were some deaths." "Toward the end of the period, the sick prostitutes were not given medication or care, and when they died, they were just thrown into a pit for nameless dead." ""Feeling alone," ""just like floating reeds cut off at the root." ""I may just follow where the water may take me"." "The insular world of the samurai was in decay." "To find a cure for its ills, some would begin to look in an unlikely direction." "The West now beckoned with new ideas and hope." ""I couldn't read a word, of course," ""but drawings of the viscera, bones and muscles" ""were quite unlike anything I had previously seen"." "Physician Sugita Genpaku couldn't read Dutch, but when he stumbled upon a Dutch anatomy book, he was stunned by the drawings." "He had never seen anything like it in his Chinese medical books." "In the mid-18th century," "Western books, first brought clandestinely from the Netherlands, piqued the interest of many Japanese scientists and doctors." "Sugita Genpaku received permission from the government to order the first sanctioned autopsy of a criminal's corpse for scientific study." ""The corpse of the criminal was that of an old woman of about 50 years." ""The old butcher pointed to this and that, giving them names," ""but there were certain parts for which he had no names." ""When we compared what we saw with the illustrations in the Dutch book," ""it was exactly as depicted"." "Dr Sugita and his friends reflected on how shameful it was that they had tried to treat their patients without a true knowledge of the human body." "He vowed to learn more." "He taught himself Dutch so he could translate the book." ""The next day, we met and began." ""Gradually, we got so we could decipher 10 lines or more a day." ""After two or three years of hard study," ""everything became clear to us." ""The joy of it was as the chewing of sweet sugar cane"." "In 1774, the shogun granted Dr Sugita permission to publish the medical book so he could share his knowledge with other doctors." "This book became part of a growing interest in Dutch learning, known as 'rangaku'." "Originally, rangaku had to do with medical studies." "When physicians discovered they could heal ailments with the new Western medicine from Holland that they couldn't heal with the traditional Japanese practices, they became very interested in the study of rangaku." "Gradually, as knowledge of the Dutch language became more widespread, other aspects of rangaku, such as astronomy, science and chemistry, were introduced to Japan." "Almost 100 years after Dr Engelbert Kaempfer, the desire for Western knowledge would initiate the push to open the door to Japan from the inside." "And yet, as attractive as Western knowledge was to some Japanese intellectuals, there were others who believed that anything Western still threatened Japanese society." ""One source of harm that has appeared of late is Dutch studies." ""These students have been taken in" ""by the weakness of some for novel gadgets and rare medicines" ""which delight the eye and enthral the heart." ""If ever the treacherous foreigner should take advantage of this" ""and lure ignorant people to his ways," ""our people will adopt such practices as eating dogs and sheep" ""and no one will be able to stop it." ""It is like nurturing barbarians within our own country"." ""Today, the alien barbarians of the West," ""the lowly organs of the legs and feet of the world," ""are dashing across the seas," ""tramping other countries underfoot," ""and daring with their squinting eyes and limping feet" ""to override the noble nations." ""What manner of arrogance is this? "" "Japan had managed to keep the alien barbarians at bay for more than 200 years." "But now, in the mid-19th century, the West was poised to assert itself." "The shogun is faced with a strategic threat on three fronts." "From the north, the Russians are coming." "From the south, the British are coming." "And, ultimately, from the east, the Americans come." "The new country of the United States of America was on the move." "Japan was known to have large coal deposits and something else in abundance... whales." "Whale oil, which literally greased the wheels of American industry, was a multimillion-dollar business." "Whale hunters had depleted the North Atlantic oceans." "Now, America looked eastward to Japan." ""If that double-bolted land, Japan, is ever to become hospitable," ""it is the whale-ship alone to whom the credit will be due"." "So wrote Herman Melville in his classic tale of the great white whale that haunted the waters off Japan." "By the time Moby Dick was published in 1851, the United States was ready to assert its power." "Japan's leaders were aware of the growing push towards their shores." "The shogunate had been preparing for the arrival of the West for decades." "They had set up a special translation bureau which was gathering information about the West... translating atlases, translating dictionaries, developing a set of foreign affairs specialists." "Key advisers warned of an imminent foreign threat." "The urged the shogun to bolster his defences." ""We should build warships." ""Then if barbarians come to our sea," ""we should shoot every single one of them"." "Others feared that Japan could not be a worthy opponent to the West." "Their weaponry and ships had not changed since closing the doors to Europe 200 years before." "There was no resolution." "Then, early in the morning on July 2, 1853, a local fisherman reported this strange sight." ""I was told there were ships on fire." ""I ran up to the mountain to get a good look." ""The ships came nearer and nearer" ""until the shape of them showed us they were not Japanese ships," ""but foreign," ""and what we had taken for a conflagration on sea" ""was really the black smoke rising out of their smokestacks"." "These steamships dwarfed any ship ever built in Japan." "To the Japanese, they were the 'kurofune', the "black ships of evil appearance"." "On board were some 60 cannons and almost 1000 Americans." "And they landed not in the foreigners' port of Nagasaki, but rather, in the forbidden waters of Edo Bay, the shogun's own capital city." "Upon hearing the news, the shogun immediately fell ill, many said from the shock of hearing that a foreign naval squadron was at his doorstep." "His advisers tried to deal with the crisis." ""Fresh messages arrived one after the other." ""The situation seemed so sudden," ""so formidable, and so important." ""Orders were issued to the great clans to keep strict watch," ""as if it were possible that these barbarian vessels" ""might proceed to acts of violence"." "In a desperate show of force, the shogun had sent a squadron of guard boats to surround the American ships." "The Japanese officer ordered the ships to leave." "Their commander, Commodore Matthew C Perry, ignored him." ""I was well aware that the more exclusive I should make myself," ""and the more exacting I might be," ""the more respect these people of forms and ceremonies" ""would award me"." "5000 samurai warriors, armed with swords and antiquated cannons, lined the shores." "Again, their chief officer commanded Perry" ""Leave Edo Bay immediately"." "The commodore refused." ""I endeavour to inculcate the idea" ""that the government of the United States" ""is superior in power and influence to Japan." ""The honour of the nation calls for it" ""and the interest of commerce demands it"." "The Japanese on shore watched as Perry's crews readied for action." "Cannons were loaded, guns were drawn." "Perry came ashore." "Perry presented his papers and delivered his ultimatum." "He would be back and he expected Japan to comply with America's demand to open the country for trade." "If not, he was prepared to take Japan by force." "He would return in the spring for his answer." "Then he and his squadron left Edo Bay." ""Their deportment and manner of expressions" ""were exceedingly arrogant," ""and the resulting insult to our national dignity was not small." ""Those who heard could but gnash their teeth" ""and suffer this insult in silence." ""After the barbarians had retired, a certain person drew his sword" ""and slashed to bits a portrait of their leader, Perry"." "There was great fear of Perry." "There were the portraits of Perry as a devil." "There were the portraits of his ships belching fire." "All of this served to whip up near hysteria on the part of portions of the Japanese populace." "At the same time, there's fascination." "There's fascination with Perry, fascination with these ships, these enormous ships that hadn't been seen before, fascination with the technological prowess of the Americans." "T o complicate matters, the shogun had died and the new shogun was mentally unfit." "His advisers took charge, but they could not reach agreement." "The head of the shogunate decides that he's going to poll all of the daimyo in Japan." ""What should the shogunate do? "" "This is a radical break with tradition." "The authority of the shogunate is to deal with foreign relations." "The title of the shogun, of course, is the 'Great Barbarian-Quelling Generalissimo '." "And yet, here is the head of the shogunate asking the daimyo what he should do." "Two positions are staked out, one being known as the 'Open the Country' argument..." ""The Americans do not understand the ethics of humanity and justice." ""There will be no choice but to start trade with them"." "...the other side being" "'Revere the Emperor and Expel the Barbarian'." ""The Americans have come to seize Japan." ""Therefore, if we don't drive them away now," ""the other foreign powers will follow." ""We are in a dangerous situation"." "While the debate raged, the shogunate remained indecisive." "The end of the year was filled with half-hearted compromises and inadequate attempts at coastal defence." "Then, in February, Perry returned earlier than expected." "This time, his show of force was even more ominous." "He arrived with double the ships and crew." "The honour of the Japanese had been challenged, but they had no means to defend it." "Their only hope lay in negotiation." "As soon as Perry came ashore, the talks began." "They went on into the night, and for the next 23 days." "In the end, the treaty was a compromise which served both countries' interests." "Perry got what he wanted, which was to establish a relationship between Japan and the United States." "The shogunate got what it wanted in not surrendering its control over foreign relations and opening Japan up to unregulated trade." "I'm not sure that the shogunate has been given enough credit for choosing peace over war." "And you can say that the shogunate chose... to open up relations with America and the West out of weakness." "But it didn't have to." "The shogunate took the practical decision and they chose peace, and thereby preserved the integrity and territorial sovereignty of their country." "Before signing the treaty with Perry, the shogun arranged a social evening, a prerequisite for conducting business in Japan that continues to this day." "Sumo wrestlers displayed their strength." "The first one invited Perry to punch him in the stomach." "Another wrestler hoisted two huge bags of rice over his head to show his strength." "Perry offered champagne and whisky." "He gave the Japanese gifts." "Among those of particular interest, a telegraph, a camera, and a quarter-scale steam railroad, unlike anything the Japanese had ever seen." "Japanese engineers would quickly make plans to replicate them." "Three days later, the agreement was signed." "It was not long before Japan signed trade agreements with Russia, England, France and Holland." "Despite its accommodation to the West, the days of the Tokugawa Dynasty were numbered." "No longer was the warrior class to control the destiny of Japanese society." "Within 10 years, the samurai were officially disbanded." "But the samurai ethic had been indelibly engraved into Japanese culture." "In 1868, the 15th shogun stepped down." "With his departure, 265 years of rule by the Tokugawa family had come to an end." "The modern era of Japan had begun."