Sesquicentennial Of Japanese Embassy To The United States
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The Sesquicentennial of Japanese Embassy to the United States in 2010 marked the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the United States in 1860. The purpose of the 1860 Japanese diplomatic mission was to ratify the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation, which had been signed several years earlier.Press release
"First Japanese Diplomatic Mission to U.S. Is Subject of May 24 Lecture,"
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
, April 16, 2010.
The initial Japan-US treaties opened the port of Edo and four other Japanese cities to American trade. In 2010, the sesquicentennial commemorated the extent to which the Japanese ambassadors and their party affected subsequent bilateral relations between the two countries.


Commemorative events


San Francisco

A plaque marking the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Japanese ship Kanrin Maru was dedicated March 17, 2010 at Pier 9 on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. This ceremony was the first in a year-long series of commemorative events. The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco organized an exhibit in conjunction with the anniversary. The exhibit, "Japan’s Early Ambassadors to San Francisco, 1860–1927," ran from May through November 2010. Among the items displayed were gifts from the Japanese diplomatic mission and sketches of San Francisco drawn by one of the
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
of the delegation. The Japanese Consulate sponsored a lecture by Prof.
Naoyuki Agawa was a Japanese lawyer, diplomat, academic and author. He was a professor of law at Keio University from 1999; Early life and education Naoyuki was born in Tokyo on April 14, 1951. He was the son of the novelist and historian Hiroyuki Agawa. His ...
of
Keio University , abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university located in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally established as a school for Rangaku, Western studies in 1858 in Edo. It was granted university status in 1920, becomi ...
about the ''
Kanrin Maru was Japan's first sail and screw-driven steam corvette (the first steam-driven Japanese warship, ''Kankō Maru'', was a side-wheeler). She was ordered in 1853 from the Netherlands, the only Western country with which Japan had diplomatic rela ...
'', which was the first Japanese naval vessel to cross the Pacific Ocean. The ship transported the first Japanese diplomatic delegation, including
Fukuzawa Yukichi was a Japanese educator, philosopher, writer, entrepreneur and samurai who founded Keio Gijuku, the newspaper ', and the Institute for Study of Infectious Diseases. Fukuzawa was an early advocate for reform in Japan. His ideas about the or ...
,
Katsu Kaishū Count , born , best known by his nickname , was a Japanese statesman, naval engineer and military commander during the late Tokugawa shogunate and early Meiji period. Kaishū was a nickname which he took from a piece of calligraphy (Kaishū S ...
, and
Nakahama Manjirō , also known as John Manjirō (or John Mung), was a Japanese samurai and translator who was one of the first Japanese people to visit the United States and an important translator during the Bakumatsu, opening of Japan.* He was a fisherman bef ...
. This was the first Japanese ship to enter the port of San Francisco.


Seattle

Five “Akebono” cherry trees were planted at Elliott Bay Park to commemorate the anniversary of the first official visit of Japanese diplomats in 1860.


Washington, D.C.

The
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...
organized a scholarly panel discussion about the 1860 Japanese diplomatic mission. Participants included
Michael Auslin Michael Robert Auslin (born 17 March 1967) is an American historian, writer, and policy analyst, known for his work on U.S-Asian relations. He is currently the Payson J. Treat Distinguished Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford Un ...
,
Akira Iriye is a Japanese-born American historian and orientalist. He is a historian of diplomatic history, international, and transnational history. He taught at University of Chicago and Harvard University until his retirement in 2005. In 1988, Iriye ...
, Ronald Toby and the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S.,
Ichirō Fujisaki is a Japanese diplomat who was the Japanese Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2012. He was previously the Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations and to the World Trade Organization. Biography Fujisaki was born in Kagoshima Pref ...
.


Philadelphia

When the Japanese diplomatic delegation visited Philadelphia in 1860, one of the highlights was a demonstration of the previously unknown Japanese version of chess or
shogi , also known as Japanese chess, is a Strategy game, strategy board game for two players. It is one of the most popular board games in Japan and is in the same family of games as chess, Western chess, chaturanga, xiangqi, Indian chess, and janggi. ...
. This is the first recorded game of shogi ever to be played outside Japan. In commemoration, shogi experts and representatives of the Philadelphia chess community, including former U.S. Champions in both shogi and chess, came together for a "chess event" at the Philadelphia Athenaeum.


New York

A parade of "samurai" was a modified reenactment in New York's Central Park to commemorate a procession up Broadway in New York City. The sesquicentennial parade recalled the procession of horse-drawn carriages bringing Japan's first diplomatic mission uptown from the Battery. In 1860, the route ended at a reviewing stand in Union Square where dignitaries were seated. The
Museum of the City of New York The Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) is a history and art museum in Manhattan, New York City, New York. It was founded by Henry Collins Brown, in 1923Beard, Rick. "Museum of the City of New York" in to preserve and present the history ...
organized an exhibit, "Samurai in New York: The First Japanese Delegation, 1860," continuing from June through October. Rare 19th-century photographs and newspaper engravings document the two weeks. Also on display are a unique group of objects lent by Japanese institutions; and these both record and recall the experience in New York as it appeared from the Japanese viewpoint. In partnership with the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, the Museum presented a lecture by Prof. Naoyuki Agawa, who discussed the significance of the 150th anniversary of the diplomatic mission. His special focus on the two weeks that the delegation visited New York. The
Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story, Art Deco-style supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its n ...
in New York City was lit up in red and white on Wednesday night, June 16, 2010. This marked the 150th anniversary of the arrival in the city of Japan's first diplomatic mission to the United States on June 16, 1860. The top part of the 443.2-meter skyscraper was lit up in the colors of the Japanese flag at sunset to celebrate the occasion. "Empire State Building lit up for Japan Mission Anniversary,"
Kyodo. June 16, 2010.


Bilateral relations

Events focusing on bilateral relations were encompassed conferences which brought together scholars, businessmen and policy-makers: ;150 Years of Amity & 50 Years of Alliance The
Center for a New American Security The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is a think tank in Washington, D.C., specializing in United States national security issues, including terrorism, irregular warfare, the future of the U.S. military, the emergence of Asia as a global p ...
(CNAS) organized a two-day conference, "150 Years of Amity & 50 Years of Alliance: Adopting an Enhanced Agenda for the U.S.-Japan Partnership." The conference was developed in partnership with the
Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, Japan, is a private, non-profit grant-making organization. It was established in 1962 by Ryōichi Sasakawa. The foundation's mission is to direct Japanese motorboat racing revenue into philanthropic activities, it uses this money t ...
, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and the Ocean Policy Research Foundation. The meeting brings together leading American and Japanese policymakers and experts to discuss the military, economic, political, and strategic elements of the alliance. Center for A New American Security
(CNAS)
Conference on US-Japan alliance.
June 16, 2010.
Featured speakers include: * Richard Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State and member of the CNAS Board of Directors *
Joseph Nye Joseph Samuel Nye Jr. (January 19, 1937 – May 6, 2025) was an American political scientist. He and Robert Keohane co-founded the international relations theory of neoliberalism, which they developed in their 1977 book ''Power and Interdepe ...
, University Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard University's
Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...
*Patrick Cronin, Senior Advisor and Senior Director of the Asia Program, CNAS * Robert Kaplan, Senior Fellow, CNAS * Abraham Denmark, Fellow, CNAS * Yoichi Funabashi, Editor-in-Chief,
Asahi Shimbun is a Japanese daily newspaper founded in 1879. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. The ''Asahi Shimbun'' is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan along with the ''Yom ...
* Kazuya Sakamoto, Professor,
Osaka University The , abbreviated as UOsaka or , is a List of national universities in Japan, national research university in Osaka, Japan. The university traces its roots back to Edo period, Edo-era institutions Tekijuku (1838) and Kaitokudō, Kaitokudo (1724), ...
* Michael Green, Senior Advisor and Japan Chair, CSIS *
Victor Cha Victor D. Cha (, born 1960) is an American political scientist currently serving as president of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is a former Director ...
, Senior Advisor and Korea Chair, CSIS * G. John Ikenberry, Professor of Politics and International Affairs,
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
* Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the
Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, Japan, is a private, non-profit grant-making organization. It was established in 1962 by Ryōichi Sasakawa. The foundation's mission is to direct Japanese motorboat racing revenue into philanthropic activities, it uses this money t ...
*
Akira Iriye is a Japanese-born American historian and orientalist. He is a historian of diplomatic history, international, and transnational history. He taught at University of Chicago and Harvard University until his retirement in 2005. In 1988, Iriye ...
, Professor Emeritus at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
* Yukio Satoh, Vice Chairman, Japan Institute for International Affairs ;''Kanrin Maru'' Symposium The Japan Society of Northern California and others sponsored the "''Kanrin Maru'' Symposium: The Future of the US-Japan Relationship," in May 2010. ''Kanrin Maru'' Symposium
Co-sponsored by Asia Society Northern California, The Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Northern California, Japan Policy Research Institute, JETRO San Francisco, USF Center for the Pacific Rim, and World Affairs Council; and supported by the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.
Featured participants included: * Joseph R. Donovan, Jr., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
US Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
* Ambassador
Michael Armacost Michael Hayden Armacost (April 15, 1937 – March 8, 2025) was an American diplomat and a fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute, who was acting United States Secretary of State during the early days of the administration of P ...
, Shorenstein Distinguished Fellow, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University *Dr. Carol Cherkis, President, BioInfoStrategies & Life Sciences Industry Consultant, NewCap Partners *Dr. Richard B. Dasher, Director, US-Asia Technology Management Center,
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
* Glen S. Fukushima, CEO, Airbus Japan & former President, American Chamber of Commerce in Japan * Hideyuki Inoue, Founder & President, Social Venture Partners Tokyo *
Taro Kono is a Japanese politician who served as the Minister for Digital Transformation from 2022 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), he previously served as Minister for Administrative Reform and Regulatory Reform from 2015 to 20 ...
, Member, House of Representatives,
Liberal Democratic Party Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party, Democratic Liberal Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties have usually followed liberalism as ideology, although they can vary widely from very progr ...
* Allen Miner, Chairman & CEO, SunBridge Corporation * Dr. Daniel Okimoto, Professor Emeritus of Political Science & Director Emeritus, Asia/Pacific Research Center, Stanford University * Dr. Koji Osawa, Managing Principal & Co-founder, Global Catalyst Partners * Benjamin Self, Takahashi Fellow, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University * Yoichiro Taku, Partner, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati * Hitoshi Tanaka, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Senior Fellow,
Japan Center for International Exchange Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) is an "independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization dedicated to strengthening Japan's role in international networks of dialogue and cooperation." Founded in 1970 by Tadashi Yamamoto, their ...
* Dr.
Steven K. Vogel Steven Kent Vogel is an American academic, journalist, author and political economist. He specializes in industrial policy, Japan, and comparative political economy. University of California, BerkeleyDepartment of Political Science, Vogel bio notes ...
, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley


Notes


External links

* Library of Congress webcast
Highlights of Japan-US relationship

JapanDayNYC 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sesquicentennial Of Japanese Embassy To The United States Historiography of Japan History of the foreign relations of Japan History of the foreign relations of the United States Japan–United States relations United States historical anniversaries