Japanese 1854 print describing Commodore Matthew Perry's "Black Ships".

The Black Ships (in Japanese, 黒船, kurofune) was the name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan between the 15th and 19th centuries. In particular, it refers to Mississippi, Plymouth, Saratoga, and Susquehanna, that arrived in 1853 at Uraga Harbor (part of present-day Yokosuka) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan under the command of United States Commodore Matthew Perry. The word "black" refers to the black color of the older sailing vessels, and the black smoke from the coal-fired power plants of the American ships. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (944x421, 80 KB)Commodore Perrys fleet. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (944x421, 80 KB)Commodore Perrys fleet. ... Photograph of Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was the Commodore of the U.S. Navy who forced the opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854, under the threat of military force. ... USS Mississippi, a sidewheel steamer, was the first ship of the United States Navy bear that name. ... USS Plymouth, a sloop-of-war, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for a town in Massachusetts on Plymouth Bay, 18 miles southeast of Brockton, Massachusetts; founded by the Pilgrims in 1620. ... USS Saratoga, a sloop-of-war, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of Saratoga of the American Revolutionary War. ... USS Susquehanna, a sidewheel steamer, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for a river which rises in Lake Otsego in central New York and flows across Pennsylvania and the northeast corner of Maryland to empty into the Chesapeake Bay. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Map of Tokyo Bay, 1917 The Uraga Channel (浦賀水道 Uraga-suido) is a waterway connecting Tokyo Bay to the Sagami Gulf. ... A view of Yokosuka from Verny Park. ... Kanagawa Prefecture ) is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of HonshÅ«, Japan. ... Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858). ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ...

Commodore Perry's superior military force enabled him to negotiate a treaty allowing American trade with Japan, ending a 200-year period in which trading with Japan was only allowed to the Dutch. A fruit stand at a market. ...

The following year, at the Convention of Kanagawa, Perry returned with seven ships and forced the shogun to sign the "Treaty of Peace and Amity", establishing formal diplomatic relations between Japan and the United States. Within five years, Japan had signed similar treaties with other western countries. The Harris Treaty was signed with the United States on July 29, 1858. On March 31, 1854, the Convention of Kanagawa (Japanese: 神奈川条約, Kanagawa Jōyaku, or 日米和親条約, Nichibei Washin Jōyaku) was used by Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy to force the opening of the Japanese ports of... Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate Shogun ) is a military rank and historical title in Japan. ... Bust of Matthew Perry in Shimoda On March 31, 1854, the Convention of Kanagawa ) or Kanagawa Treaty ) was concluded between Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy and Japan. ... The term Western World or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... The Treaty of Peace and Commerce between the United States and Japan was signed July 29, 1858. ... July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The surprise and confusion these ships inspired are described in this famous kyoka (a humorous poem similar to the 5-line waka): Look up Humour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Waka (和歌) or Yamato uta is a genre of Japanese poetry. ...

Commodore Perry's fleet for his second visit to Japan in 1854.

This poem is a complex set of puns (in Japanese, kakekotoba or "pivot words"). Taihei (泰平) means "tranquil"; Jōkisen (上喜撰) is the name of a costly brand of green tea containing large amounts of caffeine; and shihai (四杯) means "four cups", so a literal translation of the poem is: Image File history File links Commodore Perrys second fleet. ... Image File history File links Commodore Perrys second fleet. ... 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... It has been suggested that dajare be merged into this article or section. ... Green tea (绿茶) is tea that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. ... Caffeine is a xanthine alkaloid compound that acts as a stimulant in humans. ...

Awoken from sleep

of a peaceful quiet world

by Jokisen tea;

with only four cups of it

one can't sleep even at night.

However, there is an alternate translation, based on the pivot words. Taihei can refer to the "Pacific Ocean" (太平); jōkisen also means "steam-powered ships" (蒸気船); and shihai also means "four vessels". The poem, therefore, has a hidden meaning: Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ...

The steam-powered ships

break the halcyon slumber

of the Pacific;

a mere four boats are enough

to make us lose sleep at night.

See also

• History of Japan
• Manifest destiny
• Gunboat diplomacy
• unequal treaty