On March 31, 1854, in the village of Yokohama under the domain of Kanagawa, Commodore Perry and the Japanese commissioners led by Lord Hayashi signed a treaty of peace and amity. Explore the contents of the treaty.
TREAT
OF PEACE AND AMITY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND JAPAN
The
United States of America and the Empire of Japan, desiring to establish firm,
lasting and sincere friendship between the two nations, have resolved to fix,
in a manner clear and positive, by means of a treaty or general convention of
peace and amity, the rules which shall in future be mutually observed in the
intercourse of their respective countries; for which most desirable object the
President of the United States has conferred full powers of his commissioner,
Matthew Calbraith Perry, special ambassador of the United States to Japan; and
the august sovereign of Japan has given similar full powers to his commissioners,
Lord Hayashi of Daigaku, Lord Ido of Tsushima, Lord Izawa of Mimasaki, and
Udono, member of the Board of Revenue.
And the
said commissioners, after having exchanged their said full powers, and duly
considered the premises, have agreed to the following articles:
ARTICLE
I
There
shall be a perfect, permanent, and universal peace, and a sincere and cordial
amity, between the United States of America, on the one part, and the Empire of
Japan on the other, and between their people, respectively, without exception
of persons or places.
ARTICLE
II
The
port of Shimoda, in the principality of Idzu, and the port of Hakodadi, in the
principality of Matsmai, are granted by the Japanese as ports for the reception
of American ships, where they can be supplied with wood, water, provisions, and
coal, and other articles their necessities may require, as far as the Japanese
have them. The time for opening the first named port is immediately on signing
this treaty; the last named port is to be opened immediately after the same day
in the ensuing Japanese year.
Note –
a tariff of prices shall be given by the Japanese officers of the things which
they can furnish, payment for which shall be made in gold and silver coin.
ARTICLE
III
Whenever
ships of the United States are thrown or wrecked on the coast of Japan, the
Japanese vessels will assist them, and carry their crews to Shimoda or
Hakodadi, and hand them over to their countrymen appointed to receive them.
Whatever articles the shipwrecked men may have preserved shall likewise be
restored, and the expenses incurred in the rescue and support Americans and
Japanese who may thus be thrown upon the shores of either nation are not to be
refunded.
ARTICLE
IV
Those
shipwrecked persons and other citizens of the United States shall be free as in
other countries, and not subjected to confinement, but shall be amenable to
just laws.
ARTICLE
V
Shipwrecked
men, and other citizens of the United States, temporarily living at Simoda and
Hakodadi, shall not be subject to such restrictions and confinement as the
Dutch and Chinese are at Nagasaki; but shall be free at Simoda to go where they
please within the limits of seven Japanese miles (or ri) from a small island in
the harbor of Simoda, marked on the accompanying chart, hereto appended; and
shall in like manner be free to go where they please at Hakodadi, within limits
to be defined after the visit of the United States squadron to that place.
ARTICLE
VI
If there
be any other sort of goods, wanted, or any business which shall require to be
arranged, there shall be careful deliberation between the parties in order to
settle such matters.
ARTICLE
VII
It is
agreed that ships of the United States resorting to the ports open to them
shall be permitted to exchange gold and silver coin and articles of goods for
other articles of goods, under such regulations as shall be temporarily
established by the Japanese government for that purpose. It is stipulated,
however, that the ships of the United States shall be permitted to carry away
whatever articles they are unwilling to exchange.
ARTICLE
VIII
Wood,
water, provisions, coal, and goods required, shall only be procured through the
agency of Japanese officers appointed for that purpose, and in no other manner.
ARTICLE
IX
It is
agreed, that if, at any future day, the government of Japan shall grant to any
other nation or nations privileges and advantages which are not herein granted
to the United States and the citizens therof, that these same privileges and
advantages shall be granted likewise to the United States and to the citizens
thereof without any consultation or delay.
ARTICLE
X
Ships
of the United States shall be permitted to resort to no other ports in Japan
but Simoda and Hakodadi, unless in distress or forced by stress of weather.
ARTICLE
XI
There
shall be appointed by the government of the United States consuls or agents to
reside in Simoda at any time after the expiration of eighteen months from the
date of the signing of this treaty; provided that either of the two governments
deem such arrangement necessary.
ARTICLE
XII
The
present convention, having been concluded and duly signed, shall be obligatory,
and faithfully observed by the United States of America and Japan, and by the
citizens and subjects of each respective power; and it is to be ratified and
approved by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and
consent of the Senate thereof, and by the august Sovereign of Japan, and the
ratification shall be exchanged within eighteen months from the date of the
signature thereof, or sooner if practicable.
In faith
whereof, we, the respective plenipotentiaries of the United States of America
and the Empire of Japan, aforesaid, have signed and scaled these presents.
Done at
Kanagawa, this thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ
on thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, and of Kayei the seventh year, third
month, and third month.
Source:
Hawks, Francis. Narrative of the Expedition of An American Squadron to The China Seas and Japan, Performed in the Years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the Command of Commodore M.C. Perry, United States Navy by Order of the Government of the United States, Volume I. Washington D.C.: A.O.P. Nicholson, Printer, 1856.
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