Gallery A

Gallery A

Japanese Interpretations

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The comic portrayals of Westerners illustrated Japanese fear and curiosity of foreigners.

Dutch Family
Jo Girin [1800]
​​​​​​​Peabody Essex Museum

Dutch Dinner Party
Kawahara Keiga [n.d.]
​​​​​​​Peabody Essex Museum

Dutch "Surgery"
Unknown artist [n.d.]
Kobe City Museum

Translator Samuel W. Williams

Commander Henry A. Adams

Captain Joel Abbot

Commodore Matthew Perry and Five Officers (Three above)
Hibata Osuke [1854]
Sanada Treasure Museum

Perry Prostrating before an Official
Unknown artist [1854]
Ryosenji Treasure Museum

Pictorial Depiction of American People and Steamship
Unknown artist [1854]
​​​​​​​Ryosenji Treasure Museum

Assembled Pictures of Commodore Perry's Visit
Unknown artist [n.d.]
Shiryo Hensanjo, University of Tokyo

Perry's Troops in Yokohama (Kanagawa)
Unknown artist [1854]
Shiryo Hensanjo, University of Tokyo

One of Perry's "Black Ships"
Unknown artist [n.d.]
Kanagawa Prefectural Museum

Japanese Chart on Western Dress Sense
Unknown artist [n.d.]
Heibonsha Press

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ConclusionGallery B

The Matthew Perry Expedition acted as the catalyst for breaking Japan's barrier of isolation, which propelled boiling politics in Japan to erupt in the Meiji Restoration. Though Japan adopted Western ideas of bureaucracy, military, and trade, and became a world power, many citizens grew wary of the US due to the experience with Perry, and future relationships between Japan and the US became tinged with this experience.

Samarth Venkatesh
Alex Dimov
Senior Group Website
Word Count: 1200
​​​​​​​Process Paper Word Count: 499​​​​​​​