The Black Ships
The Black Ships was the name given to the Mississippi, Plymouth, Saratoga, and Susquehanna, ships under the command of U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry that first arrived in Uraga Harbor, Japan. Because of the black smoke from coal-fired power plants and the black color of these American ships, the Japanese called them Kurohune, "black-ships".
Commodore Perry's superior military force enabled him to negotiate a treaty allowing American trade with Japan, ending a 200-year period of Japanese isolation.
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.
The surprise and confusion these ships inspired are described in this famous senryu:
- Jōkisen ippai nonde yoru-mo nemurezu
It means:
- I drank a cup of jō-kisen, and now cannot sleep thinking about money I paid
Jō-kisen is the name of a costly brand of tea, while jōki-sen means "steam-powered ships". The poem suggests that Japan's samurai must be losing sleep while thinking about what to do about the ships.
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