The History of the US-Japan Treaty

After Commodore Perry forced Japan into his gunpoint treaty in 1854, Americans had begun to arrive in Japan. Townsend Harris was convinced the original treaty had not gone far enough and negotiated an even more wide-ranging deal. The treaty stipulations set up a massive expansion of the American presence in Japan. In particular, they opened up two more ports to the foreigners in 1859, Kanagawa and Nagasaki,. And set timetables for the opening of two more, Niigata in 1861, and Hyogo in 1863.