ハリス・安政条約・横濱の誕生
Thursday, May 30, 7:00 PM
With speaker Glenn Scoggins
Yokohama suddenly came into existence on June 2, 1859, when the Ansei Treaties (forced on the crumbling Tokugawa regime in 1858) went into effect. From the moment that Yokohama harbor opened to international trade, Western influences flooded into the country and brought about a dramatic transformation, the effects of which resound today. How and why did the Shogunate agree to these treaties, and who negotiated them? A central figure was American diplomat Townsend Harris. Not as well known as Commodore Matthew Perry, Harris stubbornly chipped away at Japan’s isolation until the Tokugawa leaders yielded. Harris was not alone: European diplomats and progressive Japanese contributed as well. Ironically, Harris never set foot inside the port city of Yokohama.
If you find this puzzle intriguing, join the members of the Yokohama History Society for a fascinating historical talk on Thursday, May 30, three days before the 165th birthday of our hometown!
The talk will be in English and will be followed by a Q & A session. Maximum capacity at the YC&AC venue is 54 people. To attend, please complete the form at the link below.
Admission to the talk is free. Food may be purchased from the YC&AC restaurant on the ground floor. (We recommend you arrive by 18:00 latest in case the restaurant is busy.) For drinks, a cash bar will be available in the function room from 18:00 onwards.
Yokohama History Society 