A trove of manuscript insider reports & accounts on the two Perry expeditions and the...
Several dozen manuscripts in various formats, incl. long folded sheets, stitched pamphlets, sewn volumes, and letters. Japan: ca. 1853-63.
A substantial group of documents revealing internal, high-level debates and discussions in response to Commodore Perry’s landings and later controversies that arose as Western powers established a foothold in Japan. This is an exceptional collection, filled with top-secret information on government intrigues as the Japanese state responded to aggressive foreign expansion and dissenting groups within the government urging top-to-bottom reforms.
The manuscripts touch upon pivotal events in Japan’s history:
–Commodore Perry’s two expeditions (July 1853 & February-March 1854) and the resulting... More