-From the International Christian University Museum Hachiro Yuasa Memorial
Museum Collection
Artist Unknown
1854
In the summer of 1853, the US East India Squadron led by Commodore Perry arrived at Uraga and began to negotiate for Japan to open the country to foreign trade. The four ships of the Squadron were painted in black by anti-corrosive coal tar. Two of these ships were steam operated. This was the first steam operated vehicle people arrived in Japan, and people flocked to Uraga to see these large ships. People of Edo became interested in foreigners and foreign ships, and over 500 kinds of news sheets were printed then.
This drawing illustrates the Susquehanna steamship Perry boarded. It is equipped with paddle wheels. Artists who could not actually see these black ships referred to foreign ships that came before Perry. This drawing is also believed to be based on Dutch ships seen in Nagasaki.