Commander Perry

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Ryuta Asada

Professor Mrs. Rowell

Writing

November 28, 2012

How Commander Matthew Calbraith Perry Influenced Japan’s Culture

In the Edo Period, Japan was a very mysterious country located in the far east. Japan had been

an island country for two thousands years. Therefore, Japan had created their own beautiful,

traditional culture and spirituality. Moreover, Japan had been a nation of Emperors at its center which

had an unbroken descent for one thousand five hundreds years. For the Japanese people, the emperor

lives in a dignified and gracious manner. The same was true of the hot-blooded samurais in the Edo

Period because they immensely respected the emperor as the symbol of Japan. Basically, from the

strong spirituality of the samurais, there had been a climate of shutting foreign countries out in the

past. This means that Japan had fallen behind in the industrial field in comparison to the United

States.

The United States already had a technique for using steam power and had developed a

steamship and a railroad system. In 1853, a commander of the U.S. Navy was on the way to Japan

with huge black steamships which were the symbol of the industrialization in the United States.

Matthew Calbraith Perry was being sent to Japan by the President of the United States, Millard

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Fillmore. Even now, the arrival of Commander Perry is recognized as the starting point of the

modernization of Japan and the Japanese people. Whether good or bad, his actions strongly

influenced Japan.

First, one must look at the background of Matthew Calbraith Perry. He was born in South

Kingstown, Rhode Island on April 10, 1947. His father was Christopher Raymond who was a captain

of merchant vessels. His mother was Sarah Wallace Alexander Perry who was from Down County,

Ireland. In addition, he had two older brothers. Matthew especially liked his oldest brother, Oliver

Hazard Perry....