Timeline of Japan–United States relations

Last updated
Japanese–American relations
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Japan
Flag of the United States.svg
United States
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Japan, Washington, D.C. Embassy of the United States, Tokyo
Envoy
Japanese Ambassador to the United States
Shigeo Yamada
(since 24 October 2023)
United States Ambassador to Japan
Rahm Emanuel
(since 25 March 2022)

Japan and the United States have held formal international relations since the mid-19th century. The first encounter between the two countries to be recorded in official documents occurred in 1791 when the Lady Washington became the first American ship to visit Japan in an unsuccessful attempt to sell sea otter pelts. In the 1850s, Japanese ports were opened to American trade for the first time after the Perry Expedition, led by naval officer Commodore Matthew C. Perry, arrived in Japan with a fleet of four Black Ships. In July 1856, Townsend Harris became the first American diplomat to Japan, and in 1858, the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, also known as the Harris Treaty, further expanded trade relations and established permanent consulates. The first Japanese Embassy to the United States set sail for San Francisco in 1860, marking diplomatic engagement between the two nations.

Contents

The early 20th century saw Japan and the United States become allies during World War I, and diplomatic interactions continued. However, tensions arose in the lead-up to World War II following the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, which ultimately resulted in Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the United States' entry into the war. Following Japan's surrender in 1945, the relationship shifted towards a post-war partnership. Japan was occupied until 1952 when the Treaty of San Francisco came into effect. Japan–United States relations continued to evolve throughout the Cold War and into the 21st century, with periods of cooperation and occasional trade disputes. The two nations maintain strong economic ties, and Japan is a crucial ally of the United States in Asia.

Pre-19th century

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate Tokugawa Ieyasu2.JPG
Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate

19th century

An 1854 Japanese print depicting the Perry Expedition Japanese 1854 print Commodore Perry.jpg
An 1854 Japanese print depicting the Perry Expedition
The first Japanese Embassy to the United States was led by Ambassador Muragaki Norimasa, Vice-Ambassador Shinmi Masaoki, and Observer Oguri Tadamasa (pictured). JapaneseEmbassy1860.jpg
The first Japanese Embassy to the United States was led by Ambassador Muragaki Norimasa, Vice-Ambassador Shinmi Masaoki, and Observer Oguri Tadamasa (pictured).
The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the Old West The Cow Boy 1888.jpg
The cowboy, the quintessential symbol of the Old West
The defeat at the Battle of Shiroyama in 1877 effectively ended the samurai class. ShiroyamaBattle.jpg
The defeat at the Battle of Shiroyama in 1877 effectively ended the samurai class.

20th century

Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right) Atomic bombing of Japan.jpg
Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right)

21st century

The World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks WTC smoking on 9-11.jpeg
The World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 van Sant, Mauch & Sugita 2007, p. xv.
  2. "Lady Washington History". Grays Harbor: Historical Seaport. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "First Encounters Between the U.S. and Japan – John Kendrick and John Manjiro". New York City: Consulate General of Japan in New York. 2021. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  4. Iokibe & Minohara 2017, p. 263.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 van Sant, Mauch & Sugita 2007, p. xvi.
  6. Anon. (c. 1846). Japanese Manuscript Account with Watercolour on Foreign Ship in Japan Seeking Trade Seven Years Before Commodore Perry. West Vancouver: Voyager Press Rare Books and Manuscripts. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  7. Iokibe & Minohara 2017, p. 264.
  8. 1 2 3 Iokibe & Minohara 2017, p. 265.
  9. 1 2 3 4 van Sant, Mauch & Sugita 2007, p. xvii.
  10. "Story of Townsend Harris". New York City: Consulate General of Japan in New York. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  11. Harding, Christopher (February 22, 2023). "When the Samurai came to America". London: Engelsberg Ideas. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 van Sant, Mauch & Sugita 2007, p. xviii.
  13. 1 2 3 "Wanted Dead or Alive". Los Angeles: Jacques Marie Mage. October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Iokibe & Minohara 2017, p. 266.
  15. Saito Cleary, Nobuko (2019). "Nobuko Saito Cleary Celebrates 150th Anniversary of First Japanese Immigrants". Washington, D.C.: U.S.-Japan Council. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 van Sant, Mauch & Sugita 2007, p. xix.
  17. "Japan—1871 Treaty of Amity and Commerce". Hawaii: Kingdom of Hawaii. February 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  18. "Meiji Period". Encyclopedia of Japan. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  19. 1 2 Iokibe & Minohara 2017, p. 267.
  20. "1876 – The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition Is America's First Major Exposure to Japanese Art and Design". Chicago: Frank Lloyd Wright Trust. 2023. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  21. 1 2 van Sant, Mauch & Sugita 2007, p. xxii.
  22. van Sant, Mauch & Sugita 2007, p. xxiii.
  23. US, EU. "Historical Background of Export Control Development in Selected Countries and Regions". Archived January 17, 2023, at the Wayback Machine p. 6 (2016).
  24. Morton 1990, p. 103.
  25. "The Path to Pearl Harbour". New Orleans: The National WWII Museum. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  26. Conrad, Sebastian (2014). "The Dialectics of Remembrance: Memories of Empire in Cold War Japan" (PDF). Comparative Studies in Society and History . 56 (1): 8. doi:10.1017/S0010417513000601. ISSN   0010-4175. JSTOR   43908281. S2CID   146284542. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2023. In 1942, at the moment of its greatest extension, the empire encompassed territories spanning over 7,400,000 square kilometers.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "Japan profile – Timeline". London: BBC News. April 26, 2019. Archived from the original on July 25, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  28. "Reaction From Around the World". New York Times . New York City. September 12, 2001. Archived from the original on November 11, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  29. Jonathan, Watts (July 26, 2003). "End of an era as Japan enters Iraq". The Guardian . London. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  30. "Japan extends troops in Iraq for a year". Washington, D.C.: NBC News. December 9, 2004. Archived from the original on August 14, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  31. Zhang, Jane (February 22, 2006). "Japan Revives Imports of Fresh U.S. Potatoes". The Wall Street Journal . New York City: News Corp. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  32. Khan, Huma (March 11, 2011). "Obama Offers Condolences to Japanese in Wake of Earthquake, Tsunami". New York City: ABC News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.

References