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Commodore Perry's expedition
marked the beginning of relations between Japan and the United
States. But it was Townsend Harris, who, along with his
Japanese counterparts, worked to establish healthy working
relations between the two newly acquainted nations. Harris is
warmly remembered in Japan for the time he spent as America's
first diplomat, and he is equally well remembered in New York
where he played an important role in the city's history.
A Famous New Yorker
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Townsend
Harris (1804-1878) was born in Sandy Hill in upstate New York
in 1804. He came to New York City at a young age, and
established himself as a successful merchant, working in the
importation of goods from China, such as porcelain and silk.
He was active in New York politics, and particularly its
education system. In 1846 he became the head of the New York
City Board of Education, and served as its president from
1846-1848. Townsend Harris is also remembered for helping to
found the Free Academy, a college that was open for any and
all New Yorkers, including immigrants and the poor. It later
became what we now know as the College of the City of New York
(City College). |
Consul to Japan
In 1855 President Franklin Pierce appointed Townsend Harris to
be America's first consul to Japan. Harris had personally
lobbied for the job, owing to his experience in the China
trade, and his own great interest in Japan. (In fact, he had
unsuccessfully tried to join the Perry expedition.) In 1856
Harris arrived in Shimoda. There he began the long process of
negotiating to establish trade relations. His first obstacle
was obtaining permission to travel to Edo to deal directly
with the Shogun and his advisors. He ended up spending his
first fourteen months in Shimoda. That first year was
sometimes difficult for Harris, he was occasionally ill, and
except for the company of his interpreter Henry Heuksen, very
isolated. They lived in the Gyokusenji temple, which was
established as the first American consulate. When he wasn't
busy in negotiations, Harris passed his time in Shimoda taking
long walks through the countryside, planting potatoes, caring
for his cherry trees, and raising poultry and pigs. He was
very impressed by the Japanese he met, and he relished meeting
people from all walks of life. Despite his disappointment at
the long negotiations, he was remembered for keeping his cool,
and for always keeping in mind that the officials with whom he
was negotiating were themselves in a very difficult situation.
Harris's writings indicate that he had great respect for the
Japanese and their culture and that he genuinely enjoyed his
time in Shimoda. He took his mission very seriously and he
hoped that posterity - both American and Japanese - would
remember his work well. When he raised the stars and stripes
at Shimoda he said, "God grant that the future generations may
not have cause to regret the hour I arrived."
The Story of Okichi-san
Harris was serious and intelligent, yet always amiable. It is
said that a few wild indiscretions in his youth may have led
him to later become a strict teetotaler. But unlike some
Westerners arriving in Japan at the time, Harris was never
overly moralistic in his judgment of Japanese culture. It is
interesting, then, that a legend has grown up around Harris
concerning a relationship with a Japanese geisha named Okichi-san.
According to the popular story, Harris was involved in a love
affair with a beautiful geisha who, in a "Madame Butterfly"
like tragedy, eventually killed herself. Actually, most
historians now agree that this story is not true. There was,
in fact, a woman named Okichi who lived in Shimoda and who may
have worked at Harris's residence. But it seems that the
legend of a love affair was just that. Still, the story has
taken on a life of its own and has become very popular on both
sides of the Pacific. In 1958 a movie made by legendary
director John Huston had none other than John Wayne playing
Harris to Eiko Ando's Okichi in the big-screen Hollywood movie
called The Barbarian and the Geisha.
Negotiation of the Treaty
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In November of 1857 Harris was finally given permission to
travel to Edo. Displaying an American flag (hand-made in
Shimoda), his official cortege made the trip of some two
hundred miles. The road ahead was cleared by authorities,
and it was not until they approached the outskirts of Edo,
that huge crowds of people turned out to greet the
American's arrival. After attending numerous preparatory
meetings, Harris finally had his official audience with
the Shogun on December 7, 1857. He delivered his official
letter from President Pierce and expressed his hope for
good relations with Japan. |
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The Japanese
in attendance were impressed by the American consul's
performance, particularly his polite and calm demeanor in the
presence of the powerful shogun. Months later, after a lot of
wrangling (and considerable behind the scenes political
intrigue on the Japanese side), the Treaty of Amity and
Commerce with Japan was finally signed on July 29, 1858. The
agreement would begin trade, and open the ports of Kobe and
Yokohama. Also, Americans would be allowed to reside in these
ports and at Edo. Without making military threats, and through
his own determination (together with the determination and
personal risk-taking of many Japanese officials), Harris had
succeeded in his mission to sign the treaty. Soon after,
President Buchanan appointed Harris as minister to Japan. In
Edo, Harris made his official residence at the Zenpuku-ji
temple. He served as minister for three years. At the end of
his service the Japanese government were so impressed with
Harris that they wrote to the American secretary of state
requesting that his length of service be extended.
His Legacy Lives On
Many of Harris's archives and belongings from his stay in
Japan are kept at the library at City College in New York.
Among them are his diary, official papers and the American
flag that he flew at Shimoda. To this day, relations between
City College and Japan remain very strong. Every year for the
past 15 years, a delegation of city officials from Shimoda has
visited the campus to view Harris's archives as well as to
visit his grave at Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. His
gravesite is marked by a traditional Japanese stone lantern
and a Japanese cherry tree. On Harris's tombstone are engraved
words remembering that his work and the treaty he concluded
"not only gave satisfaction to the American citizens, but also
to Japanese citizens".
* Details of this account are in part based on the book:
Yankees and Samurai, Foster Rhea Dulles, Harper & Row
Publishers, New York, 1965.
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