Black Ships
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The Black Ships (in Japanese, 黒船, kurofune) was the name given to Western vessels arriving in Japan between the 15th and 19th centuries. In particular, it refers to Mississippi, Plymouth, Saratoga, and Susquehanna, that arrived in 1853 at Uraga Harbor (part of present-day Yokosuka) in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan under the command of United States Commodore Matthew Perry. The word "black" refers to the black color of the older sailing vessels, and the black smoke from the coal-fired power plants of the American ships.
Commodore Perry's superior military force enabled him to negotiate a treaty allowing American trade with Japan, ending a 200-year period in which trading with Japan was only allowed to the Dutch.
The following year, at the Convention of Kanagawa, Perry returned with seven ships and forced the shogun to sign the "Treaty of Peace and Amity", establishing formal diplomatic relations between Japan and the United States. Within five years, Japan had signed similar treaties with other western countries. The Harris Treaty was signed with the United States on July 29, 1858.
The surprise and confusion these ships inspired are described in this famous kyoka (a humorous poem similar to the 5-line waka):
| 泰平の | Taihei no |
| 眠りを覚ます | Nemuri o samasu |
| 上喜撰 | Jōkisen |
| たった四杯で | Tatta shihai de |
| 夜も眠れず | Yoru mo nemurezu |
This poem is a complex set of puns (in Japanese, kakekotoba or "pivot words"). Taihei (泰平) means "tranquil"; Jōkisen (上喜撰) is the name of a costly brand of green tea containing large amounts of caffeine; and shihai (四杯) means "four cups", so a literal translation of the poem is:
- Awoken from sleep
- of a peaceful quiet world
- by Jokisen tea;
- with only four cups of it
- one can't sleep even at night.
However, there is an alternate translation, based on the pivot words. Taihei can refer to the "Pacific Ocean" (太平); jōkisen also means "steam-powered ships" (蒸気船); and shihai also means "four vessels" (四隻). The poem, therefore, has a hidden meaning:
- The steam-powered ships
- break the halcyon slumber
- of the Pacific;
- a mere four boats are enough
- to make us lose sleep at night.
