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Commodore Matthew Perry forces Japan to open its ports at Shimoda and Hakodate t
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March 31

Perry Opens Japan: End of 200 Years of Isolation

Commodore Matthew Perry forces Japan to open its ports at Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade through the Treaty of Kanagawa. This agreement shatters centuries of isolationist policy, launching a rapid modernization that transforms Japan into a global power within decades.

March 31, 1854

172 years ago

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