Take a journey back in time to the mid-19th century and discover Japan as it was seen by the American explorers led by Commodore Perry. This fascinating account, written by two members of the expedition, provides a detailed and colorful description of Japanese society, culture, and politics in a time of great change and transition. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.