21Arrival of the Black Ships and the Modernization of Saga Domain

In June 1853, American Commodore Mathew Perry arrived in Uraga with his warship squadron seeking the opening of Japan to the West. In the following month Russian Admiral Yevfimiy Putyatin arrived in Nagasaki with his warship squadron. Threatened by the arrival of the black ships, the Shogunate decided to build batteries for cannons in Edo Bay in order to tighten up the bay's security, and placed an order for cannons with the Saga Domain. Upon receiving the order, the Saga Domain built a new reverberatory furnace in Tafuse in 1853 and decided to make 50 cannons for the Shogunate. Also, in order to build a European-style modern navy that could stand up to the threat of various western countries, the Shogunate opened a naval training center in Nagasaki, which many trainees from the Saga Domain attended. In 1858, the Shogunate finally signed treaties such as the Treaty of Amity and Commerce with five countries: America, the Netherlands, Russia, England, and France, marking the end of the Shogunate’s national isolation policy which it had maintained for over 200 years. Also, in the outbreak of war after the Meiji Restoration between the new government and the old Shogunate, Saga Domain’s science and technology was used to great effect and led the new government to win the war.