Civilization, Race, and the Japan Expedition's Cultural Diplomacy, 1853-1854*

Abstract

Offering a fresh reading of the U.S. Japan expedition (1853–1854), this article analyzes extant accounts written by Commodore Perry and his crewmen with an eye toward exhibiting how they perceived the Japanese as well as how their perceptions informed the expedition's cultural diplomacy. To precisely interpret the statements made by these men, this article makes a distinction between observations regarding Japanese civilization and the Japanese “race.” Sometimes at odds, these two criteria for understanding the Japanese interlinked in the crewmen's thinking about Japan, since both chauvinism about the supremacy of Western civilization and racism provided them with a sense of superiority and, if necessary, a rationale for domination over the Japanese. These sailors' musings about civilization and race highlight the salient elements of their worldview, while the Japan expedition's use of cultural instruments—as varied as parades, technological expositions, and musical performances—revealed Perry and his crewmen's biased perceptions of the Japanese.