Black Ships: An Illustrated Japanese History - The Americans Arrive
Written by Sean Michael Wilson, Illustrated by Akiko Shimojima
September 9 - October 6, 2020
4 Sessions; 8 PD Hour
Moderator: Karen Kane
In 1853 the arrival of Commodore Perry and four American ships forced Japan to open up to trade. "Black Ships" conveys the personalities of the key figures in the drama: on one side, Commodore Perry and his captains, and on the other, Shogunate officials Abe Masahiro and Hayashi Akira. These events mark the final years of the Edo period, as the feudal Tokugawa shogunate took its last breaths and gave way to the Meiji government.