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Yokohama is a major port city in [[Kanagawa prefecture]], just southwest of [[Tokyo]]. Along with [[Osaka]], it is one of Japan's largest cities.<ref>As Tokyo is a [[prefectures of Japan|prefecture]] and not officially a "city" in its political status, many lists do not count it among Japan's largest cities. Not counting Tokyo, Yokohama is generally considered the Japanese city with the most residents, and Osaka the most populous during the days, when commuters from outside the city come into Osaka for work.</ref>

Yokohama is a major port city in [[Kanagawa prefecture]], just southwest of [[Tokyo]]. Along with [[Osaka]], it is one of Japan's largest cities.<ref>As Tokyo is a [[prefectures of Japan|prefecture]] and not officially a "city" in its political status, many lists do not count it among Japan's largest cities. Not counting Tokyo, Yokohama is generally considered the Japanese city with the most residents, and Osaka the most populous during the days, when commuters from outside the city come into Osaka for work.</ref>

In terms of historical significance, Yokohama is chiefly known as one of Japan's most major [[treaty ports]] in the [[Bakumatsu]] and [[Meiji period]]s, and a major center of Western settlement and activity during those periods. As such it was the site of numerous key events of the late 19th century pertaining to interactions with Westerners and the West; further, a great many notable historical figures who came to Japan, or left Japan, traveled via Yokohama, including former US President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] and King [[Kalakaua|Kalākaua]] who entered Japan at Yokohama, and the first Japanese emigrants to [[Hawaii|Hawai'i]], who departed from the port city.

In terms of historical significance, Yokohama is chiefly known as one of Japan's most major [[treaty ports]] in the [[Bakumatsu]] and [[Meiji period]]s, and a major center of Western settlement and activity during those periods. As such it was the site of numerous key events of the late 19th century pertaining to interactions with Westerners and the West; further, a great many notable historical figures traveled via Yokohama, including numerous visiting foreign heads of state who entered Japan at Yokohama, and notable Japanese who departed the country from Yokohama.

==History==

==History==

Yokohama was officially opened to Western settlement and trade in [[1859]], along with [[Nagasaki]], following a series of Treaties of Amity & Commerce signed with [[Harris Treaty|the United States]], [[Dutch-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|the Netherlands]], [[Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|the United Kingdom]], [[Russo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|Russia]], and [[Franco-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|France]] in the preceding years. The fishing village developed practically overnight into one of Japan's most major port cities, and the country's chief site of Western settlement; numerous US and European businesses, legations, churches, and other institutions were established, and formed the core of the city.

Yokohama was officially opened to Western settlement and trade on [[1859]]/6/2 (July 1), along with [[Nagasaki]], following a series of Treaties of Amity & Commerce signed with [[Harris Treaty|the United States]], [[Dutch-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|the Netherlands]], [[Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|the United Kingdom]], [[Russo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|Russia]], and [[Franco-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce|France]] in the preceding years. Foreigners were permitted by the treaty to move freely within a 25 km radius, but even so, the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] took efforts to isolate them from broader Japanese society, and to a certain extent from interaction or interference with traffic along the [[Tokaido|Tôkaidô Highway]]. This would serve both the pragmatic effect of keeping them from interfering with anything serious, but also the symbolic effect of showing, or suggesting, that the social and political situation in Japan overall had not changed so dramatically. Some scholars have suggested that, at least initially, there was an idea that the Westerners could be restricted to Yokohama as the [[VOC|Dutch]] had been to [[Dejima]], and that outside of these few treaty concessions Japan for the most part remained under "[[maritime restrictions]]" and continued on as before.<ref>Marco Tinello, "The termination of the Ryukyuan embassies to Edo : an investigation of the bakumatsu period through the lens of a tripartite power relationship and its world," PhD thesis, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (2014), 182-185.</ref> Nevertheless, the fishing village developed practically overnight into one of Japan's most major port cities, and the country's chief site of Western settlement; numerous US and European businesses, legations, churches, schools, and other institutions were established, and formed the core of the city. Before long, the city also became home to numerous significant Japanese-run businesses and other modern institutions, including [[Hara Zenzaburo|Hara Zenzaburô's]] Yokohama Raw Silk Revised Company, the Japan Shipping Company (''[[Nihon yusen kaisha|Nihon yûsen kaisha]]'' or NYK), and the [[Yokohama Specie Bank]].<ref>"Hara Zensaburô" 原善三郎. ''Gôshô hyakunin'' 豪商百人. ''Bessatsu Taiyô'' 別冊太陽. Winter 1976. p144.</ref>

The Western presence brought commercial growth and cultural interaction, but considerable tension as well. After British merchant [[Charles Richardson]] was killed on [[1862]]/8/21 for obstructing a [[Shimazu clan]] procession at Namamugi (on the outskirts of Yokohama), anti-foreign groups burned down the British Legation.

The Western presence brought commercial growth and cultural interaction, but considerable tension as well. After British merchant [[Charles Richardson]] was killed on [[1862]]/8/21 for obstructing a [[Shimazu clan]] procession at [[Namamugi Incident|Namamugi]] (on the outskirts of Yokohama), anti-foreign groups burned down the British Legation.

The port was briefly closed in the spring and summer of [[1864]] in connection with political instabilities and tensions, but it was reopened in the 9th month that year.

The port was briefly closed in the spring and summer of [[1864]] in connection with political instabilities and tensions, but it was reopened in the 9th month that year.

In [[1868]], some 150 Japanese workers left Yokohama for Hawai'i, departing the country without authorization. Arriving in Hawai'i later that same year, they became known as the ''gannenmono'' (lit. "people of the first year [of the Meiji era]"), the first [[Japanese immigration to Hawaii|Japanese immigrants to Hawai'i]]. Many later Japanese immigrants to Hawai'i and the Americas also departed from Yokohama.<ref>Franklin Odo and Kazuko Sinoto, ''A Pictorial History of the Japanese in Hawaii 1885-1924'', Bishop Museum (1985).</ref>

In [[1868]], some 150 Japanese workers left Yokohama for Hawai'i, departing the country without authorization. Arriving in Hawai'i later that same year, they became known as the ''gannenmono'' (lit. "people of the first year [of the Meiji era]"), the first [[Japanese immigration to Hawaii|Japanese immigrants to Hawai'i]]. Many later Japanese immigrants to Hawai'i and the Americas also departed from Yokohama.<ref>Franklin Odo and Kazuko Sinoto, ''A Pictorial History of the Japanese in Hawaii 1885-1924'', Bishop Museum (1985).</ref>

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