Changes

Perry returned to Naha on 12/22 (Jan 20, 1854), this time with a fleet of ten ships, including his flagship the [[USS Susquehanna|USS ''Susquehanna'']], as well as the ''[[USS Powhatan|Powhatan]]'', ''[[USS Mississippi|Mississippi]]'', ''[[USS Plymouth|Plymouth]]'', ''[[USS Saratoga|Saratoga]]'', ''[[USS Macedonian|Macedonian]]'', ''[[USS Lexington|Lexington]]'', ''[[USS Vandalia|Vandalia]]'', ''[[USS Southampton|Southampton]]'', and ''[[USS Supply|Supply]]''. He stayed in Naha for only four days, during which time he forced his way into Shuri castle again, but again was refused audience with the king.

Perry returned to Naha on 12/22 (Jan 20, 1854), this time with a fleet of ten ships, including his flagship the [[USS Susquehanna|USS ''Susquehanna'']], as well as the ''[[USS Powhatan|Powhatan]]'', ''[[USS Mississippi|Mississippi]]'', ''[[USS Plymouth|Plymouth]]'', ''[[USS Saratoga|Saratoga]]'', ''[[USS Macedonian|Macedonian]]'', ''[[USS Lexington|Lexington]]'', ''[[USS Vandalia|Vandalia]]'', ''[[USS Southampton|Southampton]]'', and ''[[USS Supply|Supply]]''. He stayed in Naha for only four days, during which time he forced his way into Shuri castle again, but again was refused audience with the king.

He then arrived at Edo Bay again in mainland Japan on 1/14 (Feb 11). The [[Convention of Kanagawa]] was signed on 3/3 (March 31), opening the ports of [[Hakodate]] and [[Shimoda]] to American trading ships, obligating the Japanese government to provide provisions and good treatment otherwise for American or European castaways throughout Japan, and arranging for the establishment of formal relations in the Western/modern style, with a permanent American consulate to be established shortly afterwards. Perry also asked the shogunate about opening Ryukyuan ports for trade, but was rebuffed, with the shogunate telling the commodore that Ryûkyû was "a very distant country, and the opening of its harbor cannot be discussed by us."<ref name=hellyer163>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 163.</ref>

He then arrived at Edo Bay again in mainland Japan on 1/14 (Feb 11) with a fleet of seven ships.<ref>The ''Susquehanna'', ''Powhatan'', ''Mississippi'', ''Macedonian'', ''Vandalia'', ''Southampton'', and ''Lexington''. The ''Saratoga'' arrived later, sailing from [[Shanghai]] to join the fleet at Edo Bay on 2/6. ''Ishin Shiryô Kôyô'' 維新史料綱要, vol 1 (1937), 532, 548.</ref> The [[Convention of Kanagawa]] was signed on 3/3 (March 31), opening the ports of [[Hakodate]] and [[Shimoda]] to American trading ships, obligating the Japanese government to provide provisions and good treatment otherwise for American or European castaways throughout Japan, and arranging for the establishment of formal relations in the Western/modern style, with a permanent American consulate to be established shortly afterwards. Perry also asked the shogunate about opening Ryukyuan ports for trade, but was rebuffed, with the shogunate telling the commodore that Ryûkyû was "a very distant country, and the opening of its harbor cannot be discussed by us."<ref name=hellyer163>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 163.</ref>

In the meantime, in response to the recent arrivals of both Perry and a number of other Western ships, the shogunate ordered all bells in the country to be melted down and refashioned into cannon and rifles - with the exception of bells at head temples (''honzan''), those used for timekeeping, and those of great age and fame.  

In the meantime, in response to the recent arrivals of both Perry and a number of other Western ships, the shogunate ordered all bells in the country to be melted down and refashioned into cannon and rifles - with the exception of bells at head temples (''honzan''), those used for timekeeping, and those of great age and fame.