Commodore Matthew Perry came to Japan with a request from the United States government to open its ports to trading and to establish diplomatic relations between the two nations.Japanese people were impressed with the ships that US army had. In the beginning they didn't want to accept but after a period of debate among Japanese leaders it was decided that the request was reasonable and Japan and the United States signed the Treaty ofKanagawa. Soon after Japan reached similar agreements with other European nations.Not everyone in Japan agreed with this decision.Emperor Meiji sent envoys to the european nations to copy their political systems.The ideas that they brought back to Japan started the new government in Japan. As Japan absorbed Western political and economic influences during the Meiji period its leaders also began tocopy the West's imperial ambitions.The old feudal military system had been replaced with a national army.Archipleago is a group of islands.
