#235 Ryosenji temple

Shimoda, Shizuoka

Ryosenji was the site of historic talks between the United States and the Tokugawa Shogunate in the mid-nineteenth century. The talks were part of larger negotiations which effectively ended Japan's policy of national seclusion, or sakoku. The talks at Ryosenji led to the Shimoda Treaty and were conducted between Commodore Perry and Hayashi Daigaku, the shogunate's chief negotiator. History remebers Hayashi as a skillful negotiator who concluded treaties with the US peacefully and satisfactorily, securing mutual concessions.

The Shimoda Treaty agreed upon at Ryosenji set out rules for American citizens to abide to in Japan, and permitted certain freedoms including full access to the town of Shimoda. The town became increasingly international and a center of cultural exchange. Ryosenji remains a symbol of grassroots cross-cultural exchange and is designated a National Historic Site.