[Title] Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States of America and the Empire of Japan (Treaty of Amity and Commerce, Harris Treaty)

Signed at Yedo, in Japanese, English and Dutch, July 29th, 1858. (19th day of 6th month, 5th year of Ansei).

Ratifications exchanged at Washington, May 22nd, 1860. (3rd day of 4th month, 1st year of Manyen.)

The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the Tycoon of Japan, desiring to establish on firm and lasting foundations, the relations of peace and relationship now happily existing between the two countries, and to secure the best interest of their respective citizens and subjects, by encouraging, facilitating and regulating their industry and trade, have resolved to conclude a treaty of amity and commerce, for this purpose, and have therefore named as Their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

The President of the United States, His Excellency Townsend Harris, Consul-General of the United States of America for the Empire of Japan, and His Majesty the Tycoon of Japan, Their Excellencies Ino-oo-ye, Prince of Sinano, and Iwasay, Prince of Higo, who, after, having communicated to each other, their respective full powers, and found them to be in good and due form, have agreed upon, and concluded the following articles.

ARTICLE I.

There shall henceforward be perpetual peace and friendship between the United States of America and his Majesty the Tycoon of Japan and his successors.

The Presideut of the United States may appoint a diplomatic agent to reside at the city of Yedo, and consuls or consular agents to reside at any or all of the ports iu Japan, which are opened for American commerce by this treaty. The diplomatic agent and consul-general of the United States, shall have the right to travel freely in any part of the empire of Japan, from the time they enter on the discharge of their official duties.

The government of Japan may appoint a diplomatic agent to reside at Washington, and consuls or consular agents for any or all of the ports of the United States. The diplomatic agent and consul-general of Japan may travel freely in any part of the United States from the time they arrive in the country.

ARTICLE II.

The President of the United States, at the request of the Japanese government, will act as a friendly mediator in such matters of difference, as may arise, between the government oi Japan and any European power.

The ships of war of the United States shall render friendly aid and assistance, to such Japanese vessels, as they may meet on the high seas; so far as can be done, without a breach of neutrality, and all American consuls, residing at ports visited by Japanese vessels, shall also give them such friendly aid, as may be permitted by the laws of the respective countries, in which they reside.

ARTICLE III.

In addition to the ports of Simoda and Hakodate, the following ports and towns shall be opened on the dates respectively appended to them, that is to say:

Kanagawa, on the (4th of July, 1859.) fourth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.

Nagasaki, on the (4th of July, 1859.) fourth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.

Nee-e-gata, on the (1st of January, 1860.) first day of January, one thoasand eight hundred and sixty.

Hiogo, on the (1st of January, 1863,{sic}) first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.

If Nee-e-gata is found to be unsuitable as a harbor, another port on the west coast of Nipon shall be selected by the two governments in lieu thereof.

Six mouths after the opening of Kanagawa, the port of Simoda shall be closed as a place of residence and trade for American citizens.

In all the foregoing ports and towns, American citizens may permanently reside, they shall have the right to lease ground, and purchase the buildings thereon, and may erect dwellings and warehouses. But no fortification or place of military strength, shall be erected under pretense of building dwelling or warehouse, and to see that this article is observed, the Japanese authorities shall have the right to inspect, from time to time, any buildings which arc being erected, altered or repaired.

The place, which the Americans shall occupy for their buildings, and the harbor regulations shall be arranged by the American consul, and the authorities of each place, and if they cannot agree, the matter shall be referred to, and settled by the American diplomatic agent and the Japanese government.

No wall, fence, or gate, shall be erected by the Japanese, around the place of residence of the Americans, or anything done, which may prevent a free egress and ingress to the same.

From the (1st of January, 1862.) first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, Americans shall be allowed to reside in the city of Yedo, and from the (1st of January, 1863.) first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the city of Osaca, for the purposes of trade only. In each of these two cities, a suitable place, within which they may hire houses, and the distance they may go, shall be arranged by the American diplomatic agent and the government of Japan.

Americans may freely buy from Japanese and sell to them, any articles that either may have for sale, without the intervention of any Japanese officer, in such purchase or sale, or in making or receiving payment for the same, and all classes of the Japanese may purchase, sell, keep or use, any articles sold to them by the Americans.

The Japanese government will cause this clause to be made public, in every part of the empire, as soon as the ratifications of this treaty shall be exchanged.

Munitions of war shall only be sold to the Japanese government and foreigners.

No rice or wheat shall be exported from Japan as cargo, but all Americans residing in Japan, and ships for their crews and passengers, shall be furnished with sufficient supplies of the same.

The Japanese government will sell from time to time, at public auction, any surplus quantity of copper, that may be produced.

Americans, residing in Japan, shall have the right to employ Japanese as servants or in any other capacity.

ARTICLE IV.

Duties shall be paid to the government of Japan, on all goods landed in the country, and on all articles of Japanese production, that are exported as cargo, according to the tariff hereunto appended.

If the Japanese custom-liouse officers are dissatisfied with the value placed on any goods, by the owner, they may place a value thereon, and offer to take the goods at that valuation. If the owner refuses to accept the offer, he shall pay duty on such valuation. If the offer be accepted by the owner, the purchase money shall be paid to hime without delay, and without any abatement or discount.

Supplies for the use of the United States navy may be landed at Kanagawa, Hakodate and Nagasaki, and stored in Warehouses, in the custody of an officer of the American government, without the payment of any duty. But if any such supplies are sold in Japan, the purchaser shall pay the proper duty to the Japanese authorities.

The importation of opium is prohibited, and any American vessel coming to Japan, for the purposes of trade, having more than (3) three catties (four pounds avoirdupois) weight of opium on board, such surplus quantity shall be seized and destroyed by the Japanese authorities.

All goods imported into Japan, and which have paid the duty fixed by this treaty, may be transported by the Japanese, into any part of the empire, without the payment of any tax, excise or transit duty, whatever.

No higher duties shall be paid by Americans on goods imported into Japan, than are fixed by this treaty, nor shall any higher duties be paid by Americans, than are levied on the same description of goods, if imported in Japanese vessels, or the vessels of any other nation.

ARTICLE V.

All foreign coin shall be current in Japan, and pass for its corresponding weight of Japanese coin of the same description.

Americans and Japanese may freely use foreign coin in making payments to each other.

As some time will elapse before the Japanese will be acquainted with the value of foreign coin, the Japanese Government will, for the period of one year after the opening of each harbor, furnish the Americans with Japanese coin, in exchange for theirs, equal weights being given and no discount taken for recoinage.

Coins of all descriptions (with the exception of Japanese copper coin) may be exported from Japan, and foreign gold and silver uncoined.

ARTICLE VI.

Americans, committing offenses against Japanese shall be tried in American Consular courts, and, when guilty, shall be punished according to American law.

Japanese, committing offenses against Americans, shall be tried by the Japanese authorities, and punished according to Japanese law.

The Consular Courts shall be open to Japanese creditors, to enable them to recover their just claims against American citizens, and the Japanese Courts shall in like manner be open to American citizens, for the recovery of their just claims against Japanese.

All claims for forfeitures or penalties for violations of this treaty, or of the articles regulating trade, which are appended hereunto, shall be sued for in the consular courts, and all recoveries shall be delivered to the Japanese authorities.

Neither the American or Japanese govermueats are to be held responsible for the pajment of any debts, contracted by their respective citizens or subjects.

ARTICLE VII.

In the opened harbors of Japan, Americans shall be free to go where they please, within the following limits:

At kanagawa, the river Lokugo (which empties into the bay of Yedo, between Kawasaki and Sinagawa) and (10) ten ri in any other direction.

At Hakodate, (10) ten ri in any direction.

At Hiogo, (10) ten ri in any directions, that of Kioto excepted, which city shall not be approached nearer than (10) ten ri. The crews of vessels resorting to Hiogo shall not cross the river Enagawa, which empties into the bay between Hiogo and Osaca.

The distances shall be measured inland from the goyoso or town-hall of each of the foregoing harbors, the ri being equal to (4275) four thousand two hundred and seventy-five yards, American measure.

At Nagasaki, Americans may go into any part of the imperial domain in its vicinity.

The boundaries of Neegata, or the place, that may be substituted for it, shall be settled by the Ainerican diplomatic agent and tlie government of Japan.

Americans who may have been convicted of felony, or twice convicted of misdemeanors, shall not go more than (1) one Japanese ri in land, from the places of their respective residences, and all persons so convicted, shall lose their right of permanent residence in Japan, and the Japanese authorities may require them to leave the country.

A reasonable time shall be allowed to all such persons to settle their affairs, and the American consular authority shall, after an examination into the circumstances of each case, determine the time to be allowed, but such time shall not in any case exceed one year, to be calculated from the time the person shall be free, to attend to his affairs.

ARTICLE VIII.

Americans in Japan shall be allowed the free exercise of their religion, and for this purpose shall have the right, to erect suitable places of worship. No injury shall be done to such buildings, nor any insult be offered to the religious worship of the Americans.

American citizens shall not injure any Japanese temple or mia, or offer any insult or injury to Japanese religious ceremonies, or to the objects of their worship.

The Americans and Japanese shall not do anything, that may be calculated to excite religious animosity. The government of Japan has already abolished the practice of trampling on religious emblems.

ARTICLE IX.

When requested by the American consul, the Japanese authorities will cause the arrest of all deserters ancl fugitives from justice, receive in jail all persons, held as prisoners, by the consul, and give to the consul such assistance, as may be required to enable him to enforce the observance of the laws, by the Americans, who are on land, and to maintain order among the shipping. For all such services, and for the support of prisoners kept in confinement, the consul shall in all cases pay a just compensation.

ARTICLE X.

The Japanese government may purchase or construct in the United States, ships of war, steamers, merchant ships, whaleships, cannon, munitions of war, and arms of all kinds, and any other things it may require. It shall have the right to engage in the United States, scientific, naval and military men, artisans of all kind, and mariners to enter into its service. All purchases made for the government of Japan, may be exported from the United Slates, and all persons engaged for its service may freely depart from the United States. Provided,-- That no articles that are contraband of war shall be exported, nor any persons engaged to act in a naval or military capecity {sic}, while Japan shall be at war with any power ia amity with the United States.

ARTICLE XI.

The articles for the regulation of trade, which are appended to this treaty, shall be considered as forming a part of the same, and shall be equally binding on both the contracting parties to this treaty, and on their citizens and subjects.

ARTICLE XII.

Such of the provisions of the treaty made by Commodore Perry, and signed at Kanagawa, on the 31st of March, 1854, as conflict with the provisions of this treaty, are hereby revoked and as all the provisions of a convention, executed by the consul-general of the United States and governors of Simoda, on the 17th of June,1857, are incorporated in this treaty, that convention is also revoked.

Tlie person charged with tlie diplomatic relations of the United States in Japan, in conjunction with such person or persons, as may be appointed for that purpose, by the Japanese government, shall have power to make such rules and regulations, as may be required to carry into full and complete effect, the provisions of this treaty, and the provisions of the articles

regulating trade, appended thereunto.

ARTICLE XIII.

After the (4th of July, 1872.) fourth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, upon the desire of either the American or Japanese Government, and on one year's notice given by either party, this treaty, and such portions of the treaty of Kanagawa, as remain unrevoked by this treaty, together with the regulations of trade hereunto annexed, or those that may be hereafter introduced, shall be subject to revision, by commissioners, appointed on both sides, for this purpose, who will be empowered to decide on, and insert therein, such amendments as experience shall prove to be desirable.

ARTICLE XIV.

This Treaty shall go into effect on the (4th of July, 1859,) fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, on or before which day the ratifications of the same,

shall be exchanged at the city of Washington, but if from any unforeseen cause, the ratifications can not be exchanged by that time, the treaty shall still go into effect, at the date above mentioned.

The act of ratification on the part of the United States, shall be verified by the signature of the President of the United States, countersigned by the Secretary of State, and sealed with the seal of the United States.

The act of ratification on the part of Japan, shall be verified by the name and seal of His Majesty the Tycoon, and by the seals and signatures of such of his high officers, as he may direct.

This Treaty is executed in quadruplicate, each copy being written in the English, Japanese and Dutch languages, all the versions having the same meaning and intention, but the Dutch version shall be considered as being the original.

In witness whereof, the above named Plenipotentiaries have hereunto set their hands and seals at the city of Yedo, this twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-third, corresponding to the Japanese era, the ninteenth day of the sixth month of the fifth year of Ansei Mma.

(L.S.) Inoooye Sinanono Kami.

  "   Iwasay Higono Kami.

  "   Townsend Harris.

* There is a communication relative to the extension of Treaty Limits of Nagasaki addressed to the Foreign Representatives. See the part of Nagasaki.