In this episode, we'll cover the events until 1858 including the internal conflicts within Japan, the work of Townsend Harris, the first American consul to Japan, and the Ansei Treaties, famous for their harsh and unequal conditions.

The following is a list of some of the Japanese names and terms that are used in this episode: Abe Masahiro, Hotta Masayoshi, Ii Naosuke, Shimoda, Hakodate, Edo, Osaka, Nagasaki, Kanagawa, Niigata Hyogo/Kobe.

Sources: The Meiji Restoration by W.G. Beasley, The Making of Modern Japan by Marius B. Jansen, A Modern History of Japan by Andrew Gordon.