The first episode of the Dafacto World series kicks off at Yokohama to south of Tokyo. The port at this city was where Japan’s journey to the new world began.
The Meiji era began in 1868 with Emperor Meiji being the 122nd Empreror of Japan. This year marked the opening of Japan’s doors to the outside world. Japan implemented modernization and Westernization to its soil during this 45-year period.
The emperor renamed the capital city Edo, which was the political and economic center of the country, to Tokyo in 1868. However, the bay of the city in the east and south side kept its name Edo.
Fukuzawa Yukichi, a man of englightenment who is portrayed on the ten thousand yen bill, said in his 1853 memoirs of Yokohama shores to the west of Edo bay that “one morning, the Japanese people were alarmed by the presence of massive dark ships in Yokohama, with some interpreting the event as the arrival of Black Devil”.
This was the arrival of 9 large ships commanded by the US captain M.Perry. The event caused a shockwave through Japan. The Japanese realized the sheer difference of power between the warships of other countries and Japan’s wooden ships, leading to the belief that they need to learn how to make those and get to know the West better.
The three centuries of Japanese isolation in Edo period was the underlying cause of this weakness. They immediately began relations with the US which masters making these massive ships. First, they sent their intellectuals and businesspeople to study. The unrestricted entry of foreign ships to the Yokohama port enabled the flow of foreign culture and information, introducing the Japanese to Western food and drinks, culture, and arts. Yokohama is often named as the birthplace of the modern Japanese culture.
Besides being a cultural hub, this city also laid the foundation of modern industries in Japan. The mass production of automobiles began in this city. Nissan built is manufacturing plant here in 1935 and set the record of producing 15 thousand cars within two years. The the first prototype was called Datsun Model-14. Now, a car called GTR is being developed, which can accelerate up to 340km.
Yokohama city is the capital of Kanagawa prefecture – one of the 9 regions and 42 prefectures in Japan. The city is developing rapidly.
Today, Yokohama is a major hub for industry and business in Japan, housing the headquarters of most Japanese corporations and boasting the country’s history of industrialization.
Thus, this harbor in Yokohama saw the fist steps of the great reforms leading to the rise ofJapan as the industrial powerhouse we know today.