1860 View of the United States Capitol

View of the United States Capitol
from Journal and Sketches from
the Voyage to America
(Meriken kôkai nikki ryakuzu), 1860.
Watercolor sketchbook.
Asian Division (78)
(LC-USZC4-8737)

The Tokugawa shogunate sent six official missions to the West during the Edo period. The first delegation was sent to Washington, D.C., in 1860 to ratify the Harris Treaty of 1858, which forced Japan to abandon its isolationist policy toward foreigners. Shown here is a hand-drawn copy of an eyewitness sketch made by a member of the Japanese delegation. The labels in the image identify the subjects as "View of Washington from the Harbor" (top center); "The Capitol" (top right); and "Alexandria" (bottom). Also shown is the unfinished Washington Monument. The facing page shows an interior view of the Willard Hotel where the Japanese delegation stayed during their visit.