Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In his final years, Perry wrote a three- volume account of his travels in the Orient. Like
the lithographs prepared by Heine, Perry's work was very well received and was to form the
foundation of the West's early understanding of the East. Titled a
Narrative of the Expedition
of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan
, he states of Nakagusuku Castle: “he
material used to build the fortress is limestone and the masonry is an admirable construc-
tion. The stones are processed in a very interesting way and are carefully shaped and jointed,
even though cement or mortar is not used. I think this work will last for a long time.”
Commodore Mathew C. Perry (1794-1858)
Son of a Navy captain, Perry died in New York City but was born and buried in Newport, Rhode Island.
If ever there were a man with saltwater in his veins, it was he. Perry saw acion in the Batle of Eire,
the War of 1812, the Second Barbary War and the Mexican-American War. He fought pirates and the
slave trade in the West Indies and was offered a Tsar's commission in the Russian Navy, which he de-
clined. He was called the Father of the Steam Navy for his work with steamships and he was instru-
mental in the development of the Naval Academy's curriculum at Annapolis. He is best remembered
for his voyages to Japan and his opening of that country to trade with the West. His first visit left
Norfolk, Virginia, in 1852. He arrived in Edo (Tokyo) in July of 1853, having stopped in Okinawa along
the way. Perry's second visit landed in February of 1854, and on that occasion he concluded the Con-
venion of Kanagawa. The treaty formalized trade relaions with the West for the next century. Perry
returned to the US in 1855 and spent the last three years of his life writing his memoirs. There is a
memorial stone to him at the Internaional Cemetery in Tomari, Naha (page
101
).
Nakagusuku Castle had already been standing for 400 years when Perry and his Amer-
ican sailors visited it. They were suitably impressed with its construction and with the con-
struction of Shuri Castle, which they also visited. Along with several other
gusuku
and a few
related sites, Nakagusuku Castle was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2000.
