By the time the four battleships, exhaling black smoke, sailed into the Uraga Bay in 1853, Japan’s third shogunate and its vassal samurai had been ruling and enjoying undisturbed “total peace” for two and a half centuries. Though other Westerners had been showing up around Japan’s waters recently, this visit, led by Navy Commander Matthew Perry, seemed more determined than others to impress Japan with a greater purpose. The samurai had seen the raw power of the industrial West only a decade before when the profit hungry Great Britain devastated Qing China in order to force the sale of opium. What to do? This course explores the momentous encounter of two forces, the rising imperialist nation, the United States, and the proud warrior regime that had barred all Christian countries from its soil centuries before. This is a story of palpable “threat and anxiety at first sight” that generated remarkable adjustments on the part of the vulnerable. But it also greatly impacted the aggressor. We will focus on the lives and beliefs of the samurai and the intent and conduct of the United States. The course introduces this moment through carefully chosen feature films, journal entries, scholarly articles, and visual materials, such as comics and photographs. We will also visit the Clements Library, which has recently purchased valuable prints related to this encounter. Evaluation will be based on regularly scheduled short writing assignments and presentations, as well as active participation and discussion.