In essence this was the beginning of the creation of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs after Japan's long period of isolationist policy.
The Gaikoku bugyō system began just prior to the negotiations which resulted in the Harris Treaty.
[3] The Gaikoku bugyō system ended in 1869 when the new Meiji government was formed;[2] but some of the foundational work of this period proved useful to the nascent Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Hotta succeeded Abe Masahiro, and in his years at the post had to address the issue of the Harris Treaty of 1858.
[4] Rōjū Hotta Masayoshi formed an ad hoc committee of shogunate officials with special knowledge of foreign affairs, and he himself headed this working group.