Second Japanese Embassy to Europe (1864)

The head of the mission was Ikeda Nagaoki, governor of small villages of Ibara, Bitchū Province (Okayama Prefecture).

The objective of the mission was to obtain French agreement to the closure of the harbour of Yokohama to foreign trade.

The mission was sent following the 1863 "Order to expel barbarians" (攘夷実行の勅命) enacted by Emperor Kōmei, and the Bombardment of Shimonoseki incidents, in a wish to close again the country to Western influence, and return to sakoku status.

The task proved impossible, as Yokohama was the center of foreign presence in Japan since the opening of the country by Commodore Matthew Perry in 1854.

On the way to France, the mission visited Egypt, where the members of the mission were photographed posing before the Sphinx by Antonio Beato, brother of the photographer Felice Beato.

Ikeda Nagaoki was the head of the mission.
Members of the Ikeda Mission in front of the Sphinx, 1864.
The son of Nadar , photographed in 1864 with members of the Ikeda Mission, Yatsu Kanshiro (left) and an unnamed samurai (right).