Timeline of Japan–United States relations

The first encounter between the two countries to be recorded in official documents occurred in 1791 when the Lady Washington became the first American ship to visit Japan in an unsuccessful attempt to sell sea otter pelts.

The first Japanese Embassy to the United States set sail for San Francisco in 1860, marking diplomatic engagement between the two nations.

The early 20th century saw Japan and the United States become allies during World War I, and diplomatic interactions continued.

Japan–United States relations continued to evolve throughout the Cold War and into the 21st century, with periods of cooperation and occasional trade disputes.

The two nations maintain strong economic ties, and Japan is a crucial ally of the United States in Asia.

Tokugawa Ieyasu , the first shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate
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An 1854 Japanese print depicting the Perry Expedition
Photograph of Ambassador Muragaki Norimasa, Vice-Ambassador Shinmi Masaoki, and Observer Oguri Tadamasa in the United States in 1860
The first Japanese Embassy to the United States was led by Ambassador Muragaki Norimasa, Vice-Ambassador Shinmi Masaoki, and Observer Oguri Tadamasa (pictured) .
1887 photograph of a cowboy on horseback
The cowboy , the quintessential symbol of the Old West [ 13 ]
1877 painting of the Battle of Shiroyama
The defeat at the Battle of Shiroyama in 1877 effectively ended the samurai class.
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Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right)
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The World Trade Center following the September 11 attacks