Iwakura Mission

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Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, Japan had previously dispatched a series of diplomatic mission to the United States in 1860 and Europe in 1862 and 1863. Building upon these earlier expeditions, the newly established Meiji government organized the Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy (岩倉使節団, Iwakura Shisetsudan) to advance its modernization efforts. From 1871 to 1873, approximately 50 government officials traveled to the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and several other Western countries . During this time, many Japanese officials expressed concerns regarding Japan's economic and political relations with Western powers, particularly the unequal treaties. The Meiji government organized the Iwakura Mission to study the political, military, economic, and educational institutions of the United States and Europe. The mission aimed to gather information that could contribute to Japan's modernization, support efforts to revise existing treaties, and strengthen its diplomatic standing...

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