Leaving
Shinagawa,
Tokyo on 21 January 1862, the mission was sent in order to learn about Western civilization, ratify treaties, and delay the opening of cities and harbours to foreign trade.
Negotiations were held in
France, the
UK, the
Netherlands,
Prussia,
Russia, and finally
Portugal. The mission eventually returned to Tokyo on 30 January 1863. The members of the mission were extensively photographed by
Nadar. In London, the Mission visited the
1862 World Fair. Five years later, Japan would formally participate to the
1867 World Fair in Paris. The mission included the signing of the
London Protocol on 6 June 1862, which recognized that Japan needed time to "overcome the opposition now existing" (meaning the anti-foreign sentiment shared by the population and the Imperial Court), and accepted the postponement of the opening of
Osaka,
Hyogo,
Edo, and
Niigata by five years, to 1 January 1868. ==See also==