Ryōsen-ji, Buddhist temple in Shimoda, Japan
Ryōsen-ji is a Buddhist temple in Shimoda with three large stone grave monuments on its grounds. These structures mark the burial sites of several local officials from past centuries.
The temple was founded in 1635 and later became known as the place where an important peace treaty between Japan and the United States was signed in 1854. This event marked a turning point in Japan's relations with the West.
The temple holds objects that show meetings between Japan and the West from the 16th to 19th centuries. You can see how these connections shaped the place and the people who lived there.
From Shimoda Station, a roughly 10-minute walk leads directly to the temple. The path follows a historical route that makes the location easy to reach.
The grounds hosted the first Western musical performance in Japan during Commodore Perry's ceremony. A German artist captured this moment in a lithograph that survives today.
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