Shimoda is a city situated in the Izu Peninsula in Japan. This town is famous because Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy arrived with his "black ships" in 1853. This led to the signing of the Convention of Kanagawa, actively ending Japan's 200-year era of isolation from the outside world.

Japan around of the year 1600 and 250 more posteriorly, was closed almost totally to the outside world. Some Chinese and Dutch traders survived in a limited number of ports, and inhabitants of Japan weren't allowed to leave View from the Path to Shimoda Park Japan. Americans wished to have access to ports of Japan in order to be able to obtain food, water and fuel onto ships in route to Asia.

In 1854, seven ships commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States navy sailed View from Shimoda Park into Shimoda Harbor and demanded that Japan constitute trade and diplomatic relations with the United States. Negotiations began and treaties were signed in Shimoda. After that in Shimoda, the first US and Russian consulates were constituted. Therefore, Shimoda is strongly linked with the opening of Japan to the outside world in the 19th century.

Many sites in Shimoda celebrate the uncapping of the country.