<Li> 1854: The USA forces Japan to sign a trade agreement ("Treaty of Kanagawa") which reopens Japan to foreigners after two centuries . </Li> <Li> 1855: Russia and Japan establish diplomatic relations . </Li> <Li> 1864: British, French, Dutch and American warships bombard Shimonoseki and open more Japanese ports for foreigners . </Li> <Li> 1868: Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigns, the Tokugawa dynasty ends, and the emperor (or "mikado") Meiji is restored, but with capital in Edo / Tokyo and divine attributes . </Li>

As a money economy emerged in japan merchants