Department of the Treasury

While in Washington D.C the delegates visited the Department of the Treasury, where the nation’s currency was printed. The group was drawn to the intricate process of printing paper money, a method that required efficient collaboration between machines and manual laborers. The delegates were especially impressed by how meticulous the printing presses were, as each was able to create a unique design on the bills. Just as they had noticed at the U.S Printing Office, many female workers were employed in the stations of the Treasury that required the highest level of precision and attention to detail. During the time of the Iwakura Mission the notes used in Japan had […]

Streets of Washington D.C.

On February 6, 1872, the delegation headed to the United States Capitol building. They arrived via Pennsylvania Avenue, marveling at the immaculate roads surrounded by beautiful winter trees and flora. The group commented that the streets were laid out like a Go board, with the four large avenues – Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey – converving on the great Capitol. Kanitake Kume was impressed by the evenness of the stone road, and made a note that it allowed people to haul loads several times heavier than what was possible on Japan’s roadways. Upon the delegation’s return home, the Meiji government invested heavily in road infrastructure across Japan, striving to […]

Patent Office

During the afternoon of April 2, 1872, the delegates made a trip to the U.S Patent Office. The group was impressed by the thousands of inventions listed and on display – everything from toys to steamship designs. Kume Kunitake, the avid diarist of the journey, translated the name of the building to, “the Institution for rewarding ingenious inventions” (褒巧院). Kume noted that the degree of recognition given to an invention was determined by its quality. According to him, Americans were most proud of their mechanical and machine-related achievements, most notably the steamship and the eclectic telegraph. Soon after the group returned to Japan, the Meiji government issued an ordinance to […]

Printing Office

The delegates’ visit to the U.S Printing Office in Washington D.C struck a chord – the whole group was attracted by the calm and calculated atmosphere of the working environment. They witnessed synchronicity in action during a tour of the composing room on the top floor. From above, the delegates watched as mechanical typesetting, stereotyping, and printing services worked in tandem using steam power. While men and women worked side-by-side in the office, the group observed that roles requiring greater precision, such as typesetting, were dominated by women. Kunitake Kume made a note that because of the newfound technological progress in machinery, which had turned printing into a relatively inexpensive […]

Postal Service Headquarters

On April 30 1872, the Iwakura Mission group visited the Washington D.C headquarters of the United States Postal Service (USPS). They toured the dead letter office, piled high with undeliverable mail, and went through the sorting and delivery departments. The guide informed the delegates that while the USPS excelled at delivering letters and parcels, other independent services were better suited to ship precious metals or other fragile commodities. The group was surprised to learn that the USPS could deliver mail to Yokohama or Nagaski via international delivery! Kunitake Kume noted the ability to transport information through a national postal system was a crucial aspect of economic growth. Kume surmised that […]

National Observatory in Georgetown

On April 23, 1872, the delegation was granted access to the United States Naval Observatory and its 10-foot-long equatorial telescope. Three stories high and overlooking the Potomac River, the telescope allowed the group to observe the movements of celestial objects such as the moon and stars in detail in addition to Mercury and the moons of Jupiter. Only five years later, in 1877, the same observatory would gain international attention for discovering the two moons of Mars. The building still exists today and serves as a National Historic Landmark. Astronomical observations were limited in Japan until the Meiji era (1868 – 1912), when the government tasked astronomers to calculate the […]

Streetcars

During the delegates’ time in Washington D.C, they encountered streetcars passing through the bustle of the boulevards. Pulled by horses, the cars were used to transport freight, baggage, and as many as fifty people. The group marveled at the vehicle’s ability to carry so many passengers and cargo with ease. Kunitake Kume suspected that the streetcars were so efficient because of their superior wheel craftsmanship, coupled with the city’s well-surfaced roads.

Smithsonian Institution

On April 17, 1872, Vice-Ambassador Naoyoshi Yamaguchi (1839 – 1894) and Kunitake Kume (1839 – 1831) accepted an invitation to visit the Smithsonian Institution. The Institution had been established 26 years earlier with funds from James Smithson (1765 – 1829), whose vision was to create a space “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” As Yamaguchi and Kume approached the building they were impressed by vast lawns, luscious trees, and winding paths surrounding the property.Even from the outside it felt like a place of learning and insight.The two delegates toured the glass conservatory filled with plants and trees, and viewed the main building’s numerous artifacts, specimens, and machines, and walked […]

Bureau of Agriculture

On April 30, 1872, the delegation received a tour of the Bureau of Agriculture, beginning with the Entomology Department and the agricultural museum. The group was interested in investigating the ways that farmers in America protected their fields from harmful pests. Farmers in Japan used a method of flooding their rice fields to protect from weeds and bugs. The delegates learned that, in contrast, American farmers relied on eagles and swallows to serve as natural predators for harmful insects. For the most invasive insects, the Bureau actively researched more advanced methods of field protection. Kunitake Kume noted that America’s greatest profits must be derived from its vast agricultural industry. While […]

Women’s Role in Society

On May 4, 1872, the group detoured from Washington D.C to visit the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Upon arrival, the delegation was surprised to see women entering government buildings. Kunitake Kume remarked on this, saying the strangest custom he witnessed in America was the relation between the sexes. He had seen husbands serving their wives inside and outside of the household, and intimate dancing between the men and women in public. Just months after their visit, Susan B. Anthony would convince a group of women to cast ballots in the presidential election. Although it would be 50 years before women would be granted the right to vote […]

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