Which treaty ended Japan's isolationist policy and opened trade with the United States?

• A. Treaty of Kanagawa
• B. Kyoto Treaty
• C. Treaty of Versailles
• D. Treaty of Paris

Answer: (A)

Treaty of Kanagawa is the one that ended Japan’s isolation and opened trade with the United States. In 1854, Japan and the United States signed this agreement after Commodore Perry’s expedition pressured Japan to open its ports. It set up two ports, Shimoda and Hakodate, for limited trade, allowed the arrival of a U.S. consul, and facilitated the return of shipwrecked sailors. This treaty marked the first formal crack in sakoku, the Edo-period policy of national seclusion, and it paved the way for further treaties and broader engagement with the outside world, signaling the start of Japan’s rapid modernization. The other treaties listed are not connected to opening Japan to American trade—one is not a real treaty related to Japan’s isolation, and the others ended different conflicts or concerns.