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On July 1853, just months after Manjiro began his teaching career, a fleet of four American ships entered Edo Bay. Commodore Matthew C. Perry demanded to speak to the emperor and made it known that America wanted access to Japanese ports.
The country was thrown into chaos. "Black dragons belching fire! " the people cried, having never before seen steamships. "One hundred thousand devils" were coming, it was said, and people hid their valuables and locked themselves in their homes.