My dear friends,

Official relations between the United States of America and Japan date from March 31, 1854, when the Treaty of Peace and Amity was signed in Kanagawa, south of what would later be known as Tokyo . It was a mere year after Commodore Matthew Perry and his flotilla of warships, known as the Kurofune (Black Ships), steamed into Uraga at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, waking Japan from a 250-year slumber of isolation. The shock of the Black Ships would usher in adoption of the so-called Meiji Restoration as Japan discarded feudalism on its way to evolving toward a modern society.

One hundred and fifty years hence, despite serious times of discord such as the Pacific War, Japan and the U.S. have gone on to create a sturdy alliance and close partnership which plays a central role in the quest for global peace and stability.

Let us not forget that this important relationship exists not only through the efforts of our governments, but owes as much to the dedication and commitment of private organizations and individuals over many years on both sides of the Pacific.

At this historic juncture, the centennial-and-a-half of bilateral relations, the U.S.-Japan 150 Years Committee was founded by companies and run by volunteers, to recall our shared history as well as enhance bilateral ties, all the more critical at a time of global instability. We seek to promote cultural exchange on the private level and ensure that future generations learn the lessons of our vital partnership. Organizations across Japan have been asked to join in supporting this important commemoration.

The centerpiece of our commemorative year of events will be an official ceremony and symposium, "Toward a Better Future - the U.S. and Japan ," set for April 3, 2004. It will be held in the city of Yokohama , where the Kanagawa Treaty was signed.

Please join us, as we celebrate a remarkable and enduring partnership.

Sincerely yours,

I am delighted to join in celebrating a century and a half of relations between the United States and Japan.

The saga of our bilateral relationship is one of the most remarkable stories in modern history. In particular, the development of our friendship in the past sixty years is little short of miraculous. Today, our two nations are closer than ever.

Our security partnership serves not only as the bedrock of stability in East Asia, but is essential to joint efforts to promote peace and security around the world. But our alliance goes beyond mutual security concerns. It is based on a friendship formed of shared belief in the importance of democratic institutions and open, competitive markets around the world, and shared interest in global peace and prosperity.

Indeed, the United States and Japan depend on each other not only for our mutual security, but also for our very prosperity. Japan is our number one trading partner and largest export market outside NAFTA. Both sides reap the benefits of free trade in goods and services between our nations. When Japan prospers, America prospers, and vice versa.

My deep and abiding respect and affection for the Japanese people are sentiments shared across the United States. Through 150 years of exchanges spanning the arts, science and commerce, our two peoples have learned much from each other. It is appropriate that we should pause during this anniversary year to marvel at how much we have achieved, and consider how much more we can do together. The commemorative events of 2003-2004 celebrate a remarkable friendship. I believe they will go a long way toward raising awareness on both sides of the Pacific of the depth and value of the ties that bind us.

Howard H. Baker, Jr.
Ambassador