Chapters 5-8, The Dutch Island Prison, Foreigners Forbidden, The Great Peace, Clouds Over the Land of the Rising Sun Summary

Chapter 5: The Dutch were the only regular trading partners of the Japanese and they basically lived like slaves. The island they lived on, Deshima, was only two hundred yards long and eighty yards wide. They maintained a small trading post there connected to Nagasaki, which was their trading post. Only around twelve families could live there at a time. The Japanese who served them had to swear a blood oath not to become friendly with them and the Dutch could not leave the island without special permission. Around the time of Commodore Perry's arrival, the Dutch made a trip to see the head Shogun in Edo. It...