Kanrin Maru Crosses the Pacific

The shogunate sent Kanrin Maru across the Pacific in 1860 alongside its mission to exchange treaty ratifications. Kimura Yoshitake held expedition responsibility and Katsu Kaishū commanded the ship. The principal envoys traveled aboard the American Powhatan. Kanrin Maru left Uraga on February 10, ahead of that larger vessel.

The crossing tested a crew trained partly at Nagasaki. Akamatsu Noriyoshi’s diary records Dutch-derived sailing terms, heavy seas and repeated pumping. American officer John Mercer Brooke assisted the voyage and criticized the absence of settled stations and watches. The diary begins naming watch officers after the journey was already under way, showing organization being adjusted at sea.

Storms separated the vessels’ journeys. Kanrin Maru reached San Francisco on March 17 and underwent repairs at Mare Island, including work on the mast and hull. Kimura sent thanks to the officer responsible. The ship returned to Uraga in June. The achievement involved Japanese command and crew, American assistance and shore facilities; successful arrival did not erase the operational problems recorded during the passage.