Prudish westerners changed the feelings Japanese had about public nudity in the 1860s onwards. Westerners are clean, decent, peace-loving, of high moral standards, warriors fighting the Devil and satanic crimes against the Earth like nudity, surfing, dancing, decorating oneself with flowers, and being born on an island blessed with lots of breadfruit trees*. Thank the Christian God Almighty Japan is now a fluorescent-lit, aspartame-flavored, Mickey Mouse-obsessed, and plant food despising nation. More: http://www.east-asian-history.net/textbooks/MJ/ch4_main.htm.
Okinawa Soba writes:
The above full plate illustration was pulled from a lithographic stone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856, just before the April, 1856 fire that destroyed the Duval Lithographic Company. A large amount of original and valuable documents used to prepare some of the illustrations for Commodore Perry's 3-volume EXPEDITION TO JAPAN were lost that day, and one lady watching the fire had such a fright that she died of a heart attack on the spot.
Fortunately, the artwork production was distributed among many establishments in Philadelphia and New York. So, with some sacrifice, the EXPEDITION was published on schedule — Vol 1 in 1856, Vol. 3 in 1857, and Vol 2 in 1858. Yes, you read those last two correctly. But, that's another interesting story for another day.
In any case, one of the plates that was finished and already sent to the binders at the Government Printing Office before the fire hit Duval's place, was the above scene of a Public Bath in the town of Shimoda (Spelled "SIMODA" in the print). An artist / engraver named QUEEN, working from an original sketch by German-born expedition artist WILLIAM HEINE, carefully transferred Heine's sketch to the stone, and printed it in multi-tones. The red in the above print was added later by hand.
When the first volume came out in 1856, Washington DC was scandalized at the discovery of this print within the Government report, and even though it was a true record of the customs and culture of Japan, wives of the politicians protested, and "Christain" members of Congress called for the offending plate to be pulled from the books published, or at least not inserted in any more of the print run as it came off the presses. The very idea that United States taxpayers were footing the bill for the publication of such blatant PORNOGRAPHY was unthinkable to most, and that was that.
It is said that only about one-in-ten sets of Perry's EXPEDITION may be found with this "Bathing Plate" still bound into the set. However, if one looks at the table of illustrations, it is not officially listed as being in the book. This seems to indicate that from the very start, they knew it would cause trouble, and made no mention of it to the readers. It was to be a "surprise" for those who actually read the book and stumbled upon it !!!
Today, some Antiquarian Booksellers who have a set without the Bathing Plate, but not wanting customers to reject it, often say that the book is "Complete with all illustrations called for". In some instances, the presence of just this one "un-called-for" illustration can add an additional 500 to 1,000 dollars to the price of the Set.
The above print is in the best condition I have ever seen, and just got lucky to own it. The late Captain Roger Pineau (former director of the Smithsonian's Museum of History and technology, and managing director of the Smithsonian Institution Press) also had one of these original prints. He sealed it in a waterproof frame, and hung it in the bathroom of his Bethesda, Maryland home. Pineau was also the editor of the book THE PERSONAL JOURNAL OF COMMODORE MATTHEW C. PERRY.
The original print above is posted at full 300dpi scan size, and all of the pretty babes and boobs of 1854 may be examined at your leisure by hitting the ALL SIZES button, and then clicking again on ORIGINAL.
As for SHIMODA…..
"……..Shimoda is a city and port in Shizuoka, Japan, which played an important part in the opening of Japan to the outside world in the 1850s. The city is located at the southern tip of the Izu peninsula about 60 miles southwest of
In the 1850s, Japan was in political crisis over the issue of what relations, if any, it should have with foreign powers. For a few years, Shimoda was central to this debate.
Bust of Matthew C. Perry in Shimoda.
The port was opened to American trade under the conditions of the Convention of Kanagawa, negotiated by Commodore Matthew Perry and signed on March 31, 1854. The first American Consulate in Japan was opened at Gyokusen-ji under Consul General Townsend Harris. Harris negotiated the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the two countries, which was signed at Ryōsen-ji in 1858.
Japan's relations with Russia were also negotiated in Shimoda, and in 1855 the Treaty of Shimoda was signed at Chōraku-ji.
Shimoda was also the site of Yoshida Shōin's unsuccessful attempt to board Perry's 'black ships' in 1854.
Monuments at Gyokusen-ji claim that it is "the spot where the first cow in Japan was slaughtered for human consumption", and where the habit of humans drinking cow's milk started in Japan……"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimoda,_Shizuoka
Finally, in Japan, there is a right and a wrong way to do everything, unless you are Okinawa_Soba, in which case, you do everything the wrong way. But, for you first-timers, here's how to take a bath in Japan without offending anyone, or getting thrown out of an ONSEN (hot spring) or a MINSHUKU or RYOKAN (native Japanese Inn or Hotel) :
Kyoto Observer 
Dear sir,
I am interested in and collecting lithographs of Perry’s expedition, and fortunately purchased “Public Bath at Simoda” at e-Bay auction. I referred this very interesting and suggestive article of yours in my blog.
Please visit my blog and if you have any comment, send message to me.
Regards,
Toyohiko Nitta
Hi Toyohiko. That isn’t my article; it’s Okinawa Soba’s. Look for the link. He has lots of beautiful old photos of Japan.