Research of Japanese collections of the Smithsonian Institution collected in the 19th century

1992年9月，我们在国立日本历史博物馆找到了隶属于史密森学会（Smithsonian Institution）的厚钦女士（Chan-su Houchins），并有机会对两国与党有关的资料进行研究、整理和讨论。同时我们也可以和她谈谈“江户后期日美关系史”展览的计划。12月，该项目的三名日本成员前往MSC的武器收藏和国家自然历史博物馆的图片（草图和照片）进行研究，并将佩里远征日本的资料列了一个清单，这些资料属于位于东海岸的博物馆。他们参观了佩里的坟墓和他在纽波特出生的房子。RI，并研究了与他有关的材料，之后，他们得到了佩里舰队船员绘制的21张图，以及列出与佩里及其舰队访问日本有关的材料位于马里兰州安纳波利斯的海军学院博物馆和华盛顿特区的海军历史中心的清单。除此之外，这个项目的另外两名成员还参观了位于加利福尼亚州洛杉矶的美日国家博物馆，该博物馆于1992年开放。并且有机会研究它拥有的材料。他们可以在犹他州立大学，加州大学洛杉矶分校的亚裔美国人研究中心和犹他州盐湖城的犹他Nippo公司，为美籍日本人出版多年的犹他Nippo。这些历时三年的研究，让我们对19世纪末日美关系史有了大量的专业知识和了解。

We got Ms. Chan-su Houchins who belonged to Smithsonian Institution on National Museum of Japanese History in September 1992, and had a chance to research, sort out, and discuss the materials being related to parry in both country. At the same time we could talk with her about the program of the exhibition "The history of relation between Japan and America in the late of Edo period". In December, three Japanese members of this project went to research the MSC's collection of arms and the pictures (sketches and photographs) of National Museum of Natural History, and made a list of the materials of the Perry's expedition to Japan, which belonged to the museums located in the east side coast. And they visited the Perry's tomb and the house where he was born in Newport. RI, and researched the materials being related to him, After that they got 21 sdetches drawn by crews of Perry's fleet and the lists which told where the materials being related to perry and his fleet visiting Japan were located, in Naval academy Museum in Annapolis, MD and in the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C. In addition to that, other two members of this project visited American Japanese National Museum in Los Angeles, CA, which had opened in 1992, and had a chance of researching materials it owned. And they could research on Utah Nippo published for American Japanese in Utah State for many years, in the Asian American Research Center of UCLA and in Utah Nippo Company in Salt Lake City, UT. These studies spanning three years let us get a great deal of expertise and information about the history of the relation between Japan and America in the late of 19th century.