After the Perry Expedition, the Edo Shogunate concluded the Kanagawa Treaty with the U.S and was forced to open the two trading ports of Shimoda and Hakodate. However, after the five years of Emperor Kōmei's reign, the two sides signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce on the Puritan Ship. The ports of Kanagawa, Nagasaki, Niigata, and Hyogo were added to the treaty. At the same time, foreigners were allowed to stay for business in the Edo and Osaka areas.
Although Kyoto wasn't on the list, it took only one day to get there from Osaka. Ten years had passed since the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, and after the Kinmon incident, Sonnō jōi rethought their strategy. Since the emperor was the only one in charge now, he focused on bakumatsu. The barbarian was no longer mentioned anymore, and they started to cooperate with the West actively. Hence, Westerners could move around even more freely now.
