IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 418 
Recognizing the importance in history of the 150th anniversary of the 
establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 6, 2004 
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. LEACH, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, and Mr. HYDE) 
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on International Relations 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the importance in history of the 150th anniver-
sary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between 
the United States and Japan. 
Whereas over the past 150 years, the United States and 
Japan have developed a strong, multifaceted relationship 
based on shared democratic values and mutual interest in 
Asian and global stability and development; 
Whereas the bilateral relationship between the United States 
and Japan was opened by a visit by Commodore Matthew 
Perry to Japan in 1853, the goal of which was to con-
vince Japan to establish commercial and diplomatic rela-
tions; 
Whereas the first bilateral treaty between the 2 nations, the 
Treaty of Peace and Amity between Japan and the
•HCON 418 IH 
United States, was signed by Commodore Perry and Jap-
anese representatives on March 31, 1854, in Yokohama, 
Japan; 
Whereas the Treaty of Peace and Amity signaled the end of 
Japan’s long isolation as a feudal society and set the 
stage for the Meiji Restoration and for Japan’s trans-
formation into a modern industrial nation; 
Whereas with the direct assistance of President Theodore 
Roosevelt, the Portsmouth Peace Treaty was signed in 
1905, ending the Russo-Japanese War and earning Presi-
dent Roosevelt the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize; 
Whereas as a symbol of friendship, Japan presented the 
United States with 3,020 cherry trees in 1912, which 
continue to blossom each year on the National Mall in 
Washington, District of Columbia; 
Whereas the people of the United States and Japan worked 
together after World War II to reconstruct Japan and to 
ensure the post war emergence of Japan as a beacon of 
democracy and economic liberalization in the Asia-Pacific 
region; 
Whereas the allied security relationship between the United 
States and Japan was launched with the signing of the 
Security Treaty of 1951 and further solidified with the 
signing of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security 
in 1960; 
Whereas the United States and Japan, despite ongoing bilat-
eral trade disputes, have long sought to promote eco-
nomic cooperation and an open global trading system, 
and both nations serve as important and powerful mar-
kets for each other with over $170,000,000,000 in bilat-
eral trade in 2003;
•HCON 418 IH 
Whereas the Government of Japan strongly condemned the 
terrorist attacks against the United States that occurred 
on September 11, 2001, provided logistical support to 
United States military operations against Al Qaeda and 
the Taliban in Afghanistan, and has been a leading donor 
for the relief and reconstruction of Afghanistan; 
Whereas the Government of Japan enacted special legislation 
to allow the deployment to Iraq of Japanese Self Defense 
Force personnel to carry out humanitarian aid and recon-
struction 
activities, 
and 
committed 
to 
providing 
$5,000,000,000 in assistance to Iraq; 
Whereas increased tourism and educational and business ex-
changes between the people of Japan and the United 
States have dramatically increased mutual appreciation 
of Japanese and American culture; 
Whereas Japanese-American relations are further cemented 
by the enormous contributions to American economic, po-
litical, and cultural life by nearly 1,000,000 Japanese- 
Americans; 
Whereas Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi stated 
at the ceremony commemorating the 150th anniversary 
of the Japan-United States relationship that the bilateral 
friendship ‘‘is as solid as it is because our countries share 
fundamental values like freedom, democracy, and free 
market economy . . . [w]e are a prime example to the 
world that people of different races and beliefs can share 
the same values and be true friends’’; and 
Whereas generations of American and Japanese leaders have 
steered the bilateral relationship between the two nations 
from the humble beginnings of the visit to Japan by 
Commodore Matthew Perry to the current status of
•HCON 418 IH 
Japan as the strongest ally of the United States in the 
Asia-Pacific region: Now, therefore be it— 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) recognizes the importance in history of the 
150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between 
the United States and Japan; and 
(2) calls for expanded political, economic, stra-
tegic, and cultural ties between the Japanese and 
American people and their respective governments. 
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