The City of Philadelphia has much American history to offer the Japanese, who will visit in 2026 as part of the Grassroots Summit sponsored by the Manjiro-Whitfield Center for International Exchange.  However, there also is an interesting Japanese connection with Philadelphia that will be new information for most Japanese visitors.  In 1854, near the end of negotiations between Japan and America as part of Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s expedition, a unique gift made in Philadelphia was given to the Japanese.  It was a quarter-scaled operating model of a steam locomotive that included a circular set of tracks one mile long.  The First Assistant Engineer, Robert Danby, assembled the gift and was prepared to offer rides to the Japanese.

Although apprehensive at first, several commissioners involved with the negotiation took advantage of the unique ride, and with kimonos flowing in the breeze, rode around the tracks like children on a carnival ride.  This was the first train ride for any Japanese person, other than Manjiro, who had ridden trains in the United States.  The miniature railroad was selected as a gift from the President of the United States to the Emperor of Japan to impress on the Japanese that they had fallen behind in technology following 250 years of isolation.  It was effective.

 In his Narrative of the Expedition, Commodore Perry described the event as: 

“Steam had been raised in the little furnace, the car attached, and the secretary of one of the commissioners, not a little alarmed, was placed on the roof of the car whilst Mr. Danby sat upon the tender feeding the fire with one hand and managing the engine with the other.  The beautiful little machine whirled round the circle filling the air with its shrill steam whistle to the astonishment and delight of the immense crowd collected.”

The locomotive and its tender taken to Japan was made by the Richard Norris and Company located on Spring Garden Street in Philadelphia.  The passenger car made by another firm in Philadelphia was also part of the gift.  The Norris Company was started in 1832 by William Norris (1802-1867) and produced thousands of locomotives for use in the United States and foreign counties.  The Norris buildings stood until 1896 when they were cleared for construction of the United States Mint in Philadelphia.  Unfortunately, nothing remains of the original Norris factories.  The property is now part of the Community College of Philadelphia.  The locomotive was stored at the Naval Academy in Tokyo for many years, but in 1868 the school building was destroyed by fire including the locomotive.

The steam locomotive from Philadelphia was the first and most likely the most impressive of the American gifts that Commodore Perry gave to the Japanese.  Although the Japanese did not have steam locomotion at the time of Perry’s visit, they soon mastered the technology and today have the most impressive train system to the amazement of the whole world.  The gifts given to the Japanese and from the Japanese helped form a friendship between our countries that is still strong today.  

The cultural exchanges like the 2026 Japan-America Grassroots Summit in Philadelphia help maintain that friendship and give attendees from both countries a chance to learn more about our cultures and our history.