Opening Japan to the World – The Beginning of the Global Journey of the Three Wise Monkeys
.🇯🇵 Japan before 1854 – The Era of Isolation (Sakoku)
From 1639, Japan lived in strict isolation, following the sakoku policy of closing the country to the outside world.
For over 200 years, foreigners were forbidden to enter Japan, and Japanese citizens were not allowed to leave.
International trade was almost entirely blocked, with the exception of the small island of Dejima in Nagasaki, where limited access was granted only to the Dutch and Chinese.
During this time, the symbol of the Three Wise Monkeys, carved in the 17th century at the Tōshō-gū Shrine complex in Nikkō, was known only in Japan and virtually unheard of abroad.
Historical photograph of the Three Wise Monkeys sculpture at the Tōshō-gū Shrine complex in Nikkō, Japan — early 20th century. Private collection.
Commodore Perry’s Black Ship (1854) – archival photograph of a ship from Perry’s expedition that opened Japan. Source: Library of Congress.
⚓ 1853–1854: The Black Ships and the Treaty of Kanagawa
Everything changed in the mid-19th century. In July 1853, an expedition led by U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry arrived at the shores of Japan with four modern steam-powered warships, called the “Black Ships” by the Japanese.
Perry demanded that Japan open its ports to international trade and establish diplomatic relations.
After months of negotiations, in March 1854, the Treaty of Kanagawa was signed between Japan and the United States.
This was a turning point:
• The first trading ports were opened in Shimoda and Hakodate,
• Foreign consulates were allowed to be established,
• Cultural and scientific exchanges between Japan and the West began.
After more than two centuries of isolation, Japan opened to the world.
📷 Early Travelers, Photographers, and the Symbol of the Three Wise Monkeys
Only after 1854 did Europeans and Americans begin arriving in Japan — travelers, researchers, collectors, merchants, and the first photographers.
It was during this time that the Three Wise Monkeys motif could be noticed, described, and documented for the first time by people outside Japan.
Between the 1860s and 1880s, the first publications about Japan appeared in Europe and the United States.
Initially illustrated with drawings and lithographs, they gradually began to include photographs showcasing Japanese art, culture, and symbols.
It was during this period — around 1870 — that the first documented photograph of the Three Wise Monkeys figurines could realistically have been taken.
Earlier, during Japan’s isolation, such documentation would have been virtually impossible.
🌍 The Beginning of the Global Journey of the Symbol
The opening of Japan to the world in the mid-19th century marked the start of the global journey of the Three Wise Monkeys.
From a local, almost hidden symbol in Nikkō, the motif found its way into publications, photographic albums, private collections, and museums worldwide.
From that moment on, the Three Wise Monkeys began leaving Japan, gradually becoming an internationally recognized symbol, documented in photography and featured in art, pop culture, and collections on every continent.
The opening of Japan in the mid-19th century set the stage for the global expansion of the Three Wise Monkeys.
From a local, nearly secret symbol in Nikkō, it entered foreign publications, photographic archives, private collections, and even postcards.
This historic turning point marked the beginning of a journey that led to the Three Wise Monkeys becoming one of the world’s most recognizable symbols today.
📩 Share Your Knowledge and Materials
This article is part of a larger project, ThreeMonkeys.center, where we document the history, symbolism, and presence of the Three Wise Monkeys around the world.
We always strive to rely on verified sources, but we know that history is alive and full of undiscovered threads.
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