Final answer:
Commodore Perry used military force as a negotiation tactic to open Japan to trade and diplomacy with the United States in 1853, resulting in the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa and the end of Japanese isolationism.
Step-by-step explanation:
Commodore Matthew Perry entered the Tokyo harbor with military ships to force Japan to open up to international trade and diplomatic relations, an act that effectively ended Japan's period of isolationism.
He arrived in Tokyo Bay in July 1853 with a show of military strength, delivering letters from President Millard Fillmore that requested the humane treatment of shipwrecked American sailors and explored the possibility of establishing trade relations.
The Japanese government, realizing their inability to match the military prowess of an industrialized nation, agreed to negotiate, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa on March 31, 1854. This treaty opened certain ports to American ships and set the stage for further agreements and Japan's eventual modernization during the Meiji Restoration. Perry's actions represented a typical example of 'gunboat diplomacy' and foreshadowed the rise of imperial influence in Asia by Western powers.