In 1814, Stamford Raffles wrote in his capacity as Lieutenant-Governor of Java to Lord Minto in London, urging him to use his influence with the Government and change Britain’s trade policy regarding Japan. Hitherto, trade had been carried on through Dutch agents, and in Raffles opinion this was discrediting Britain and denying her the benefits of free trade.

Raffles argued that with the right policy, Britain’s trade with Japan could be as important to her as trade with her already profitable China. He firmly laid the blame at the door of the Dutch, who (he said) deliberately talked down the Japanese in order to discourage rivals, whereas he found the Japanese polished, modern and unprejudiced.

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