During the Bakumatsu period, Shimoda port was opened to American trade under the conditions of the Convention of Kanagawa, negotiated by Commodore Matthew Perry and signed on March 31, 1854. Shimoda was also the site of Yoshida Shōin's unsuccessful attempt to board Perry's 'black ships' in 1854.

The first American Consulate in Japan was opened at the temple of Gyokusen-ji under Consul General Townsend Harris. Harris negotiated the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the two countries, which was signed at nearby Ryōsen-ji in 1858.

Japan's relations with Imperial Russia were also negotiated in Shimoda, and in 1855 the Treaty of Shimoda was signed at Choraku-ji

However, in June 1859, with the opening of the port of Yokohama to foreign trade, the port of Shimoda was again closed and the American consulate was relocated to Zenpuku-ji in Edo.

After the Meiji Restoration, Shimoda came under the control of the short-lived Kikuma Domain in 1868, and the equally short-lived Ashigara Prefecture from 1871. The Mikomotoshima Lighthouse was completed in 1870 by British engineer Richard Henry Brunton. It is currently the oldest functioning lighthouse in Japan and is now a National Historic Monument. Ashigara Prefecture was divided between Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures in 1876. In a cadastral reform of 1889, Shimoda Town was formally established within Kamo District. The town was repeatedly bombed in 1945, in the final stages of World War II."

Shimoda is full of places to visit to experience its rich culture and history. Some of favorite spots include:

Shimoda Park & Castle

Lunch on Perry Road (as pictured in photo)

Walking around Shimoda town among the historical Namako Kabe walled buildings

Sushi at Michi-no-Eki's kaiten zushi restaurant

Minami Izu (The southern most part of the peninsula) also has some great spots:

Irozaki Light House and Shrine

Sunsets and the Rocky west coast

Coastal Hike from Toji to Yumigahama