The first chapter looks at the Phaeton incident of October 1808, where a military ship – HMS Phaeton came to Japan and stayed in port temporarily, and its overt impact, despite no violence occurring, which lead to a more xenophobic Nagasaki and greater tension with Britain.

Thomas, Sir Stamford, Raffles (1781-1826) and Dr. Donald Ainslie were looking at trade opportunities in Japan. The text studies their two voyages to Japan and how both were not much of a success.