The Ansei treaties which followed the 'opening' of Japan in 1859 provided for extra-territorial rights, by which the accused of any treaty power were dealt with by that coutry's own courts. This portrait details the activities of the consular courts from 1859-99.

J. E. Hoare's Introduction to Part IV: Scholar Diplomats and Consuls. 

This essay details the career of Robert Anderson Mowat (1843-1925) in his role as judge of the British Court for Japan between 1891 and 1897.

This portrait considers the diplomatic career of Sir Francis Plunkett (1835-1907), British Minister at Tokyo from 1884-87, particularly in relation to the attempted revision of the 'unequal treaties'.

Interactions with Japan only played a very short part in Sir Henry Keppel's (1809-1904) naval career, but the few years of his involvement saw the collapse of the bakufu and the Meiji Restoration. This essay details his short, but significant, contribution to Anglo-Japanese relations, particularly with regard to the British response to the Meiji Restoration.

Sir Nicholas John Hannen (1842-1900) was the first professionally British qualified judge based full-time in Japan and was involved in many different legal proceedings from 1871 until his death in 1900. This essay sketches his career in Japan, during which he was tasked with identifying and addressing deficiencies in the Yokohama Court arrangements.