Western Coast of Japan, Designated Trade Port
Early December 1836
The incident had passed.
At least on the surface.
Work resumed in the days that followed, but something had changed. Both sides carried a sharper awareness now. The guards watched more closely. The French moved with more care. The boundary was no longer just a line drawn in the dirt. It had meaning now, understood by everyone who worked near it.
Still, within that tight space, something else began to take shape.
It started with a request.
Guizot sent word to the Japanese officials overseeing the port. He asked for a formal observation. Not a negotiation. Not a demand. A demonstration.
He did not explain much in the message. Only that it would help them understand what France could offer.
The request moved through the usual channels.
At first, there was hesitation.
Then Abe Masahiro approved it.
