Midsuno Idsumi No Kami to A. L. C. Portman, May 27, 1866

[Translation.]

Since the opening of the ports in our empire friendly intercourse has made steady progress, and some of our people, both officials and merchants, may now visit the countries of the treaty powers. Having learned that it is the custom to furnish persons who visit foreign countries with a permit to that effect, we have adopted that custom, and all Japanese who may wish to travel abroad shall be furnished with such a permit accordingly. We shall soon send you a form of such a permit for your government, to be compared with the permit to be shown by the Japanese; and being thus identified, we request that they may be treated with kindness, and also that Japanese not provided with such permit may not be considered as such.

We request you to make the foregoing known to your government.