During the Sakoku period ( 1641 -- 1853 ) there were no relations .
The treaty of 1854 saw the resumption of ties which , despite the hiatus of the Second World War , remain very strong in the present day .
During the Sakoku period ( 1641 -- 1853 ) there were no relations , but the treaty of 1854 saw the resumption of ties which , despite the hiatus of the Second World War , remain very strong in the present day .