At the time, it was the Saga clan's turn to uphold the policy of sakoku and to protect Nagasaki, but they had economized by stationing only 100 troops there, instead of the 1,000 officially required for the station.
In 1853, Kashima Domain had a further financial burden imposed when the Tokugawa Shogunate assigned it responsibility for security during the visit of Russian diplomat Yevfimy Putyatin to Nagasaki as part of Russia’s efforts to end Japan’s national isolation policy and to establish commercial and diplomatic relations.
In 1720, the shogunate established the post of Uraga bugyō, whose responsibility was to police traffic and to organize coastal defenses, and the entrances to the harbor were fortified with cannon again possible incursions by foreign ships in violation of Japan’s national isolation policy.