fter Commodore Perry forced Japan to open economic relations with the West in 1854, the Japanese government decided trade shows, starting with the National Industrial Exhibition pictured here, were the quickest way to foster international commerce. Held in Tokyo in 1877, the expo showcased Japanese products as diverse as otter skins, bamboo mats, and gunboat designs. Nearly 130 years later, the globalizing events set into motion by the exhibition have resulted in a roughly $62 billion trade surplus for Japan, as Americans favored its automobiles, semiconductors, and consumer electronics.