ABSTRACT
IN THE HISTORY of Anglo-Japanese relations in the latter part of the nineteenth century Francis Plunkett has been overshadowed by the image of his forceful and abrasive predecessor Sir Harry Parkes. But Plunkett, who went on from Japan to more senior posts in Europe and who retired with a string of high honours, played a key role in the efforts, which were made while he was in Japan, to achieve agreement on revision of the 'unequal treaties' between the Western Powers and Japan. These efforts proved abortive but he was not responsible for the failure and his contribution to Anglo-Japanese relations deserves to be recorded.
