Broomhall House is currently showcasing a fascinating collection of objects and documents which tell the story of Britain’s first substantive diplomatic encounter with Japan – Diplomacy and Discovery: an Imperial Encounter with Japan, 1858. Appointed as British Minister Plenipotentiary in 1857, James Bruce (8th Earl of Elgin) negotiated a long-lasting treaty (Treaty of Amity and Commerce) in Tokyo (Edo) during …