The Treaties of Amity and Commerce concluded between the Five Powers had stipulated that the port to be opened would be Kanagawa, but the shogunate, concerned that conflicts between the foreigners and local Japanese would multiply if foreigners were permitted to live and work in Kanagawa-juku, which was right on the Tokaido Road (Japan's main East-West highway) and was one of the way-station towns (Shukuba machi in Japanese) in frequent use by travelers, decided on its own initiative to change the port to be opened to isolated Yokohama village, which was far from the path of the Tokaido Road.
諸外国と締結した修好条約では、開港場は神奈川となっていたが、東海道筋の宿場町である神奈川宿では日本人との紛争が多発すると懸念した幕府は勝手に街道筋から離れた辺鄙な横浜村に開港場を変更してしまった。