The state of Edo's residents at the time is rendered in the following satirical poem, in which the four steam ships are symbolized by high-grade jokisen tea: "Taihei no nemuri o samasu jokisen, tatta yonhai de yoru mo nerarezu" ("The Jokisen tea that awakens one from a peaceful sleep/With only four cups, the night is sleepless").
このときの様子は「太平の眠りをさます上喜撰　たった四はいで夜も寝られず」（蒸気船と茶の上喜撰、4隻を4杯、茶で眠れなくなる様子を、黒船の騒ぎとかけた皮肉）という狂歌に詠まれている。