▁Nag as aki . ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 8 , ▁a ▁Russian ▁naval ▁squad ron ▁( including ▁Martin ▁Sp ang berg ) ▁visited ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁H ons hu . ▁The ▁Rus si ans ▁land ed ▁in ▁a ▁scen ic ▁area ▁which ▁is ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁R ik uch u ▁Ka igan ▁National ▁Park . ▁Despite ▁the ▁pre val ent ▁se clusion ▁policy , ▁the ▁sail ors ▁were ▁treated ▁with ▁polit eness ▁if ▁not ▁friend lin ess . ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 8 , ▁a ▁merchant ▁from ▁Y ak ut sk ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁P avel ▁Leb ede v - L asto ch kin ▁arrived ▁in ▁H ok ka id ō ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁expedition . ▁He ▁offered ▁g ifts , ▁and ▁polit ely ▁asked ▁to ▁trade ▁in ▁vain . ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 7 , ▁Jean - Fran çois ▁de ▁Gal au p , ▁comte ▁de ▁Lap ér ouse ▁navig ated ▁in ▁Japanese ▁waters . ▁He ▁visited ▁the ▁Ry ū ky ū ▁islands ▁and ▁the ▁stra it ▁between ▁H ok ka id ō ▁and ▁Sak hal in , ▁naming ▁it ▁after ▁himself . ▁In ▁ 1 7 9 1 , ▁two ▁American ▁ships ▁commanded ▁by ▁the ▁American ▁expl orer ▁John ▁K end rick — the ▁Lady ▁Washington , ▁under ▁Captain ▁K end rick , ▁and ▁the ▁Grace , ▁under ▁Captain ▁William ▁Douglas — sto pped ▁for ▁ 1 1 ▁days ▁on ▁K ii ▁ Ō sh ima ▁island , ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁K ii ▁Pen ins ula