The fortifications of Antwerp elicited keen interest among the Japanese. The Iwakura mission was
preceded by the Tokugawa mission led by Akitake and an artillery officer named Harada Kazumichi had
visited the place shortly before Iwakura. The Satsuma mission, too, had gone to see it. At that time the
works had not even been completed. Nevertheless, Godai writes about them with great interest. He comments
that their size is not in proportion to the country and that they are the biggest of the recent fortifications
anywhere in Europe.