Oguri was the Magistrate of Finance during the Late Edo Shogunate (mid-19th century). In 1860, he served on the delegation to the United States of America for the ratification of the United States-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce. During his time on the delegation, Oguri saw the power difference between the Western nations and Japan, and he realized the need to develop Japan’s industrial technologies. He brought a screw back with him to Japan and dedicated his efforts into plans for the construction of the Yokosuka Arsenal.
