during the turbulent bakumatsu period, the shogunate selected yokosuka as the site for a modern naval base ("odaiba"), and hired the french engineer léonce verny in 1865 to oversee the development of shipbuilding facilities, beginning with yokosuka iron foundry. yokosuka naval arsenal became the first modern arsenal to be created in japan. the construction of the arsenal was the central point of a global modern infrastructure, that was to prove an important first step for the modernization of japan's industry. modern buildings, the hashirimizu waterway, foundries, brick factories, and technical schools to train japanese technicians were established.