First Contact: Japan and the Portuguese (1543)
- Accidental Arrival
- In 1543, Portuguese sailors were blown off course and landed on Tanegashima Island, introducing Japan to European trade and firearms.
- Trade Exchange
- The Portuguese began exchanging silk, silver, and guns for Japanese gold, lacquerware, and fine crafts.
- Introduction of Firearms
- The arquebus (matchlock gun) revolutionized Japanese warfare, helping local daimyō (lords) gain military advantages during the Sengoku (Warring States) Period.
- New Trade Ports
- The port city of Nagasaki became the main hub for Portuguese and later European traders.
- Cultural Curiosity
- European goods and ideas fascinated the Japanese elite, sparking interest in new technologies and global connections.
Definition
Tanegashima
- The island where the Portuguese first landed in Japan in 1543.
Case study
Portuguese Trade and the Tanegashima Encounter (1543)
The Encounter
- A storm carried a Portuguese ship to Tanegashima, marking Japan’s first direct contact with Europeans.
- Local daimyō bought the new firearms, recognizing their military potential.
- Portuguese traders established routes between Macau (China) and Kyushu (Japan) to exchange silk, silver, and spices.
- Japanese craftsmen quickly learned to replicate firearms, producing thousands within a decade.
- Firearms transformed warfare, making battles more deadly and organized.
Effects on Japanese Society
- The introduction of European trade increased Japan’s wealth and exposure to global commerce.
- Samurai armies modernized, and castles were redesigned to withstand gunfire.
- Nagasaki grew into an international port under the control of Christian daimyō like Ōmura Sumitada.
- Contact with the Portuguese opened Japan to new goods, foods, and ideas from across Asia and Europe.
- These interactions laid the foundation for Japan’s temporary “Age of Contact.”
The Arrival of Other European Traders
- Spanish Expansion
- After colonizing the Philippines (1565), Spain sent traders and missionaries to Japan to extend influence.
- Dutch and English Traders
- By the early 1600s, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and English merchants began competing for Japanese markets.
- Global Trade Network
- Japan became part of the silver-for-silk trade, connecting it indirectly to China, India, and Europe.
- Controlled Ports
- The Tokugawa government later allowed the Dutch limited access through Dejima, a man-made island in Nagasaki Bay.
- Economic Impact
- European trade introduced new crops (tobacco, corn), goods (glassware, clocks), and technologies (shipbuilding, navigation).
Definition
VOC (Dutch East India Company)
- A Dutch trading corporation that monopolized trade in Southeast Asia.
Missionary and Cultural Influence
- Christianity’s Spread
- Jesuits and later Franciscans introduced Western religion, art, and architecture.
- Education and Printing
- Missionaries built schools that taught Latin, mathematics, and European sciences, influencing Japan’s intellectual elite.
- Cultural Blending
- Japanese art began incorporating Western techniques like perspective and realism.
- Political Suspicion
- As Christian numbers grew, the shogunate grew wary of foreign political control and rebellion.
- Turning Point
- By the early 1600s, persecution of Christians increased, paving the way for Japan’s later Sakoku (closed country) policy.
Case study
The Jesuit Missionaries in Japan (1549–1600)
Introduction and Spread
- In 1549, Francis Xavier, a Jesuit missionary, arrived in Japan with Portuguese traders.
- The Jesuits targeted southern Japan, converting daimyō and samurai who welcomed European alliances and trade benefits.
- Converts were concentrated in regions like Kyushu, where Christian lords promoted Catholicism.
- Missionaries opened schools, taught European science, and translated religious texts into Japanese.
- By 1600, there were over 300,000 Japanese Christians, including samurai and peasants.
Cultural and Political Reactions
- Some daimyō saw Christianity as a way to strengthen trade ties and resist rivals.
- Others feared missionary influence would undermine loyalty to traditional authority.
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi (r. 1582–1598) banned Christianity in 1587, viewing it as a threat to national unity.
- Despite persecution, underground Kakure Kirishitan (Hidden Christians) continued to practice secretly.
- The Jesuit missions left a lasting legacy of cultural exchange, especially in education and printing.
Definition
Sakoku
- Japan’s isolationist policy under the Tokugawa Shogunate from the 1630s to 1853.
Common Mistake
- Assuming Japan Was Colonized: European powers traded and evangelized but never colonized Japan.
- Ignoring Local Agency: Japanese daimyō used trade and religion strategically for power, not just as passive recipients.
- Overgeneralizing Christianity: Christianity was one of many foreign influences. Technology and commerce mattered just as much.
Exam technique
- Use Specific Examples: Mention Tanegashima, Nagasaki, and Francis Xavier to show factual depth.
- Compare Motives: Contrast Japan’s economic openness with later religious resistance to missionaries.
- Track Change Over Time: Show the shift from openness (1543–1580s) to suspicion (1587 onward) leading to isolation.
Theory of Knowledge
- How do ideas and technology spread across cultures?
- Japan’s encounter with Europeans shows how trade, religion, and invention move together, and how societies choose what to accept or reject.
Self review
- Examine the impact of European trade and missionary activity on Japanese society between 1543 and 1600.
- To what extent did the arrival of the Portuguese and Jesuits change Japan’s culture and economy?
- Assess the reasons for Japan’s initial openness to European contact and the early signs of resistance that followed.
