ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Nutty Productions What Happened Immediately After the Portuguese Traveled to Japan
In 1543, on the small Japanese island of Tanegashima, something unusual caught the attention of the villagers. A large black ship appeared on the horizon, its hull coated with black tar, giving it a mysterious look. But the people aboard weren’t there to cause harm. The local lord of Tanegashima came down from his castle to see what was happening. On the ship were about 100 people, some with unique features and speaking a language the villagers didn’t understand. Among them was a Chinese scholar named Goo Tokida, who could communicate through writing. Goo explained that these were Portuguese traders, known as the Nanban or “Southern Barbarians,” who traveled far and wide for trade but were unfamiliar with local customs.
Two Portuguese leaders, Morita and Cristal, had with them a fascinating iron object called a “teo,” which we know today as a musket. This weapon, when loaded with gunpowder and ammunition, could hit targets from a distance with a loud bang. The local lord was amazed by this new technology and asked the Portuguese to teach him how to use it. Through an interpreter, they showed him how to aim by closing one eye for better focus. The lord practiced and successfully hit a target from 100 steps away. Realizing its potential for warfare, he bought two teos from the Portuguese, who then left to explore other trade opportunities. This meeting was pivotal in Japanese history, as the lord later reverse-engineered the muskets, leading to their widespread use in Japan during the Warring States period.
But the Portuguese brought more than just muskets. They also introduced Christianity to Japan. Let’s explore why the Portuguese wanted to spread their religion in Japan and why they eventually gave up. We’ll see how Japanese resistance and geography played a role in pushing the Portuguese out and how Japan almost became a Christian nation.
After the initial meeting in 1543, more Portuguese ships started arriving in Japanese ports, bringing goods like spices from Southeast Asia, wool from Europe, and silk from China. In exchange, the Japanese offered porcelain and silver. This trade, known as the Nanban trade, marked the first time Europeans and Japanese engaged in business together. The term “Nanban” originally referred to people from Southern China, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, but with the arrival of the Portuguese, it took on a broader meaning.
However, the Portuguese also facilitated a darker aspect of trade in Japan: the trade of people. While many know about the Portuguese role in the Atlantic slave trade, the Asian slave trade is less well-known. Thousands of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean slaves were transported from Japan to places like Manila, Goa, Europe, and Latin America. Initially, the slave trade was unregulated, with many slaves abducted from China by pirates and sold to Portuguese merchants in Japan.
Despite attempts to regulate it, the slave trade expanded due to the involvement of influential Portuguese merchants. In 1570, King Sebastian of Portugal issued an edict forbidding the enslavement of Japanese people, but enforcement was weak, and powerful merchants largely ignored the ban. As the trade grew, more Japanese prisoners and refugees, captured during Japan’s constant wars, were sold into slavery by Portuguese traders in Nagasaki.
Around the same time, Jesuits, a Catholic order focused on missionary work, arrived in Japan from Portugal. They initially supported the slave trade to fund their missions but faced moral dilemmas about it. Some Jesuit priests documented their experiences, revealing a complex and often troubling perspective on the trade.
By the late 1500s, Nagasaki became a hub for both the slave trade and Christianity. The Jesuits successfully converted many Japanese, including local feudal lords. However, as Portuguese influence grew, some Japanese leaders became suspicious. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful ruler, began to see the Portuguese and their missionaries as a threat to Japanese culture.
Initially tolerant of the Jesuits, Hideyoshi’s stance changed after a series of events, including a poorly received meeting. He issued an edict expelling all Jesuit missionaries and banning Christian evangelism, marking the start of an anti-Christian movement in Japan. Over the years, this led to the persecution of Christians, including the crucifixion of 26 Catholics in Nagasaki in 1597.
Despite the crackdown, Christianity continued to spread, and by 1614, there were about 1 million Christians in Japan. However, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603, was even more opposed to Christianity. He banned the religion and ordered all foreign missionaries to leave, enforcing the ban strictly.
In the following years, Japan became increasingly isolated, cutting off trade and contact with the outside world. The era of Portuguese influence and Christianity in Japan ended, but some Christians went underground, practicing their faith in secret. This underground community, known as the “Hidden Christians,” survived for over 200 years, adapting their practices to fit Japanese culture.
Remarkably, this community reemerged when Japan lifted its ban on Christianity in 1873. Today, a few hidden Christians still exist, practicing a faith that developed in secrecy during a challenging time in Japanese history.
Imagine you are a villager on the island of Tanegashima in 1543. Create a short skit with your classmates to reenact the arrival of the Portuguese ship. Focus on the initial interactions between the villagers, the local lord, and the Portuguese traders. Consider how you would react to seeing the musket for the first time and the challenges of communicating with the newcomers. This activity will help you understand the cultural exchange and initial reactions to foreign technology.
Participate in a class debate about the introduction of the musket to Japan. Divide into two groups: one arguing that the musket had a positive impact by advancing military technology and the other arguing that it had negative consequences by escalating warfare. Use historical evidence from the article to support your arguments. This debate will encourage you to think critically about technological advancements and their societal effects.
Conduct a research project on the introduction and spread of Christianity in Japan. Work in pairs to explore why the Portuguese were interested in spreading Christianity and how Japanese society responded. Present your findings in a creative format, such as a poster or a digital presentation. This project will deepen your understanding of cultural and religious exchanges between different societies.
Create a map that illustrates the trade routes used by the Portuguese during the Nanban trade period. Include key locations such as Portuguese ports, Japanese trading centers, and the goods exchanged. Use different colors or symbols to represent various aspects of the trade. This activity will help you visualize the global connections established through trade and the flow of goods between Europe and Asia.
Engage in a class discussion about the ethical implications of the slave trade facilitated by the Portuguese in Japan. Reflect on the moral dilemmas faced by the Jesuits and the impact of the slave trade on Japanese society. Consider how historical perspectives on slavery have evolved over time. This discussion will encourage you to think about the complexities of historical events and their lasting effects on societies.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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It’s 1543 on the small Japanese island of Tanegashima. A group of villagers sees something unusual off the coast. A distant object is growing larger by the minute—it’s a massive black ship. Its hull has been weatherproofed with black tar, giving it a sinister appearance, as if the people aboard are about to take everything you own. However, that’s not the case. The local lord of Tanegashima comes down from his castle to see what all the fuss is about. On board are around 100 people, some with distinctive physical features, speaking an unintelligible language. Among them is a Chinese scholar named Goo Tokida, who is able to communicate through writing. Goo explains that the foreigners are Portuguese traders from the Nanban, or “Southern Barbarians,” who travel widely for commerce but lack knowledge of formal customs.
Two Portuguese leaders, named Morita and Cristal, have with them a mysterious iron object called a “teo,” which we would call a musket. When loaded with gunpowder and ammunition, it can accurately hit targets from a distance with loud explosions. Amazed by this technological marvel, the local lord asks the Portuguese to teach him how to use the teo. Through an interpreter, they explain the basic mechanism of aiming by closing one eye for better concentration on the target. The lord practices and then fires a shot, hitting a target squarely from 100 steps away. Recognizing its military significance, he buys two teos from the Portuguese, who then depart for other trade opportunities. This is one of the most significant meetings in Japanese history. The lord would go on to reverse engineer those two muskets, and within a few decades, they would spread across Japan, revolutionizing warfare during the Warring States period.
But aboard that ship was something else that would leave a lasting legacy on Japanese culture: Christianity. Let’s unpack this and see why the Portuguese wanted to establish a presence in Japan through religion, and why they eventually gave up. We’ll explore how Japanese resistance and geography conspired to push the Portuguese out and how Japan nearly became a Christian nation in the process.
After this initial meeting in 1543, more Portuguese ships began arriving in Japanese ports, bringing various goods such as spices from Southeast Asia, wool from Europe, and silk from China. In return, the Japanese offered porcelain and silver. This initiated the Nanban trade, marking the first time Europeans and Japanese began doing business together. The term “Nanban” originally referred to anyone from Southern China, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, but the arrival of the Portuguese led to a broader application of the term.
However, there was another, more troubling aspect of trade that the Portuguese facilitated in Japan: the trade of people. While many are aware of the role the Portuguese played in the Atlantic slave trade, the Asian slave trade is less documented. This trade saw thousands of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean slaves transported from Japan to distant lands like Manila, Goa, Europe, and Latin America. Initially, the slave trade was unregulated, with many slaves abducted from China by pirates. These Chinese slaves were then sold to Portuguese merchants in Japan, where they were transported to various Portuguese outposts.
The growing scale of the trade and the involvement of influential Portuguese merchants led to an expansion of the slave trade, despite official attempts to regulate it. In 1570, King Sebastian of Portugal issued an edict forbidding the enslavement of Japanese people, but enforcement was lacking, and powerful merchants largely ignored the ban. As the slave trade evolved, an increasing number of Japanese prisoners and refugees were sold into slavery, victims of the constant wars during Japan’s Warring States period. These individuals were captured during military conflicts and sold to Portuguese traders in Nagasaki, who transported them along established routes.
Around the same time, a group of Jesuits, an order of Catholics focused on missionary work, began arriving in Japan from Portugal. They initially supported the slave trade as a means to finance their missionary activities, but they also faced moral dilemmas about it. Some Jesuit priests wrote about their experiences, revealing a complex and often troubling perspective on the trade.
By the late 1500s, Nagasaki had become a hub for both the slave trade and Christianity. The Jesuits were effective in converting many Japanese, including local feudal lords. However, as the Portuguese influence grew, some Japanese leaders became suspicious of their intentions. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful ruler during this time, began to see the Portuguese and their Christian missionaries as a threat to Japanese culture.
Initially, Hideyoshi was tolerant of the Jesuits, but after a series of events, including a meeting that did not go well, he issued an edict expelling all Jesuit missionaries and banning Christian evangelism. This marked the beginning of an anti-Christian movement in Japan. Over the following years, the situation escalated, leading to the persecution of Christians, including the crucifixion of 26 Catholics in Nagasaki in 1597.
Despite the crackdown, Christianity continued to spread, and by 1614, there were an estimated 1 million Christians in Japan. However, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who established the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603, was even more antagonistic toward Christianity. He issued a ban on Christianity and ordered all foreign missionaries to leave the country, enforcing this ban rigorously.
In the years that followed, Japan became increasingly isolated, cutting off trade and contact with the outside world. The era of the Portuguese and Christianity in Japan came to an end, but some Christians went underground, practicing their faith in secret. This underground community, known as the “Hidden Christians,” survived for over 200 years, using Japanese cultural substitutes in their ceremonies.
Remarkably, this community emerged again when Japan lifted its ban on Christianity in 1873. Today, a few hidden Christians still exist, practicing a faith that developed in secrecy during a tumultuous time in Japanese history.
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains a respectful tone while preserving the essence of the original content.
Portuguese – Relating to Portugal or its people or language, especially during the Age of Exploration when they established trade routes and colonies around the world. – The Portuguese explorers were among the first Europeans to reach India by sea, significantly impacting global trade.
Japan – An island nation in East Asia with a rich history of isolation and cultural development, which was later influenced by Western countries during the 19th century. – During the Edo period, Japan maintained a policy of isolation, limiting foreign influence and trade.
Christianity – A monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, which spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. – Christianity played a significant role in shaping the cultural and political landscape of medieval Europe.
Trade – The exchange of goods and services between people or countries, which has been a crucial part of human history and economic development. – The Silk Road was an ancient trade route that connected the East and West, facilitating cultural and economic exchanges.
Slavery – The practice of owning and exploiting people as property, which has been a dark part of human history across various cultures and eras. – The transatlantic slave trade forcibly brought millions of Africans to the Americas, profoundly affecting societies on both continents.
Jesuits – A religious order of the Catholic Church founded in the 16th century, known for their role in education and missionary work worldwide. – The Jesuits established schools and missions in many parts of the world, spreading Christianity and education.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs, which helps us understand how societies have evolved over time. – Studying history allows us to learn from past mistakes and successes to build a better future.
Culture – The social behavior, norms, and practices of a particular nation or people, which are passed down through generations. – The Renaissance was a period of cultural revival in Europe, marked by advancements in art, science, and literature.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, which has driven human progress throughout history. – The invention of the printing press in the 15th century revolutionized the spread of information and ideas.
Nanban – A term used in Japan during the 16th and 17th centuries to describe European traders and missionaries, particularly the Portuguese and Spanish. – The arrival of the nanban in Japan introduced new goods and ideas, influencing Japanese society and culture.
