Winner of the prize "Fundação Oriente – Embaixador João de Deus Ramos" of the Academia de Marinha 2021 This book attempts to depict certain aspects of the Portuguese trade in East Asia in the 16th and 17th centuries by analyzing the activities of the merchants and Christian missionaries involved. It also discusses the response of the Japanese regime in handling the systemic changes that took place in the Asian seas. Consequently, it explains how Jesuit missionaries forged close ties with local merchants from the start of their activities in East Asian waters, and there is no doubt that the propagation of Christianity in Japan was a result of their cooperation. The author of this book attempted to combine the essence of previous studies by Japanese and western scholars and added several new findings from analyses of original Japanese and European language documents.
This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. Rethinking the ways global history is envisioned and conceptualized in diverse countries such as China, Japan, Mexico or Spain, this collections considers how global issues are connected with our local and national communities. It examines how the discipline had evolved in various historiographies, from Anglo Saxon to southern European, and its emergence in Asia with the rapid development of the Chinese economy motivation to legitimate the current uniqueness of the history and economy of the nation. It contributes to the revitalization of the field of global history in Chinese historiography, which have been dominated by national narratives and promotes a debate to open new venues in which important features such as scholarly mobility, diversity and internationalization are firmly rooted, putting aside national specificities. Dealing with new approaches on the use of empirical data by framing the proper questions and hypotheses and connecting western and eastern sources, this text opens a new forum of discussion on how global history has penetrated in western and eastern historiographies, moving the pivotal axis of analysis from national perspectives to open new venues of global history.
In World Trade Systems of the East and West, Geoffrey C. Gunn profiles Nagasaki's historic role in mediating the Japanese bullion trade, especially silver exchanged against Chinese and Vietnamese silk. Founded in 1571 as the terminal port of the Portuguese Macau ships, Nagasaki served as Japan's window to the world over long time and with the East-West trade carried on by the Dutch and, with even more vigor, by the Chinese junk trade. While the final expulsion of the Portuguese in 1646 characteristically defines the “closed” period of early modern Japanese history, the real trade seclusion policy, this work argues, only came into place one century later when the Shogunate firmly grasped the true impact of the bullion trade upon the national economy.
At a time when other sources on Southeast Asia were relatively scarce, a remarkable set of reports were compiled in Nagasaki from the evidence of Chinese junk captains arriving from Southern ports. Hundreds of these reports have been preserved in Japan covering the period 1674–1723. Though published in Japanese, they have never been available in any other language to Southeast Asianists, and thus have usually been ignored in histories of the region. They reveal a great deal about not only the East Asia trade of Siam, Cambodia, the Malayan Peninsula and Java, but also the internal conflicts and political systems of the area. The book serves to provide researchers with data that was previously inaccessible.
Ramen, gyoza, fried chicken, udon, pork belly buns, and other boldly flavored, stick-to-your ribs dishes comprise Southern Japanese soul food. The antidote to typical refined restaurant fare, this hearty comfort food has become popular in the US as street food and in ramen bars. In a unique package that includes a cool exposed binding, Nanban brings home cooks the best of these crave-inducing treats. From pungent kimchi to three types of Japanese fried chicken, and with a primer on Japanese ingredients and substitutions, Nanban is the perfect cookbook for any lover of Asian food.
Japan is considered the third-largest economy in the world and a highly developed free-market economy. From the European contact in the 16th century to the Abenomics age, Japan has experienced fluctuations from rapid economic growth to the economic bubble crisis in the 20th century. Under Shinzo Abe administration, the government is keen to bring out a forward and positive outlook for the Japanese people and economy. Japan can achieve this only by reforming the country’s economic system, accomplishing substantial domestic-led growth and opening up Japan’s markets further. While the Heisei era was a turbulent period for the country’s economy, the Reiwa era that began in 2019 promises a new economic dawn to overcome decades of economic stagnation.
The later Sengoku period is the era of warfare depicted in classical Japanese movies such as The Seven Samurai, Ran, and Kagemusha – a colourful period that has a very distinct difference in the arms, equipment, tactics and culture from that seen in Europe at the time. It is a period that sees the dominance of firearms in warfare, and the evolution of increasingly complex small-unit tactical systems. But there still remained a heroic ethos, where leaders and the bearers of age-old honoured names would still try to seek out worthy adversaries to battle blade-to-blade. While massive armies did meet and clash, such encounters were surprisingly rare. The endemic warfare of the period was dominated by raids, small battles, incursions, and the clash of clan warbands. Small families battled one another for local regional dominance, seeking the leverage to become major powers. Meanwhile, rearms and armour improved in an increasingly lethal arms race. Bushidan allows players to control the forces of samurai families, ikko-ikki covenants, pirates, bandits and warrior monks – or even forces engaged against the Japanese of the era such as the Ming Chinese and Joseon Koreans. The game focuses on the small-unit tactical systems that were developing to meet the demands of the new age of warfare. Players must plan their tactical ‘box of tricks’ with care, and choose the ferocity, style and cunning that their forces will bring to the battlefield. The game includes a campaign system to allow players to pit their Bushidan against one another in longer conflicts. This is a colourful period for wargamers to paint and to model. The rules are intended for use with 28mm figures but can easily be played with smaller scale, and a typical army might have 8 or 9 units, each of 4 to 16 figures each.
This book consists of two titles: 1 - Age of Discovery: The epoch often referred to as The Age of Discovery, alternatively known as The Age of Exploration, characterizes a pivotal era spanning the transition from the 15th century to the 18th century in European history. It was a time brimming with maritime expeditions led by intrepid European sailors, venturing into uncharted territories across the globe. Foremost among these adventurers were the Portuguese and Spanish, whose expansive voyages overseas left an indelible mark on European culture. Notably, their encounters with and subsequent colonization of the Americas signified a profound shift in global dynamics. This era also witnessed the ascendancy of colonialism as a prevailing governmental doctrine in various European realms, earning it the moniker of the inaugural wave of European colonization. The dawn of European exploration can be traced back to Portugal's ventures beyond the confines of the Mediterranean, with their pioneering expeditions to the Canary Islands in 1336 marking a significant turning point. 2 - The New World: Castile, the Iberian rival of Portugal, commenced its dominance over the Canary Islands in 1402, situated off the west African coast. However, its attention was divided by internal Iberian politics and the defense against Islamic invasions and raids throughout the 15th century. With the consolidation of the Castilian and Aragonese crowns towards the end of the century, a nascent modern Spain became singularly focused on exploring new trade routes beyond its borders. The Crown of Aragon wielded significant maritime influence in the Mediterranean, boasting territories in eastern Spain, southwestern France, key islands like Sicily and Malta, and control over the Kingdoms of Naples and Sardinia, extending its reach as far as Greece. In 1492, the joint monarchs achieved the conquest of Granada, a Moorish kingdom that had long provided Castile with African goods in exchange for tribute. Subsequently, they decided to sponsor Christopher Columbus' voyage, aiming to bypass Portugal's monopoly on west African sea routes and reach the fabled "Indies" (comprising east and south Asia) by sailing westward. Columbus had previously proposed the idea to King John II of Portugal twice, in 1485 and 1488, both times facing rejection.
This biography of the first foreign-born samurai and his journey from Africa to Japan is “a readable, compassionate account of an extraordinary life” (The Washington Post). When Yasuke arrived in Japan in the late 1500s, he had already traveled much of the known world. Kidnapped as a child, he had ended up a servant and bodyguard to the head of the Jesuits in Asia, with whom he traversed India and China learning multiple languages as he went. His arrival in Kyoto, however, literally caused a riot. Most Japanese people had never seen an African man before, and many of them saw him as the embodiment of the black-skinned Buddha. Among those who were drawn to his presence was Lord Nobunaga, head of the most powerful clan in Japan, who made Yasuke a samurai in his court. Soon, he was learning the traditions of Japan’s martial arts and ascending the upper echelons of Japanese society. In the four hundred years since, Yasuke has been known in Japan largely as a legendary, perhaps mythical figure. Now African Samurai presents the never-before-told biography of this unique figure of the sixteenth century, one whose travels between countries and cultures offers a new perspective on race in world history and a vivid portrait of life in medieval Japan. “Fast-paced, action-packed writing. . . . A new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Eminently readable. . . . a worthwhile and entertaining work.” —Publishers Weekly “A unique story of a unique man, and yet someone with whom we can all identify.” —Jack Weatherford, New York Times–bestselling author of Genghis Khan
