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Japanese-European Trade in the 16th Century


Early European Impressions of Japan:
Europeans during the Renaissance held Japan in high regard based on their initial dealings with Japan in the 16th century. Japan’s soil was perceived as possessing a large amount of precious metals based on records of the explorer Marco Polo who observed gilded temples and palaces. Another contributing factor was the many minerals and metals on the surface that would be found in a country home to so many volcanos. (This was prior to times when equipment would allow people to mine deeper within the earth’s surface). Japan would position itself as one of the biggest exporters of precious metals such as copper and silver during the 16th Century.

Early Trade with Europe: 
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to trade with Japan. They dealt in Chinese products such as silk and porcelain. The Japanese were not allowed any interaction or trade with the emperor of China. This created an opportunity for the Portuguese to broker trade between the two civilizations. The Portuguese in the year 1557 gained possession of the Island of Macau (part of modern-day China) and would auction an unofficial license to whoever was willing to pay the most, trade exclusivity with Japan. This relationship continued smoothly until 1638 but, Japan forbade the trade because the Portuguese were trying to proselytize. The Portuguese-Japanese relationship was also interrupted by increasing interference by the Spanish and the Dutch both of whom had colonies in Asia. Out of this struggle the Dutch fought and won. They came to be the only westerners allowed to trade out of a small enclave of Dejima after 1638 for nearly 200 years. The Dutch first reached Japan onboard the Liefde under the stewardship of Englishman William Adams who was the first Englishman to ever step foot on Japanese soil. The Dutch colonial leadership could not send one of their own countrymen to Japan as they were busy battling the Spanish and the Portuguese for colonial dominance in South East Asia.


Arrival of a Portuguese ship, one of a pair (Nanban screens), Six panel folding screen, 1620–1640. Japan. Ink, colors, and gold on paper. Courtesy of the Asian Art Museum, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60D77+.
Source:
Arrival of a Portuguese ship. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/art-japan/edo-period/a/arrival-of-a-portuguese-ship

“An imagined bird's-eye view of Dejima's layout and structures (copied from a woodblock print by Toshimaya Bunjiemon of 1780 and published in Isaac Titsingh's Bijzonderheden over Japan (1824/25)”
Source:
Dejima. (2018, September 25). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejima

Articles to read:
How Portugal became the first global sea power
What if Columbus had reached his goal: Japan? by Michael Hoffman

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Sources

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