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1543
Portuguese arrives at Japan, and firearms are introduced to the Japanese
The Portuguese discovered Japan because they wished to establish relationships with countries in the East in 1543. They brought firearms with them, which the Japanese people were interested in. -
1549
Jesuit Missionaries Settle in Japan
Eager for more firearms, the Japanese welcomed foreigners who settled in Japan -
Christian Persecution begins
Because he valued trade with European merchants, Hideyoshi initially welcomed the Christian missionaries. However, he began to worry that Christianity's influence would threaten his power. Therefore, he issued an edict outlawing Christianity and expelling Missionaries. However., the edict was ineffective, and Jesuits remained active and Christians continued to enter Japan. -
Hideyoshi Executes 26 Christians
Hideyoshi arrested and cut the ears of 24 Christians, 2 of them young boys, and paraded them around the city. Along with two Jesuits who came to defend them, they were crucified on a cross and left to hang for 80 days. None of them denounced their faith. -
Anti-Christian Decrees Proclaimed
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Missionaries Expelled From Japan
Worried about the spread of Christianity, Ieyasu expelled all Portuguese and Spanish missionaries. The period of time where all outside interaction was banned was known as the Sakoku period. -
Ieyasu Prohibits Christian Activity
To maintain political stability, Ieyasu issued the Christian Expulsion Edict prohibiting all Christian activity among Japanese. -
Shogunate Forbids Overseas Travel
In 1633, Iemitsu cracked down on overseas travel. Foreign ships were only permitted to enter Nagasaki Harbor, and Japanese ships had to be certified to travel overseas. Two years later the certification was discontinued, and all of Japan's ships were forbidden to leave the country. Japanese sea-men could no longer work on foreign ships; those who disobeyed were executed. -
Shogunate Bans Portuguese Ships
Iemitsu increasingly viewed Christianity as a threat to the stability of Japan. He banned Portuguese ships from Japan's shores and expelled all foreigners. The only exceptions were made for Dutch and Chinese traders. -
Dutch Confined to Dejima Island
Because the Dutch had never attempted to spread Christianity, the shogun excluded them from the ban on foreigners. The Dutch were Protestants, and unlike other countries, their church and government were separate. But they were ordered to move from Hirado to Dejima, an artificial island in Nagasaki harbor which had been originally planned for the Portuguese. Together with the Chinese, the Dutch dominated foreign trade with Japan; they also became the main source of information about Europe. -
Fall of the Ming Dynasty
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Ban lifted on imported books
To counter an economic depression, Shogun Yoshimune instituted the Kyoho Reforms that lifted the import ban on western books. The measures were enacted, in part, to mollify the Dutch on Dejima Island, who were increasingly frustrated by the limitations placed upon commerce. -
First Japanese Book on Western Anatomy Published
Granted permission to observe the dissection of an executed woman, a small group of Edo scholars realized their understanding of human anatomy (based on Chinese theory) was wrong. What they witnessed corresponded closely to a Dutch book on anatomy owned by one of the scholars, Dr. Sugita Genpaku. The book originated in Germany. Published in 1774, the book helped usher in a period known as Dutch Learning, known as Rengaku. The book had to be translated, which took quite some time. -
First American Ship Reaches Japan
The first American to reach Japan was John Kendrick of Boston, aboard the brigantine Lady Washington. Several American ships followed, all hired by the Dutch East India Company, from 1797-1809 during the Napoleonic wars. -
Russian Ship Lands in Japan
A Russian expedition sent by Catherine the Great, and led by Professor Adam Laxman, landed in Ezo (now Hokkaido) in 1792. The Japanese allowed the Russians to spend the winter, but not to establish trade.In response, the Russians raided Japanese communities in the Kurile islands. Russian traders, during the reign of Peter the Great, from 1682 1725, made numerous unsuccessful attempts to establish trade relations. -
Japan Refuses Trade with Russian Ships
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Shogunate Bans Foreign Ships
Shogun Ienari issued Gaikokusen Uchiharai Rei, an order for repelling foreign ships and a reaffirmation of the National Seclusion policy enacted by Tokugawa Iemitsu in 1639. The new order was declared in response to an increasing number of foreign ships, particularly whaling ships, which entered Japanese waters and threatened Japan's determination to prevent interaction with western nations. -
American Merchant Ship Fired Upon
The American merchant ship Morrison arrived in Japan ostensibly to repatriate shipwrecked Japanese sailors, but with the intent of establishing trade. The Morrison also brought missionaries. Fired upon and forced to leave, the Morrison expedition was the first of many unsuccessful attempts by American ships to enter Japanese waters. -
Shogunate Cracks Down on Western Scholarship
The renewal of anti-western policies was partially motivated by the arrival of the American ship Morrison, also coupled with continued attempts by Russian, European and American ships to enter Japan. Japanese scholars who criticized the seclusion policy paid a high price for their views. -
Edict to Supply Water and Fuel
An Edict was created where the Japanese would supply water and fuel to passing ships instead of repelling them (by shooting at them). -
Commodore Perry Demands Japan Open to Trade
Commodore Perry was an american who arrived in Japan to demand they open up for trade. His ships were larger than an Japan had ever seen, and they brought many modern guns. They said they would return in a year for their response. -
Perry Secures Kanawaga Treaty
Perry returned earlier than expected, and after 21 days of negotiation from a weak Shogun, the Kanagawa Treaty was established. It provided assistance for shipwrecked American sailors, and opened two ports for coal and supply. This marked the beginning of Yogaku, the Study of the West.