TOKUGAWA IEMITSU: "Closed Country Edict of 1635"
Japan became a unified nation under the three strong rulers of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Oda Nobunga (1568-1582), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1582-1589), and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1598-1616). In this same period, the Japanese had their first contact with Western Europeans, the Portuguese and then the Dutch. The Portuguese sent members of the Society of Jesus, Jesuit priests, to convert the Japanese to Christianity. Welcomed at first, the Jesuits had early success. Yet, with the Catholic Church's claim to the loyalty of all Japanese Catholics over that of the Shogun, and with the Europeans' penchant for meddling in local affairs, the Japanese reacted in 1587 by prohibiting missionaries to enter their domain. Merchants were allowed to stay, but the arrival of more aggressive Spanish Franciscan priests and continued interference in local politics prompted the drafting of the following decree from the Japanese Shogunate.
Points to Ponder:
1. Which seems more important to the Japanese government,
trade or Christianity?
2. Why were punishments so severe for Japanese who wished to travel abroad
or who had lived abroad?
1. Japanese ships are strictly forbidden to leave for foreign countries.
2. No Japanese is permitted to go abroad. If there is anyone who attempts to do so secretly, he must be executed. The ship so involved must be impounded and its owner arrested, and the matter must be reported to the higher authority.
3. If any Japanese returns from overseas after residing there, he must be put to death.
4. If there is any place where the teachings of the [Catholic] priests is practiced, the two of you must order a thorough investigation.
5. Any informer revealing the whereabouts of the followers of the priests must be rewared accordingly. If anyone reveals the whereabouts of a high ranking priest, he must be given one hundred pieces of silver. For those of lower ranks, depending on the deed, the reward must be set accordingly.
6. If a foreign ship has an objection (to the measures adopted) and it becomes necessary to report the matter to Edo [modern Tokyo], you may ask the Omura domain [near Nagasaki] to provide ships to guard the foreign ship. . . .
7. If there are any Southern Barbarians who propagate the teachings of the priests, or otherwise commit crimes, they may be incarcerated in the prison. . . .
8. All incoming ships must be carefully searched for the followers of the priests.
9. No single trading city shall be permitted to purchase all the merchandise brought by foreign ships.
10. Samurai are not permitted to purchase any goods originating from foreign ships directly from Chinese merchants in Nagasaki.
11. After a list of merchandise brought by foreign ships is sent to Edo, as before you may order that commercial dealings may take place without waiting for a reply from Edo.
12. After settling the price, all white yarns [silk] brought by foreign ships shall be allocated to the five trading cities [of Nagasaki, Sakai, Osaka, Edo, and Kyoto] and other quarters as stipulated.
13. After settling the price of white yarns, other [foreign] merchandise may be traded freely between the dealers. However, in view of the fact that Chinese ships are small and cannot bring large consignments, you may issue orders of sale at your discretion. Additionally, payment for goods purchased must be made within twenty days after the price is set.
14. The date of departure homeward of foreign ships shall not be latter than the twentieth day of the ninth month. Any ships arriving in Japan later than usual shall depart within fifty days of their arrival. As to the departure of Chinese ships, you may use you discretion to order their departure after the departure of the Portuguese galeota.
15. The goods brought by foreign ships which remained unsold may not be deposited or accepted for deposit.
16. The arrival in Nagasaki of representatives of the five trading cities shall not be later than the fifth day of the seventh month. Anyone arriving later than that date shall lose the quota assigned to his city.
17. Ships arriving in Hirado [a small island just south of Nagasaki] must sell their raw silk at the price set in Nagasaki, and are not permitted to engage in business transactions until after the price is established in Nagasaki.
You are hereby required to act in accordance with the provisions set above. It is so ordered.
Source: David John Lu, Sources
of Japanese History (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1974), 1: 207-208.