It is now the sixth year of Chongzhen, which is 1633 in the Western calendar.
Japan in 1633 and Japan in 1644 had completely different attitudes towards opening up to the outside world!
Although Japan in 1633 had begun to close itself off, Japan's borders had not really closed. Because the Five Seclusion Orders that established Japan's seclusion system have just come to light - on February 28, the 10th year of Kanei (1633), Japan's Tokugawa Shogunate issued the first of the five Seclusion Orders.
The restrictions imposed by this lockdown order mainly focus on five aspects: first, restricting Japanese ships other than chartered ships from sailing abroad; second, prohibiting Japanese who have settled abroad from returning to Japan; third, the spread of Catholicism in Japan; fourth, The first is to monitor foreign ships coming to Japan (zhuyin ships); the fifth is to monopolize the raw silk trade.
According to this lockdown order, foreign ships can still sail to other Japanese ports other than Nagasaki, but they must be monitored by ships sent by Lord Omura. In addition, Westerners in Japan are not severely deported or have strict restrictions on where they can live.
Of course, ships from the Kingdom of Spain have long been strictly prohibited from entering Japan because of Japan's ban on Catholicism! Catholic (including Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and other sects) missionaries have long been banned from entering Japan.
But this level of seclusion is not enough to completely cripple Japan's navigation capabilities... Although Japan's navigation capabilities have always been weak, it does not mean that there are no good seeds that can germinate.
As early as the early days of the Edo shogunate, a British East India Company executive named William Adam was recruited as a retainer by Tokugawa Ieyasu and changed his name to Miura Anzai. With the help of Miura Anzhen, the Tokugawa shogunate also built two light Galen ships, one of which had a displacement of 80 tons and the other of 120 tons.
The larger Galenic ship was used in 1609 to escort Rodrigo, the governor of the Spanish Philippines, and his entourage across the Pacific to New Spain (America) after encountering the coast of Japan. The first documented trans-Pacific voyage from an East Asian country. The ship later returned to Japan and brought with it the ambassador to Japan sent by the Viceroyalty of New Spain.
The purpose of the Tokugawa shogunate's organization of this trans-Pacific voyage is a bit surprising - it was actually to hope that New Spain could open trade to Japan!
right! At that time, it was not Japan that was locked down, but New Spain!
New Spain (Spain's American territory) prohibited all ships from outside Spain from entering the port for legal trade... Of course, 90% of New Spain's foreign trade (including trade with mainland Spain) was smuggled!
But the Tokugawa shogunate at that time did not know this unspoken rule. They wanted to knock on the door of New Spain legally and politely, and conduct equal and reciprocal trade with New Spain.
But this request was resolutely rejected by New Spain... The Spanish only wanted unilateral free trade and missionary work, and did not want Japanese merchant ships to trade in New Spain.
However, the Tokugawa shogunate did not give up, but built a larger Galen ship, the Date Maru with a displacement of 500 tons, and in 1613 dispatched Hasikura Tsunenaga to lead 40 Spanish sailors (and Rodri There were 317 Spaniards who fell into the hands of the Japanese (some of the sailors were used by the shogunate), 22 samurai and 120 merchants and attachés, and they started another voyage.
The Date Maru's voyage was carried out twice in total, the first time it sent Hasikura Tsunenaga's delegation to America. The second time was to pick Hasikura Tsunenaga back home (Haikura Tsunenaga also went to Europe). On the way back from the Americas for the second time, when passing through the Philippines, the Date was "forcibly purchased" by the Spanish Philippine authorities. , Hasekura Tsunenaga was also forced to stay in Manila until 1620 before returning home. The purpose of the Spanish move was, of course, to prevent Japan from developing its own navigation capabilities.
The loss of the Date Maru would undoubtedly be a fatal blow to Japan's fledgling maritime capabilities!
After that, Japan's Tokugawa shogunate gave up the management of naval power and began to gradually close the country... and the end of all this is only 13 years away!
There must be many craftsmen who participated in the construction of Datemaru, samurai and merchants who went to America!
If Japan changes its national policy from now on and moves toward the ocean again, then they will almost stand on the same starting line as Ming Dynasty!
In addition, the biggest difference between Japan in 1633 and Japan in 1644 is that the third generation shogun Iemitsu was still very powerful.
Iemitsu's reign has just begun, but this third-generation general is still ambitious.
...
"Oh, the Japanese..."
Xiyuan, "Yingtai Children's Paradise". In a pavilion, Zhu Youjian and the visiting Zheng Zhilong were watching three little kids playing while chatting about negotiations with Japan.
For the Ming Dynasty in the sixth year of Chongzhen's reign, Japan was a hurdle that could not be bypassed if it wanted to go to Southeast Asia, and it was also a competitor.
"Didn't they issue an order to lock down the country?" Zhu Youjian is not a Japan-aware person, but his impression of Japan is not too bad - he got along well with the Japanese in his previous life!
"I believe it will be canceled soon!" Zheng Zhilong said with certainty.
"Why?"
"Because the Ming Dynasty founded the country and even went out!" Zheng Zhilong said, "Although the Japanese do not admit it with their mouths, they still believe in their hearts that the Ming Dynasty is a country of heaven. Our Ming Dynasty locked down the country, and they also think it is reasonable to lock up the country. If our Ming Dynasty established a country, they would definitely think that the founding of the country was justified... If our Ming Dynasty went south to Luzon Island and succeeded, the Japanese would definitely follow suit!"
"Will Tokugawa Iemitsu follow the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Youjian asked again.
"No." Zheng Zhilong shook his head, "Tokugawa Iemitsu has been suppressed by his father for so many years. He has just come to power. Of course he will look for opportunities to make a big splash. How can he follow the Ming Dynasty? Moreover, Japan has only been at peace for less than 20 years. ...Many of the generation that experienced the turbulent times of the Warring States Period are still alive!"
Tokugawa Ieyasu himself only died 17 years ago!
The military strength of Japan's Tokugawa shogunate should still be at its peak. Tokugawa Iemitsu saw that Ming Dynasty had taken over the Spanish colony in the Philippines, could he not feel itchy?
Zhu Youjian thought for a while and asked, "How will Japan negotiate?"
"Let's make an alliance against Spain first!" Zheng Zhilong said, "The Tokugawa shogunate is very afraid of Spain and will not oppose us until we take Luzon Island. Moreover, it will take some time for Japan to rebuild its navy. ...I estimate that we and Japan can always be on good terms for five or six years, but we need to be vigilant after that."
"It's good to have five or six years!" Zhu Youjian nodded and said with a smile, "I'll leave all the negotiations with Japan to you... I will ask the cabinet and the Supervisor of Ceremonies to prepare the formal credentials later. , let you visit Japan in the name of mourning Tokugawa Hidetada. And treat each other with equal national courtesy, and regard the Tokugawa Shogunate as the king of Japan!"
This brings face to the Ashodokawa shogunate!
Zhu Youjian said again: "Admiral Zheng, I know that your wife and two sons are in Japan, and I will help you get them back!"
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty!" Zheng Zhilong stood up and was about to salute Zhu Youjian.
Zhu Youjian waved his hand, "You're welcome... I'm a member of my family! As long as your negotiation is successful this time, our Ming Dynasty's navy will have the upper hand!"
Of course Zhu Youjian wants to develop the navy!
Otherwise, why would he spend so much money poaching Lord Pohans? Don't you just want to use Puhans to build yourself a Western-style navy that can be used in ocean warfare?
"Admiral Zheng," Zhu Youjian said to Zheng Zhilong, "to develop the navy, it is indispensable to build warships. I have no foundation in this area, so I can only rely on you and Shen Tingyang. I hope you can make your home in Move the shipyard of Quanzhou Prefecture to Shanghai and hire some foreign craftsmen... Tell your people not to think about taking shortcuts, do it well, and study hard. If there are three people walking together, there must be my teacher! They can surpass two or three people. We have come thousands of miles away, but we can’t go there, which explains the problem!”
