Kirishitan and Teppo: When Japan encounters with Westerners

Abstract

This paper introduces the first period of European-Japanese interaction, starting from 1549, when Francis Xavier S.J. landed in Kagoshima, to the early 17th Century as the Tokugawa government completely banned Christianity and restrained the rights of foreigners. This paper is primarily based on sources from the European point of view, with the accounts, statistics, and letters documented by the missionaries and businessmen. It analyzes the grounds for this encounter and how both Europeans and Japanese perceived and reacted to each other. Another primary focus of the paper is on the European impression of Japan in terms of bringing the exotic yet vastly influential Christianity and new technology. Finally, the downfall of European influence is a captivating topic that involved a series of political incidents where among the Europeans; the long-lasting conflict between Jesuits and Franciscans displeased Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the reunification of Japan after centuries also prompted Japanese rulers to be vigilant against foreigners. Some of the underexplored topics, such as population trades commanded by European traders, are also discussed in this paper.