Tanegashima

[BIG]

Interesting pdf about the first six years that europe arrived in Japan.

A Olof G. Lidin book

 

http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:789497/FULLTEXT01.pdf

 

Best Refards

[EdWolf]

Interesting document. Thanks for sharing!

Regards, Ed

[IanB]

Peter,  Thank you for publishing this. It is the first exhaustive (and indeed exhausting) version of this momentous event. Two points need mentioning. Firstly, Nikko Toshogu Shrine possess a screen painted by Kano Takanobu (1571 - 1618) showing the arrival in Japan of a Chinese vessel carrying Portuguese. Although not dated or inscribed and rather stylistic, it shows what is clearly a Chinese ship from which a rowing boat has landed ashore and from which goods are being unloaded. In the rowing boat is a Portuguese lifting a package whilst another is shown onshore about to receive another package from a porter. Alongside the Chinese ship is seen the bow of another with a fabric awning that suggests it is not a sea-going vessel so is probably Japanese. The fact that it shows two Portuguese and a Chinese ship suggests it is depicting the arrival of the first Portuguese in 1543 and that there were only two of them as the early Japanese state.

The second point is that it is curious that Mr. Lindin more or less ignores the form and origin of the guns brought by the Portuguese. He could have learned much more had he done so. These guns we now know were the product of gun-makers in the Portuguese colony of Goa in India. This is fully explored by Rainer Daehnardt in 'The Bewitched Gun' (Texto Editoro: Portugal, 1994). where he describes how the arsenal there produced muskets for trade and use in the Far East. Two such guns, both snapping matchlocks, are preserved in the Tokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya where they are simply catalogued as SE Asian and 16th century. However, a study of their construction shows identical features with guns made in various locations across  SE Asia that have retained the basic form of the Goan originals. One of the Tokugawa guns has had all the internal mechanism replaced in Japan, but retains the original lockplate. The other is complete and in original condition. It may be that the Tokugawa obtained these two guns as specimens of the original guns brought to Tanegashima.

Ian Bottomley

[Peter Bleed]

Interesting additional comments, Ian. Thanks. I was not aware of the Daehnardt ref. I have been curious about the history of snap matchlocks and it looks like this is a central sources. I sure wish such things were not so pricey!

Peter

[Bugyotsuji]

And today, from that very same island of Tanegashima, continuing the tradition. (Credit, Japan Today, KYODO)

[IanB]

Peter,  The two guns in Nagoya are fully illustrated in the museum's catalogue 'Military Accessories of a Daimyo House' p.66 & 67. They show many features of their Indian origins such as the V shaped trigger and lockplates ending in a disc and a tail with tendrils - the disc holding a nut for the rear lock retaining screw. A trawl through GOOGLE images will show several guns from places like Vietnam and Burma with similar lockplates and snapping mechanisms. One of the Nagoya guns, on p.67, has had the internals of the lock replaced by a Japanese mechanism, but retains the original lockplate, and has been fitted with a Japanese pan and cover. Details are obscure but the gun seems to be decorated with a crucifix on the barrel in silver.

Ian Bottomley

[Bugyotsuji]

Ian, I have ordered "The Bewitched Gun". Thank you.