Matsuura Takanobu
Encyclopedia
or Taqua Nombo was a 16th century Japanese samurai
and 25th hereditary lord of the Matsuura clan of Hirado
. He should not be confused with Matsuura Takanobu (same spelling, same kanji
), the 4th daimyo
of Hirado Domain
under the Tokugawa shogunate
.
Matsuura Takanobu was one of the most powerful feudal lords of Kyūshū
and one of the first to allow trading with Europeans, particularly the Portuguese
, through whom he amassed great profits in the import of western firearms. He was also an early host and patron to the Jesuits who he hoped would influence an increase in trade with the Portuguese and other European traders.
, Shishi
and Iira
in Hirado. That same year he became an ally of a powerful wakō
leader, inviting him to live in Hirado and allowing his band to dominate the outlying islands off Kyūshū.
During the 1550s, he was involved in a fierce rivalry with the rival Ōmura clan, the Christian convert Ōmura Sumitada
, who also competed for Portuguese trade. This rivalry lasted for over three decades, and long after Takanobu had retired, until Ōmura eventually became the Portuguese "port of call
" having ceded Nagasaki to the Jesuits in 1680.
Although tolerant to the Kirishitan
movement introduced to Japan (his retainer Koteda Yasumasa became the first samurai to convert to Catholicism in 1551), he expelled the Jesuits from his domain in 1558. The evangelism of the Jesuits' followers resulted in the destruction of three Buddhist temples and throwing artifacts into the sea. A speech given by a Zen priest from Yasumandake spoke out against Father Gaspar Vilela and resulted in several mobs of Buddhist followers stoning the three churches in the area and, in one instance, toppling the cross from one church. This recent surge in religious violence forced Takanobu to ask Vilela to leave. He later forced Kato Saemon, lord of the district of Kato, into retirement in Nagasaki due to pressure from his brothers.
In 1568, he stepped down in favor of his son Shigenobu. His grandson was also named Matsuura Takanobu and baptized in 1591. Matsuura Takanobu died in 1599.
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
and 25th hereditary lord of the Matsuura clan of Hirado
Hirado, Nagasaki
is a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. The part historically named Hirado is located on the island of the same name. With recent mergers, the city's boundaries have expanded, and Hirado now occupies parts of the main island of Kyūshū...
. He should not be confused with Matsuura Takanobu (same spelling, same kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
), the 4th daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Hirado Domain
Hirado Domain
was a tozama han of Edo period Japan, with its territory extending from northern Hizen Province to the offshore Iki Province...
under the Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
.
Matsuura Takanobu was one of the most powerful feudal lords of Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and one of the first to allow trading with Europeans, particularly the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, through whom he amassed great profits in the import of western firearms. He was also an early host and patron to the Jesuits who he hoped would influence an increase in trade with the Portuguese and other European traders.
Biography
After becoming lord of Hirado in 1543, the 15-year-old Takanobu was advised by Yasumasa Toyohisa. Toyohisa was a well-known samurai and cousin of the previous lord of Hirado and, under his guidance, the domains of the Koteta family were increased to include much of Ikitsuki, together with the islands of Takushima, Ojika, Noshima as well as the areas of KasugaKasuga
may mean* Kasuga, a city in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan* Kasuga, a former town in Hyōgo Prefecture* Kasuga, a former village in Gifu Prefecture* Kasuga Shrine, a major Shinto shrine in Nara* Kasugayama Castle, the primary fortress of warlord Uesugi Kenshin...
, Shishi
Shishi
Shishi may refer to:*Chinese guardian lion, also known as a shishi*The left member of a pair of komainu*Shishi City, in Quanzhou, Fujian, China*Shishi , Japanese political activists of the late Edo period...
and Iira
Iira
Iira is a village in Rapla Parish, Rapla County in northwestern Estonia....
in Hirado. That same year he became an ally of a powerful wakō
Wokou
Wokou , which literally translates as "Japanese pirates" in English, were pirates of varying origins who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards...
leader, inviting him to live in Hirado and allowing his band to dominate the outlying islands off Kyūshū.
During the 1550s, he was involved in a fierce rivalry with the rival Ōmura clan, the Christian convert Ōmura Sumitada
Omura Sumitada
Ōmura Sumitada Japanese daimyo lord of the Sengoku period. He achieved fame throughout the country for being the first of the daimyo to convert to Christianity following the arrival of the Jesuit missionaries in the mid-16th century. Following his baptism, he became known as "Dom Bartolomeu"...
, who also competed for Portuguese trade. This rivalry lasted for over three decades, and long after Takanobu had retired, until Ōmura eventually became the Portuguese "port of call
Port of Call
-Synopsis:Berit, a young woman living in a working-class port town begins a relationship with Gösta, a sailor newly returned from overseas and intent upon staying on land...
" having ceded Nagasaki to the Jesuits in 1680.
Although tolerant to the Kirishitan
Kirishitan
, from Portuguese cristão, referred to Roman Catholic Christians in Japanese and is used as a historiographic term for Roman Catholics in Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries. Christian missionaries were known as bateren or iruman...
movement introduced to Japan (his retainer Koteda Yasumasa became the first samurai to convert to Catholicism in 1551), he expelled the Jesuits from his domain in 1558. The evangelism of the Jesuits' followers resulted in the destruction of three Buddhist temples and throwing artifacts into the sea. A speech given by a Zen priest from Yasumandake spoke out against Father Gaspar Vilela and resulted in several mobs of Buddhist followers stoning the three churches in the area and, in one instance, toppling the cross from one church. This recent surge in religious violence forced Takanobu to ask Vilela to leave. He later forced Kato Saemon, lord of the district of Kato, into retirement in Nagasaki due to pressure from his brothers.
In 1568, he stepped down in favor of his son Shigenobu. His grandson was also named Matsuura Takanobu and baptized in 1591. Matsuura Takanobu died in 1599.
Further reading
- Muto, Chozo. A Short History of Anglo-Japanese Relations. Tokyo: Hokuseido Press, 1936.
- Sansom, G.B. The Western World and Japan: A Study in the Interaction of European and Asiatic Cultures. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1950.
- Varg, Paul A. The Closing of the Door: Sino-American Relations, 1936–1946. Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1970.