Murayama Toan
Encyclopedia
Murayama Tōan Antonio was a 17th-century Japanese Governor of the city of Nagasaki (Nagasaki daikan, 長崎代官). He was born in Nagoya from a humble background, and he was a Christian
. He played an important role in the handling of "Nanban trade
" in Nagasaki with Christian powers, and led an invasion to Taiwan
, before being executed for his Christian faith.
Murayama became very influential in Nagasaki, and was nominated as delegate from the municipal council to Hideyoshi in 1592. Hideyoshi took a liking to him, and even changed his first name to "Tōan" because he could not pronounce "Antonio" easily. Hideyoshi nominated Murayama as the local tax farmer.
Murayama had very close connections with the Jesuits. He had one of his sons, Francisco, ordinated as parish priest of Nagasaki in 1602.
In 1603-1604 Murayama became Governor of Nagasaki in place of Terazawa Shinano-no-kami Hirotaka, following disputes on the price of the silk being provided by the Portuguese
. Murayama managed to regulate the silk trade with the Portuguese through the introduction of the "bulk-purchase" pancada system (ito-wappu for the Japanese).
Murayama and his colleague Hasegawa Sahioye Fujihiro got into various disputes with the Jesuits and started accusing them of pride and arrogance, of abusive extraterritorial powers in Nagasaki, and of concealing the best silks from Ieyasu. Murayama advocated for the development of direct trading relations between Japan and China, and for the expansion of the Red seal ship system to carry the silk trade.
to invade Taiwan
. This followed a first exploratory mission by Arima Harunobu
(有馬晴信) in 1609. The objective was to establish a base for the direct supply of silk from China, instead of having to supply it from Portuguese-controlled Macao
or Spanish-controlled Manila
.
Murayama had a fleet of 13 ships and around 4,000 men, under the command of one of his sons. They left Nagasaki on May 15, 1616. The invasion attempt ended in failure however. A typhoon dispersed the fleet and put an early end to the invasion effort. The king of Ryu Kyu Sho Nei
had warned Ming China of the Japanese intentions to capture the island and to use it as a trading base with China, but in any case only one ship managed to reach the island and it was repelled by local forces. The single ship was ambushed in a Formosan creek, and all her crew committed suicide ("seppuku
") to avoid capture. Several ships diverted themselves to plunder the Chinese coast and are reported "to have killed above 1,200 Chinas, and taken all the barkes or junks they met withal, throwing the people overboard".
Heizo apostized and at the same time accused Murayama of harbouring Spanish priests and his own clerical sons. Murayama Tōan was finally found to be guilty by the Bakufu and executed in 1619 with most of his family.
Murayama Toan's eldest son was Murayama Tokuan Andres.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. He played an important role in the handling of "Nanban trade
Nanban trade
The or the in Japanese history extends from the arrival of the first Europeans to Japan in 1543, to their near-total exclusion from the archipelago in 1614, under the promulgation of the "Sakoku" Seclusion Edicts.- Etymology :...
" in Nagasaki with Christian powers, and led an invasion to Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, before being executed for his Christian faith.
Career in Nagasaki
Murayama went to Nagasaki as a youth and was baptized there, receiving the name "Antonio". He was highly successful in various commercial ventures and became very rich. He also became a famous amateur of European food (南蛮料理 "Nanban-Ryori", lit. "Southern Barbarian Cuisine")Murayama became very influential in Nagasaki, and was nominated as delegate from the municipal council to Hideyoshi in 1592. Hideyoshi took a liking to him, and even changed his first name to "Tōan" because he could not pronounce "Antonio" easily. Hideyoshi nominated Murayama as the local tax farmer.
Murayama had very close connections with the Jesuits. He had one of his sons, Francisco, ordinated as parish priest of Nagasaki in 1602.
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. Murayama managed to regulate the silk trade with the Portuguese through the introduction of the "bulk-purchase" pancada system (ito-wappu for the Japanese).
Murayama and his colleague Hasegawa Sahioye Fujihiro got into various disputes with the Jesuits and started accusing them of pride and arrogance, of abusive extraterritorial powers in Nagasaki, and of concealing the best silks from Ieyasu. Murayama advocated for the development of direct trading relations between Japan and China, and for the expansion of the Red seal ship system to carry the silk trade.
Taiwan expedition
In 1616, Murayama Tōan was directed by the Tokugawa ShogunateTokugawa 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...
to invade Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. This followed a first exploratory mission by Arima Harunobu
Arima Harunobu
was the second son and successor of Japanese daimyo Arima Yoshisada. Harunobu was born in the castle of Arima and controlled the Shimabara area of Hizen province. After Harunobu's father's death, he began the persecution of Christians in his region. With Ryūzōji Takanobu expanding into his domain,...
(有馬晴信) in 1609. The objective was to establish a base for the direct supply of silk from China, instead of having to supply it from Portuguese-controlled Macao
Mação
Mação is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 400.0 km² and a total population of 7,763 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of eight parishes, and is located in the Santarém District....
or Spanish-controlled Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
.
Murayama had a fleet of 13 ships and around 4,000 men, under the command of one of his sons. They left Nagasaki on May 15, 1616. The invasion attempt ended in failure however. A typhoon dispersed the fleet and put an early end to the invasion effort. The king of Ryu Kyu Sho Nei
Sho Nei
' was king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom from 1587–1620. He reigned during the 1609 invasion of Ryūkyū and was the first king of Ryūkyū to be a vassal to the Shimazu clan of Satsuma, a Japanese feudal domain....
had warned Ming China of the Japanese intentions to capture the island and to use it as a trading base with China, but in any case only one ship managed to reach the island and it was repelled by local forces. The single ship was ambushed in a Formosan creek, and all her crew committed suicide ("seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
") to avoid capture. Several ships diverted themselves to plunder the Chinese coast and are reported "to have killed above 1,200 Chinas, and taken all the barkes or junks they met withal, throwing the people overboard".
Death
In 1618 Murayama Tōan got into a huge dispute with the Japanese Christian trader Suetsugu Heizo (末次平蔵). Toan first accused Heizo of concealing Jesuits despite the official interdiction, and Heizo accused him of having killed 17 or 18 Japanese from a family who resisted giving him a bride.Heizo apostized and at the same time accused Murayama of harbouring Spanish priests and his own clerical sons. Murayama Tōan was finally found to be guilty by the Bakufu and executed in 1619 with most of his family.
Murayama Toan's eldest son was Murayama Tokuan Andres.