Bulletin of Portuguese - Japanese Studies ISSN: 0874-8438
[email protected] Universidade Nova de Lisboa Portugal Mihoko, Oka A great merchant in Nagasaki in 17th century. Suetsugu Heizô II and the System of Respondência Bulletin of Portuguese - Japanese Studies, núm. 2, june, 2001, pp. 37-56 Universidade Nova de Lisboa Lisboa, Portugal Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=36100203 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative BPJS, 2001, 2, 37 - 56 A GREAT MERCHANT IN NAGASAKI IN 17TH CENTURY Suetsugu Heizô II and the System of Respondência Oka Mihoko Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kyoto University Introduction In the last few decades, many articles have been devoted to the study of the Nagasaki merchants and their relationship with ports all over the world. But only few attempts1 have so far been made for other commercial cities in Japan involved in overseas trade, for example Sakai and especially Hakata. Hakata is located on the northern top of Kyûshû Island and flourished as an important port for overseas trade with China and Korea from ancient times. In the Middle Ages, a group known as Nengyôji, consisting of some elected citizen including great merchants, had an autonomous power in town politics. In other words, Hakata had been “the city of commerce” in Japan. However, in the missionary documents and letters of 16th century and 17th century, the name of Hakata or Facata do not appear as frequently as Nagasaki or Nangasaque, as they were often written then.