Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Tracy V. Wilson
Speaker 1: and I'm Holly Frye. I have made an accidental new
Speaker 1: theme in a lot of research the episodes that I've
Speaker 1: researched recently, and that theme is seventeenth century historical figures
Speaker 1: with just big, big gaps in the record. So that
Speaker 1: there was Mary Dyer and all the question marks about
Speaker 1: her life before she got to Boston and where exactly
Speaker 1: she was executed. And then Michelina Wattier, who I decided
Speaker 1: to do a podcast on even though we have almost
Speaker 1: no biographical detail about her now today it is hasekur
Speaker 1: Rokuwae Monsunanaga, who was a samurai who led a diplomatic
Speaker 1: delegation to New Spain, Spain, and Rome in the sixteen
Speaker 1: teens and twenties. These delegates, who were with Hasikura Sudanaga,
Speaker 1: were probably the first Japanese people to visit Cuba and
Speaker 1: to cross the Atlantic Ocean, but a lot of the
Speaker 1: Japanese records about their mission were lost or destroyed after
Speaker 1: they got back. At the same time, though, this is
Speaker 1: a situation where if we were Japanese or living in Japan,
Speaker 1: we might have access to some more information. There are
Speaker 1: a number of Japanese scholars who have written about this
Speaker 1: over the last four or five decades, but that's research
Speaker 1: that was printed in Japanese in Japan, and a lot
Speaker 1: of it just isn't available in any language in libraries
Speaker 1: in the United States. This delegation took place just before
Speaker 1: Japan started closing its borders in the seventeenth century, and
Speaker 1: it was between waves of violent and sometimes truly horrifying
Speaker 1: persecution of Christians in Japan. And all of that connects
Speaker 1: to why those records were destroyed, which of course we
Speaker 1: will be getting to so to.
Speaker 2: Set the stage for what was happening in seventeenth century Japan.
Speaker 2: Portugal had started trading with Japan in the fifteen forties
Speaker 2: after Portuguese merchants were blown off course and landed in
Speaker 2: Japan by accident. Spain established a trading relationship with Japan
Speaker 2: not long after, with much of that trade taking place
Speaker 2: via the Philippines. Ferdinand Magellan had claimed the Philippines for
Speaker 2: Spain in fifteen twenty one, and trade between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico,
Speaker 2: known as the Manila Gallean trade, was established in fifteen
Speaker 2: sixty five. Spanish trading ships carried silver, gold, and other
Speaker 2: precious metals from the Americas to Asia, and porcelain, silk, ivory,
Speaker 2: and other goods from Asia back to the Americas, and
Speaker 2: then from the Americas onto Europe. We talked about this
Speaker 2: trade and its influence in our twenty fifteen interview with
Speaker 2: Dennis Carr, who at the time was a curator at
Speaker 2: the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. As Portugal and Spain
Speaker 2: established trading relationships with Japan, missionaries started arriving there as well.
Speaker 2: The first Catholic missionary in Japan is recognized as Francis Xavier,
Speaker 2: who was one of the founders of the Society of
Speaker 2: Jesus or the Jesuits. He arrived in Japan in fifteen
Speaker 2: forty nine. More Jesuit missionaries followed, as well as Franciscans
Speaker 2: and Dominicans, and by the end of the sixteenth century
Speaker 2: there were about two hundred thousand Catholics living in Japan.
Speaker 2: That included missionaries from outside of Japan as well as
Speaker 2: local people who had converted. But the relationships among these
Speaker 2: three religious orders were not always harmonious. As a general trend,
Speaker 2: most of the Jesuit missionaries were Portuguese, while most of
Speaker 2: the Franciscan and Dominican missionaries were Spanish, and there were
Speaker 2: a lot of disagreements among the three of them as
Speaker 2: they each essentially competed with one another. There were also
Speaker 2: disagreements between Spanish and Portuguese clergy, and between Spanish and
Speaker 2: Portuguese people in Japan. More generally, Spain and Portugal were
Speaker 2: united under Habsburg monarch Philip the Second in fifteen eighty,
Speaker 2: but that didn't stop the Spanish in Portuguese in Japan
Speaker 2: and elsewhere from seeing one another as rivals. There were
Speaker 2: also missionaries from other countries. One was Italian Jesuit visitor
Speaker 2: Alessandro Vallignano. A visitor was essentially someone who visited and
Speaker 2: inspected Jesuit missions, and Ballagnano was responsible for the Jesuit
Speaker 2: missions and most of Southeast and East Asia except for
Speaker 2: the Philippines. During the ten Show era of Japanese history,
Speaker 2: which spanned from fifteen seventy three to fifteen ninety two,
Speaker 2: Ballianiano arranged for four Japanese seminary students to visit Europe.
Speaker 2: He wanted to impress Jesuit leadership with what the order
Speaker 2: was doing in Japan, and also impressed the four Japanese
Speaker 2: delegates by touring them through some of Europe's major Catholic cities.
Speaker 2: The four boys, all age fourteen or fifteen, were carefully selected.
Speaker 2: At this point, the Japanese ruling class was the daimyo,
Speaker 2: who were essentially powerful feudal lords. Some of the daimyo
Speaker 2: had converted to Catholicism, and the delegates had connections to
Speaker 2: the most powerful of those. These four young men all
Speaker 2: had both a Japanese and a Spanish Catholic education, including
Speaker 2: Japanese language and literature, Spanish Latin, music and art.
Speaker 1: The senior delegate was Mancillo Ito Sukamatsu, and the junior
Speaker 1: delegate was Michael Tgus Suzieimon. The other two boys, Julian
Speaker 1: Nakura and Martin Haro, were selected as their companions, but
Speaker 1: in practice all four of the boys were basically treated
Speaker 1: as though they were part of the same delegation. This
Speaker 1: became known as the Ten Show Embassy of fifteen eighty
Speaker 1: two or the Ten Show era Boys Embassy. It wasn't
Speaker 1: really an embassy though, there wasn't a diplomatic goal beyond
Speaker 1: just introducing these boys to Catholic Europe and vice versa.
Speaker 1: The embassy left from Nagasaki in February of fifteen eighty two.
Speaker 1: Tracy wasn't able to piece together the entire route that
Speaker 1: they took to Europe, but they traveled south and west
Speaker 1: from Japan, making stops in Macau and Malacca before arriving
Speaker 1: in Goa on the western coast of India. Veliinyano left
Speaker 1: the delegation there after, receiving orders to transfer to a
Speaker 1: new assignment, and the rest of the embassy continued on,
Speaker 1: finally arriving in Lisbon on August eleventh, fifteen eighty four.
Speaker 1: So it took them about two and a half years
Speaker 1: to travel from Japan to Portugal, with some relatively lengthy
Speaker 1: stops along the way. After arriving in Europe, this delegation
Speaker 1: met with King Philip Icond of Spain, Pope Gregory the
Speaker 1: thirteenth and Gregory's successor sixth is the Fifth. The gifts
Speaker 1: that they brought for these and other people included painted
Speaker 1: folding screens or byobu for each of them, and this
Speaker 1: might have been the first introduction of these painted screens
Speaker 1: into Europe. This delegation wasn't an official effort on Japan's part,
Speaker 1: although later on Valinnano wrote about it as though it
Speaker 1: had been and officials in Europe seemed to have seen
Speaker 1: it that way. A lot of European accounts described the
Speaker 1: boys as kings or princes, which they definitely were not.
Speaker 1: There were also people who compared them to the biblical Magi,
Speaker 1: the wise men from the East who followed a star
Speaker 1: to Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus Christ. This delegation
Speaker 1: traveled in Europe before returning home, including to Lisbon, Madrid, Pisa, Florence, Rome, Genoa,
Speaker 1: and Venice. They arrived back in Japan on July twenty first,
Speaker 1: fifteen ninety but anti Catholic and anti Western attitudes had
Speaker 1: really started increasing in Japan while they were away. For example,
Speaker 1: Daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who is known as one of the
Speaker 1: three Unifiers of Japan, issued an edict expelling missionaries from
Speaker 1: Japan three years before the delegation's return. Toyotomi was apparently
Speaker 1: motivated by concerns about the number of daimyo who were
Speaker 1: converting to Christianity and about reports that some of the
Speaker 1: daimyo were forcing their subjects to convert as well. This
Speaker 1: initial edict wasn't strictly enforced, though, and all four of
Speaker 1: the boys from the ten Show Embassy ultimately joined the
Speaker 1: Jesuit Order as they had planned to.
Speaker 2: Circle back to Toyotomi Hideyoshi Hideyoshi and the unification of
Speaker 2: Japan that was happening right around the same time as well.
Speaker 2: From fourteen sixty seven to fifteen sixty eight, there had
Speaker 2: been so much conflict and warfare among all of Japan's
Speaker 2: domains and their ruling daimyo that it came to be
Speaker 2: known as the Sengoku period or the Warring States period.
Speaker 2: This period came to a close as three daimyo conquered
Speaker 2: and otherwise unified the days. Toyotomi Hideoshi was one and
Speaker 2: the other two were Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Iyeyasu.
Speaker 1: As Japan was becoming more unified, some of its leaders
Speaker 1: started working to increase trade with other nations to send
Speaker 1: more Japanese ships rather than relying largely on merchants from
Speaker 1: countries like Spain and Portugal. But Spanish officials were concerned
Speaker 1: about whether an increase in the number of Japanese ships
Speaker 1: would threaten the ports of Manila and Akapolco. Both of
Speaker 1: these ports were already considered to be vulnerable to attacks
Speaker 1: by the English or the Dutch. The loss of either
Speaker 1: of the ports would completely disrupt the Manila galleon trade.
Speaker 2: Spanish authorities were also wary of entering into a deeper
Speaker 2: relationship with Japan because the status of Catholics in Japan
Speaker 2: was already precarious. Although there were some daimyo who had
Speaker 2: converted to Christianity and some who protected Christians within their
Speaker 2: domains while not themselves being Christians, in some places Christians
Speaker 2: faced deep hostility and even violence, beyond the edict expelling
Speaker 2: missionaries that wasn't really being enforced. As one of the
Speaker 2: most horrifying examples, in fifteen ninety seven, twenty six Catholics,
Speaker 2: including clergy and lay people, were rounded up in Nagasaki,
Speaker 2: publicly mutilated and then crucified. Six of them were from Spain, Mexico,
Speaker 2: or Portugal, and the rest were Japanese or Korean. This
Speaker 2: is usually interpreted as a response to what's known as
Speaker 2: the San Felipe incident. The San Felipe was a Spanish
Speaker 2: galleon that had wrecked in Japanese territory the previous year.
Speaker 2: The ship's captain was reportedly outraged after his cargo was confiscated.
Speaker 2: He either threatened local authorities with Spain's military might or
Speaker 2: sort of implied that Spain was using merchants and missionaries
Speaker 2: to pave the way for an invasion. So this Tree
Speaker 2: of Christians was kind of a response to what was
Speaker 2: perceived as as a genuine threat. More violence followed these crucifixions,
Speaker 2: including the burning of churches. Oda Nabunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Speaker 2: had both died by fifteen ninety eight, living Tokugawa Ayasu,
Speaker 2: the last of the three unifiers in the first shogun
Speaker 2: of the Tokugawa Shogunate also called the Edo Shogunate because
Speaker 2: its capital was in the city of Edo. Japan still
Speaker 2: had an emperor, but under the Tokugawa Shogunate, the shoguns
Speaker 2: and the Tokugawa family were really in control.
Speaker 1: Tokugawa Yeyasu was somewhat more tolerant of Catholicism, although he
Speaker 1: did prohibit Daimyo from converting. This tolerance was largely because
Speaker 1: he wanted to encourage more trade between Japan and Europe,
Speaker 1: and that was in part because Japan had lost China
Speaker 1: as one of its major trading partners. Japan had invaded
Speaker 1: Korea in fifteen ninety two and China had sided with Korea,
Speaker 1: so that trading relationship was at least for the time over.
Speaker 2: And it was in the wake of all of this
Speaker 2: that Hasakura Tunanaga undertook his mission. We'll talk more about
Speaker 2: that after a sponsor break.
Speaker 1: Hasakura Sunnaga was born in fifteen seventy one. He's described
Speaker 1: as being descended from Emperor Kamu. Kamu was Japan's fiftieth
Speaker 1: emperor and reigned from seven thirty five to eight oh six.
Speaker 1: Beyond that, we really don't have much biographical information about
Speaker 1: him at all. As a samurai, he would have had
Speaker 1: lots of combat training, and in this case this also
Speaker 1: involved firearms training. He was in the gun core of
Speaker 1: the daimyo he served dat Masamune. Dat Masamune had lost
Speaker 1: an eye as a child due to an illness. Sometimes
Speaker 1: this illness has specified as smallpox. For that reason. As
Speaker 1: an adult he was nicknamed the one eyed Dragon. He
Speaker 1: had military experience and became Daimyo of Sendai on the
Speaker 1: northern part of Hanshu Island, which is the largest of
Speaker 1: the four main islands of Japan. Although he was not
Speaker 1: Christian himself, he did allow Christians in his territory, including
Speaker 1: allowing a church to be built there in sixteen eleven.
Speaker 1: As was the case with Tokugawa Ayasu, this was probably
Speaker 1: more about wanting to increase trade to his region than
Speaker 1: about any kind of religious conviction. Daatem Masamune was also
Speaker 1: a patron of the arts and letters, and was himself
Speaker 1: a poet. In sixteen twelve, Hasakura Stunanaga's father, Hasakurra Sunanari,
Speaker 1: was accused of corruption, stripped of his land in title,
Speaker 1: and ordered to take his own life, and this is
Speaker 1: reportedly what led to hasakurras Stunanaga going on this mission
Speaker 1: to Spain and its colonies. Date Masamune ordered him to
Speaker 1: do it as a way to redeem his family, and
Speaker 1: if he refused, he would be punished for his father's
Speaker 1: disgrace as well. Spanish Franciscan Friar Lewis Soleto acted as
Speaker 1: an interpreter for this delegation. He had arrived in Japan
Speaker 1: in sixteen oh six after spending three years in the Philippines.
Speaker 1: It's possible that like Hasakura Tsunanaga. His participation in this
Speaker 1: mission was not entirely voluntary. Soleto had agreed to go
Speaker 1: on an earlier voyage to New Spain that Tokugawa Ayasu
Speaker 1: authorized in sixteen ten, but then he pulled out due
Speaker 1: to an illness. That voyage went on as planned, but
Speaker 1: without Luis Soleto, and in some accounts he was essentially
Speaker 1: forced to go on this mission as punishment for failing
Speaker 1: to go on the previous one. In other accounts, it
Speaker 1: was punishment for something else, proselytizing at a colony for
Speaker 1: people with leprosy after being ordered not to, and he
Speaker 1: was given the choice of either going on this mission
Speaker 1: or being executed. There are also some accounts that put
Speaker 1: a somewhat more positive spin on this, though Soleto seems
Speaker 1: to have been ambitious. He was hoping to be named
Speaker 1: bishop of Japan once that bishopric was established. In some
Speaker 1: versions of all this, one of Dati Masumune's concubines had
Speaker 1: been ill and Soleto had healed her, and then Date
Speaker 1: had thanked him by advocating for him to be part
Speaker 1: of this delegation, so in this version it wasn't really
Speaker 1: a punishment. Soleto was hoping to use the delegation as
Speaker 1: a stepping stone to becoming Bishop of Japan.
Speaker 2: The galleon built for this voyage was initially called the
Speaker 2: Date Maru, and it may have started by rebuilding the
Speaker 2: hull of an earlier shipwreck. Construction took forty five days,
Speaker 2: supervised by shogun Admiral Mukai Shogen. Later the ship was
Speaker 2: renamed the San Juan Baptista, and it sailed with about
Speaker 2: one hundred and eighty total people on board, including about
Speaker 2: one hundred and twenty Japanese merchants, servants, and the likes
Speaker 2: in about twenty samurai. One of the merchants was Tanaka Shosuke,
Speaker 2: who had been on that earlier mission in sixteen ten.
Speaker 1: The ship also had a crew of about forty Spanish
Speaker 1: sailors under the command of Sebastian Vizcaino, and there was
Speaker 1: a lot of strife between Viskayino and the Japanese delegation.
Speaker 1: Some of this seems to have been just prejudice on
Speaker 1: his part, but he had also tried to get permission
Speaker 1: to search for gold and silver along the Japanese coastline,
Speaker 1: or maybe to search for islands of gold and silver
Speaker 1: that were believed to be in the waters off of Japan.
Speaker 1: That request had been denied, and Viskayno was bitter about it,
Speaker 1: And then, to make things worse, he wound up stuck
Speaker 1: in Japan after his ship was damaged and he couldn't
Speaker 1: get funding to make it seaworthy again. So Sebastian Viscayino
Speaker 1: is yet another person who was just under a lot
Speaker 1: of external pressure to embark on this voyage. For his part,
Speaker 1: this was basically his ride back to the Americas so
Speaker 1: he could make his way from there back to Europe.
Speaker 2: The San Juan Baptiste to set sail from the port
Speaker 2: of Tsuki, Noura in the fall of sixteen thirteen. It
Speaker 2: crossed the Pacific Ocean to what's now California and then
Speaker 2: sailed to Acapulco, arriving there on January twenty eighth, sixteen fourteen.
Speaker 2: The delegation had brought gifts for authorities in Acapulco, as
Speaker 2: well as the royals, religious leaders, and others they would
Speaker 2: encounter later on in their expedition. They included painted biobu screens, weapons, armor,
Speaker 2: and furniture. After arriving in Acapulco, they traveled across Mexico
Speaker 2: to Vera Cruz via Mexico City.
Speaker 1: One of the people who chronicled their time in New
Speaker 1: Spain was the prolific Nahua historian and chronicler known as
Speaker 1: Chamalpine Quadlajuan Eitzen, who lived in Mexico City. Chamalpine wrote
Speaker 1: about day to day life among Nahua communities, as well
Speaker 1: as Spanish colonial efforts in Mexico. He wrote in both
Speaker 1: Nawatl and in Spanish. Chamalpine created some of the most
Speaker 1: comprehensive chronicles of New Spain written by an indigenous person
Speaker 1: in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and much of what
Speaker 1: he wrote and incorporated in his annals included eyewitness accounts
Speaker 1: from other indigenous people. His work is also noteworthy because
Speaker 1: he wasn't a member of the nobility, so his point
Speaker 1: of view represented everyday people rather than the elite. He
Speaker 1: had also documented that earlier sixteen ten delegation that had
Speaker 1: included to Nakashosuke. Chamalpine's account of the delegation includes a
Speaker 1: description of a violent incident between viz Kayano and some
Speaker 1: of its Japanese members not long after their arrival. Apparently
Speaker 1: this had something to do with who was going to
Speaker 1: take control of the gifts that the delegation had brought
Speaker 1: with them. Someone stabbed viz Kayino with a sword, and
Speaker 1: a Spanish official who tried to intervene was killed. This
Speaker 1: Kayino and the rest of the delegation quickly parted ways,
Speaker 1: with viz Kayino traveling across Mexico separately from them to
Speaker 1: return to Europe. Jamalpine was also one of the people
Speaker 1: who wrote about members of the delegation being baptized while
Speaker 1: in Mexico. According to Chamalpine, forty four of them were
Speaker 1: baptized in Mexico City in the spring of sixteen fourteen,
Speaker 1: more than half of them baptized by Archbishop Juan Perez
Speaker 1: de la Cerna. Most accounts suggest that, with the exception
Speaker 1: of the most high ranking samurai in this group, which
Speaker 1: included Hasakura, all the Japanese entourage were baptized while in Mexico, apparently,
Speaker 1: though there aren't official church records to back that up.
Speaker 1: It's like there are a lot of accounts that describe it,
Speaker 1: but according to the sources that I read, not church
Speaker 1: records to confirm it.
Speaker 2: There are some things that are not fully clear about
Speaker 2: these baptisms. Some of the delegation's members may have already converted,
Speaker 2: or at least been interested in doing so before leaving Japan,
Speaker 2: But we don't really know everyone's reasons for going on
Speaker 2: the voyage or what everyone's thoughts and feelings were in
Speaker 2: terms of religion, So we don't really know whether all
Speaker 2: these baptisms came about because of a sincere religious conviction
Speaker 2: or more as an attempt to encourage the trade agreement
Speaker 2: that they were there to.
Speaker 1: Secure authorization of That kind of a trade agreement needed
Speaker 1: to come from Spain itself, not from colonial authorities in
Speaker 1: the Americas. So a group of samurai plus about twenty
Speaker 1: other Japanese delegates departed from Vera Cruz in the late
Speaker 1: spring of sixteen fourteen. That July, they became the first
Speaker 1: Japanese people known to visit Cuba, and then the first
Speaker 1: Japanese people known to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaker 2: We will talk about their time in Europe after a
Speaker 2: sponsor break.
Speaker 1: When Hussaker Asunanaga's delegation had been in Mexico, they had
Speaker 1: been welcomed and treated as honored guests, and that really
Speaker 1: continued in the first place they visited in Europe, which
Speaker 1: was Luis Sileto's hometown of Seville, where they presented letters
Speaker 1: of introduction to the Council on September thirtieth, sixteen fourteen.
Speaker 1: There was a lot of hype in Seville around their visit,
Speaker 1: including formal receptions and a pamphlet written about them that
Speaker 1: was basically propaganda. This pamphlet made it sound like they
Speaker 1: were official emissaries sent by the Emperor of Japan and
Speaker 1: that Datte Masimune was next in line to be Emperor
Speaker 1: of Japan. It is not entirely clear whether Europeans understood
Speaker 1: the distinction between the emperor and the shogun, or whether
Speaker 1: they were using emperor to mean shogun. It kind of
Speaker 1: reminds me of how like when we read colonial accounts
Speaker 1: from North America, people will describe indigenous leaders as kings
Speaker 1: and queens, when that wasn't really how they saw their
Speaker 1: own role at all. And it's not clear to me
Speaker 1: what the situation is here.
Speaker 2: And some of this may have been a misunderstanding on
Speaker 2: the part of the people of Seville, but Luis Soleto
Speaker 2: and his family also may have been exaggerating things intentionally.
Speaker 2: Aside from overinflating the rank of date Masamune and of
Speaker 2: the delegation. All of this publicity totally concealed the fact
Speaker 2: that Hasakura and Soleto were likely doing this, because if
Speaker 2: they didn't, they would have faced execution.
Speaker 1: One thing to note here is some scholars have concluded
Speaker 1: that this delegation may have had another objective entirely, that
Speaker 1: it wasn't just about securing a trade agreement, and also
Speaker 1: it didn't really have a religious element so much that
Speaker 1: it was to get the Pope to recognize Date Masimune's
Speaker 1: domain as independent from the Tokugawa Shogunate. If that's the case,
Speaker 1: this propaganda in Seville may have been less of a
Speaker 1: just overstatement of what their rank was and more like
Speaker 1: trying to frame Date Masimune as shogun of his own domain.
Speaker 1: This was the first time that Soleto had returned home
Speaker 1: since leaving in fifth ninety nine to pursue missionary work
Speaker 1: in Asia, so friends and family were probably genuinely eager
Speaker 1: to see him. Some of the receptions and other entertainment
Speaker 1: were also arranged by his family or other personal connections,
Speaker 1: and a lot of these really sound like they were
Speaker 1: more about Sletto than about the Japanese delegation and This
Speaker 1: was a two way street, with Soleto and the delegation
Speaker 1: implying that Seville was being particularly honored by being there
Speaker 1: first stop after arriving in Europe. But this really warm
Speaker 1: welcome didn't extend beyond Seville very much. Once they got
Speaker 1: to Madrid. Officials there seemed to have seen through all
Speaker 1: of this hype really quickly. Some of them had also
Speaker 1: received letters from other missionaries in Japan and Mexico that
Speaker 1: made them suspicious and distrustful of Soletto. This included messages
Speaker 1: from other Franciscans who found him to be overly ambitious, scheming, untrustworthy,
Speaker 1: and self serving. They warned that his active vities could
Speaker 1: jeopardize the Franciscan's work in the Americas.
Speaker 2: In Asia.
Speaker 1: Various letters received in Europe also made it clear that
Speaker 1: Date Masimune wasn't a Christian, definitely wasn't in line to
Speaker 1: be emperor, that he was more like the equivalent of
Speaker 1: a minor noble in Europe.
Speaker 2: Some of the people who had written two authorities about
Speaker 2: Soleto also seemed to dislike him personally because they found
Speaker 2: him tactless and rude. This came up in Madrid as well,
Speaker 2: when Soleto requested that Hasukura be inducted into the Order
Speaker 2: of Santiago, which is a military religious order, but only
Speaker 2: Spanish nobles were allowed to join the Order of Santiago,
Speaker 2: and they were required to prove their quote purity of blood.
Speaker 2: Hasakuta was a Japanese man who had not even been baptized,
Speaker 2: so Soletto's suggestion was seen as appalling.
Speaker 1: In spite of all this, Hasakura did meet with King
Speaker 1: of Spain, Philip the Third, delivering a letter from Datee
Speaker 1: Masimune requesting open trade between Japan and Spain's colonies and
Speaker 1: the Americas. This letter was also very flattering, describing Hasakura
Speaker 1: as particularly blessed to be able to experience the glory
Speaker 1: of a Christian nation. The King wouldn't give the delegation
Speaker 1: a firm answer, though he apparently said that the Pope
Speaker 1: would need to weigh in, so the delegation asked to
Speaker 1: travel to Rome so that they could ask the Pope
Speaker 1: to approve a trade agreement, as well as an increase
Speaker 1: in the number of Franciscan friars sent to Japan and
Speaker 1: more financial support for those missionaries work. They also planned
Speaker 1: to ask for Spanish navigators to be sent to Japan
Speaker 1: to teach Japanese sailors and captains about European navigation methods.
Speaker 1: Before they left for Rome. On February seventeenth, sixteen fifteen,
Speaker 1: Hasakura Sunanaga and some of the other samurai were publicly baptized.
Speaker 1: Issagari's baptism was performed by the King's chaplain, and the King,
Speaker 1: the Queen, and the royal family were all present at
Speaker 1: his baptism. He took the name Francisco Felipe Fahikura. When
Speaker 1: the delegation left for Rome, about six of them stayed
Speaker 1: behind in Spain, settling around Corea del Rio outside of Seville. Today,
Speaker 1: there are people living in that area that have the
Speaker 1: surname Hapon that spelled Japo n so it clearly is
Speaker 1: a reference to Japan, and they're believed to be descended
Speaker 1: from members of this delegation. However, not all of them
Speaker 1: seem to have fared well in Spain. There is one
Speaker 1: written reference to a Don Toma Felippe Happon, who wrote
Speaker 1: to the Council in sixteen twenty two saying that he
Speaker 1: had been one of the Japanese envoys baptized along with
Speaker 1: Hasekura and that he had since been enslaved in the
Speaker 1: town of Zafra. He asked for his freedom and permission
Speaker 1: to return to Japan, which was granted. To return to
Speaker 1: the delegation. They formally entered Rome on October twenty ninth,
Speaker 1: sixteen fifteen, and they had an audience with Pope Paul
Speaker 1: the Fifth just a few days later, on November three.
Speaker 1: This was there's a big contrast to what had happened
Speaker 1: in Madrid, where they spent months waiting for an audience
Speaker 1: with the King. Hasakura delivered their request for more missionaries
Speaker 1: and for permission to trade with the colonies. While the
Speaker 1: Pope refused to make a firm commitment on a trade agreement,
Speaker 1: he did agree to send more missionaries.
Speaker 2: The Pope also noted the possibility of naming a bishop
Speaker 2: of Japan, with Soleto recommended for that role, but he
Speaker 2: didn't make a firm commitment on that either. This would
Speaker 2: have been politically pretty challenging for the Pope, among other things,
Speaker 2: since Portuguese missionaries had been the first ones in Japan,
Speaker 2: Portugal thought that any new bishop sent to Japan should
Speaker 2: be Portuguese, and Soleto, of course, was Spanish. The delegation
Speaker 2: remained in Rome for a few more weeks after this,
Speaker 2: receiving holy communion from the Pope during Christmas Mass. Hasakura
Speaker 2: was also granted honorary Roman citizenship on January Tewod sixteen sixteen.
Speaker 2: His portrait was also painted more than once while he
Speaker 2: was in Rome. One portrait is attributed to either Clauderette
Speaker 2: or Arquita Ricci and shows Hasekura in loose fitting embroidered
Speaker 2: Japanese garments. He's carrying traditional swords and behind him is
Speaker 2: a painting of a galleon with what looks like angels
Speaker 2: in the sky above it. Another is credited to the
Speaker 2: school of Giovanni Nicolo, and it shows Hasakura dressed in
Speaker 2: black Western religious attire, kneeling before a crucifix with his
Speaker 2: hands folded in prayer.
Speaker 1: Hazakura, four other Japanese men, and Luis Sileto are all
Speaker 1: depicted in a fresco in the Crinal Palace in Rome,
Speaker 1: which is part of a series of frescoes depicting emissaries
Speaker 1: that had been received by Pope Paul the Fifth. The
Speaker 1: artists who worked on this series of paintings included Agostino Tassi,
Speaker 1: Giovanni Lamfranco and others. These frescoes were painted by order
Speaker 1: of the pope, and they were one of the ways
Speaker 1: that he was sort of reen forcing his own legacy.
Speaker 1: He was documenting how many delegations he had received from
Speaker 1: other parts of the world and suggesting that under his direction,
Speaker 1: the Church had been particularly successful in its missionary efforts
Speaker 1: in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and northern Europe. The
Speaker 1: delegation left Rome on January seventh, sixteen sixteen, and visited
Speaker 1: Florence and other cities in Italy. Before leaving Europe. Pasecuta
Speaker 1: returned to Madrid and made one final attempt to secure
Speaker 1: a trade agreement with Spain. This time the king definitively refused,
Speaker 1: apparently giving the reason that since Haskuta was representing only
Speaker 1: the daimyo of one region, not the ruler of all
Speaker 1: of Japan, he was just not authorized to make this
Speaker 1: kind of agreement. Word had also reached Spain that persecution
Speaker 1: of Christians in Japan was increasing, which might have been
Speaker 1: another factor in the king's refusal. Hassakra's delegation left Europe
Speaker 1: in the summer of sixteen seventeen, reversing their original route
Speaker 1: to get back to Japan, but at first they only
Speaker 1: got as far as Manila. They got there in sixteen
Speaker 1: eighteen and stayed for more than two years. During that time,
Speaker 1: the Catholic Council of the Indies ordered Silato to return
Speaker 1: to New Spain and he left.
Speaker 2: Christians in Japan had faced periods of persecution before the
Speaker 2: delegation set sail in sixteen thirteen, and that had really
Speaker 2: escalated while they were gone. Tokugawa Yasu had issued an
Speaker 2: edict expelling not just missionaries but all Christians from Japan
Speaker 2: in sixteen fourteen, right around the time that the delegation
Speaker 2: reached Akapulco. Then Tokugawa Yasu died in sixteen sixteen and
Speaker 2: was succeeded by his son, Tokugawa Hidetada. Yeashu had formally
Speaker 2: resigned his position as shogun long before that point, but
Speaker 2: he had still retained a lot of power. But after
Speaker 2: he died, Hidetada took a much stronger stance against Christianity
Speaker 2: in Japan. This was motivated in by concerns about whether
Speaker 2: Spain would try to conquer Japan if they were allowed
Speaker 2: to continue trading and sending missionaries. So Hasakaris Stunanaga was
Speaker 2: seen as deeply suspect. Not only had he converted to
Speaker 2: Christianity and been baptized, but he had also traveled to
Speaker 2: Europe with the objective of expanding Spain's relationship with Japan
Speaker 2: for reasons that aren't entirely clear. Shortly after having a
Speaker 2: meeting with Hasakura after his return date, Masimune also outlawed
Speaker 2: Christianity in his domain under penalty of exile or death.
Speaker 2: A lot of this is, like real poorly documented, but
Speaker 2: it seems like he could have been trying to just
Speaker 2: really distance himself from this whole thing in the face
Speaker 2: of really changing expectations in Japan. Hasakuda had kept a
Speaker 2: journal documenting his travels, but as we noted earlier, some
Speaker 2: time after returning to Japan, this was destroyed, along with
Speaker 2: other records of the mission. He most likely died in
Speaker 2: sixteen twenty two, but there are wildly different unofficial accounts
Speaker 2: about what happened to him. Some say that he had
Speaker 2: been baptized in Spain only for the sake of securing
Speaker 2: a trade agreement, and that after returning to Japan he
Speaker 2: renounced his conversion to Catholicism. Others say that his conversion
Speaker 2: was genuine, and that he became even more devoted to
Speaker 2: Christianity after returning to Japan in spite of escalating threats
Speaker 2: to his life. According to a surviving letter, he also
Speaker 2: had a son who was forced to take his own
Speaker 2: life for either harboring Christians or being Christian himself in
Speaker 2: sixteen forty.
Speaker 1: By the time Hasakura returned to Japan, the members of
Speaker 1: the Ten show Boys delegation that we talked about earlier
Speaker 1: had either died, left Japan or left the Jesuit order,
Speaker 1: with the exception of Julian Nakura, he was still in
Speaker 1: Japan and was still a Jesuit, and during all of
Speaker 1: this he was arrested, tortured, and killed in sixteen twenty three.
Speaker 1: Although Luis Sileto had been ordered to return to New Spain,
Speaker 1: he later went back to Japan in disguise, and soon
Speaker 1: after that he was captured. He was burned at the
Speaker 1: stake on August twenty fifth, sixteen twenty four. In sixteen
Speaker 1: thirty seven, Catholics in the Domain of Shimabara rebelled against
Speaker 1: high taxes and violent suppression of Catholicism. Japanese officials suppressed
Speaker 1: the rebellion by dispatching more than one hundred thousand troops
Speaker 1: with assistance from a Dutch warship. Although various edicts had
Speaker 1: suppressed or expelled Christians before this point, this time Japanese
Speaker 1: officials turned their attention to Europeans more broadly. Japan started
Speaker 1: closing down its borders, entering a period of isolationism known
Speaker 1: as sakoku. Eventually, the only trade that was permitted with
Speaker 1: people outside of Asia was with the Dutch East India Company,
Speaker 1: and then only at the port of Nagasaki. This policy
Speaker 1: continued until the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry's fleet on
Speaker 1: July eighth, eighteen fifty three. Because records of Hasakura Sunanaga's
Speaker 1: voyage were destroyed during this period of isolationism, he mostly
Speaker 1: disappeared from Japanese history until eighteen seventy three, when Prince
Speaker 1: Irikura Tomomi found documents recounting the delegation in archives in Venice.
Speaker 1: Emperor Meiji later made the discovery public. Today, there are
Speaker 1: several statues and monuments to Hasakura Sunanaga and his delegation
Speaker 1: around the world. A statue in Corea del Rio, Spain
Speaker 1: was donated by the government of Japan in nineteen ninety two.
Speaker 1: Another statue is in Havana, Cuba, and there's one in
Speaker 1: Via Le Guilliemo Marconi near Porta Livorno in Italy. The
Speaker 1: Hasakura Tunanaga Memorial Park is at the site of his
Speaker 1: tomb in Osato, Japan, and a replica of the San
Speaker 1: Juan Baptista was built at the port where the delegation
Speaker 1: originally sets. These events are also dramatized in the nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty novel The Samurai by Shushako Endo, which was translated
Speaker 1: into English by Vancy Gessel two years later. While this
Speaker 1: is a novel, it's grounded in as much historical fact
Speaker 1: is as known about Hasakura and the delegation. This book
Speaker 1: was also informed by Shushaku Indo's own experiences as a
Speaker 1: Japanese person who was baptized at the age of eleven.
Speaker 1: There's also a Japanese TV series about the Ten Show
Speaker 1: Embassy called Magi The Ten Show Boys Embassy? Do you
Speaker 1: also have listener mail for us? I do have listener mail. First,
Speaker 1: I have a quick correction. This is from Christa Krista
Speaker 1: wrote Hi, Tracy and Holly in Today's Six Impossible episodes.
Speaker 1: You say George the Fourth was married to Catherine of Brunswick.
Speaker 1: I think you meant Caroline of Brunswick. It's at thirty
Speaker 1: two minutes and forty two seconds on my Apple podcast player.
Speaker 1: I love six Impossible Episodes and I love your mother
Speaker 1: Goo's serious best. Christa, Thank you so much, Christa. Indeed,
Speaker 1: I did mean Caroline. This is not even a case
Speaker 1: where it was right in the outline and the wrong
Speaker 1: word came out of our mouths, which like that happens sometime.
Speaker 1: The wrong word came out of my typing fingers into
Speaker 1: the outline. So thank you for that correction about Caroline
Speaker 1: of Brunswick. I also have an email from Catherine, and
Speaker 1: this is about Outdoor Drama. Uh. And it's been a
Speaker 1: bit since the episode came out where we talked about this,
Speaker 1: but it feels like we're entering Outdoor Drama season. A
Speaker 1: lot of that happens in the summer, for sure, so
Speaker 1: I felt good about returning to it. Catherine. Note Hi,
Speaker 1: Holly and Tracy. I've been a listener since the early days,
Speaker 1: but I've continually been behind by a few weeks or months.
Speaker 1: I'm systematically catching up and I just recently listened to
Speaker 1: your Behind the Scenes episode where you were talking about
Speaker 1: all the historical dramas in North Carolina and wondered if
Speaker 1: those shows existed in other places or not They actually
Speaker 1: do kind of. I'm currently a librarian at a performing
Speaker 1: arts school in New York City, but my previous career
Speaker 1: was in musical theater. One of my first jobs in
Speaker 1: my professional theater career was with the historical outdoor drama
Speaker 1: in Ohio. At the time, there were several shows of
Speaker 1: that type in Ohio, Trumpet in the Land, Bluejacket, Johnny Appleseed,
Speaker 1: and Tecumsa. When I was performing there in the early
Speaker 1: two thousands, there were four outdoor dramas in Ohio. The
Speaker 1: theater I worked at, Trumpet in the Land did two
Speaker 1: historically based shows in repertoire with a more standard musical
Speaker 1: and a children's show during the summer. The title musical
Speaker 1: was written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paul Green, who
Speaker 1: also wrote The Lost Colony. The theater at Trumpet in
Speaker 1: the Land is still running after more than fifty years
Speaker 1: and has other shows in the outdoor amphitheater during the
Speaker 1: non summer months. The other show that Catherine wrote about
Speaker 1: is TECUMSA, which we talked about a couple of times
Speaker 1: in those earlier listener mails. We talked about this, so
Speaker 1: Catherine wrote, ta KEMPSA is celebrating their fiftieth anniversary this summer,
Speaker 1: but after doing some initial slothing, it doesn't look like
Speaker 1: the other two are around anymore. During my contract at Trumpet,
Speaker 1: there was definitely some camaraderie between the casts, and we
Speaker 1: each tried to go see the others productions at least
Speaker 1: once during the summer. There was also a bit of
Speaker 1: competition and rivalry going on with regards to which shows
Speaker 1: had the best horsemanship, gunplay, and various other stunts and
Speaker 1: special effects.
Speaker 2: I think the.
Speaker 1: Early two thousands may have been the heyday of outdoor
Speaker 1: drama because there used to be a specific audition for
Speaker 1: it yes in North Carolina each spring, where actors could
Speaker 1: audition once for representatives from theaters all around the country
Speaker 1: that had outdoor performances, regardless of whether or not they
Speaker 1: were historical. It looks like that standalone audition does not
Speaker 1: exist anymore and is now part of the larger Southeast
Speaker 1: Theater Conference SETC Auditions. However, it looks like there is
Speaker 1: still an active National Conference on Outdoor Theater under the
Speaker 1: satc umbrella. Hearing Tracy mentioned the Lost Colony immediately brought
Speaker 1: back memories of friends I made doing other theater contracts
Speaker 1: and how they used to rag about how it was
Speaker 1: the first and best of all the outdoor historical plays
Speaker 1: and they never would let anyone forget that Tony Award
Speaker 1: winning costume designer William Ivy Long did the costumes there.
Speaker 1: In the years since, there have been some allegations regarding
Speaker 1: Long and some of his actions with some of his
Speaker 1: college age costuming assistants, so that's not really something they
Speaker 1: usually readily bring up now, but back in the day
Speaker 1: it was all anyone talked about. Even though this is
Speaker 1: almost a year later, I thought i'd provide some backstory
Speaker 1: for an interesting topic that I happen to have some
Speaker 1: personal experience with. I'm thankful I have the opportunity to
Speaker 1: work out a job that confines two things. I love
Speaker 1: libraries and performing arts. This way, even though I'm not
Speaker 1: a professional singer slash dancer myself anymore, I still feel
Speaker 1: connected to it. My undergraduates degrees were in musical theater
Speaker 1: and ballet, so I always live hearing Holly's ballet memories
Speaker 1: as they prod some of my own things. Thank you
Speaker 1: for the fascinating topics. I learn love to learn about
Speaker 1: new things as I'm walking outside or just taking me
Speaker 1: time to relax, Catherine. Thank you so much for this email, Catherine.
Speaker 1: In addition to talking about some outdoor drama stuff that
Speaker 1: we did not talk about and listener mail from that
Speaker 1: episode originally came out, this reminded me of my days
Speaker 1: as a youth going to setc with my high school.
Speaker 1: If you would like to send us a note about
Speaker 1: this or any other podcast or history podcast at iHeartRadio
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