Japan's Closed Country Edict (1635)
Context
In the autumn of 1543 a Portuguese ship arrived in southern Japan; it was the first Western vessel to reach that land. At the time, Japan was in the midst of the Warring States Period, a century (1467–1568) of decentralized power. The land was divided among two hundred feudal lords, or daimyo, each of whom ruled a domain of limited size and periodically vied with neighboring lords for control of a larger area. Lacking a central government at the time, Japan conducted no formal foreign relations. However, there was much international activity in the area, and the Japanese were part of it. A number of the daimyo, particularly those in southwestern Japan, were active in overseas trade. Many Japanese pirates (and pirates of other nationalities) plied the waters of Southeast Asia and East Asia, and there were a number of small Japanese colonies established by traders at ports throughout the region. The arrival of the westerners saw the emergence of a robust intra-Asian...
