Japan and the West: First Contact - the Real History Behind Shogun

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A curiosity worth noting: Before departing Spain back to Japan in 1617, Hasekura Tsunenaga left behind 6 samurais of his delegation in a small village called Coria del Rio, near Seville. They married spanish women and adopted the family name "Japón", carried by their descendants to this day.

I really liked this topic. I always like hearing historical accounts of nations meeting other nations for the first time and how they went about it.

"Strangers have come to our shores. They bring weapons of fire and smoke. Weapons that kill without honour, without skill and even so, these foreigners and their guns could give a man power and victory and victory wipes away dishonour."

Right on time for Shogun

Many people don't know this but the Portuguese brought Tempura and Kasutera to Japan, a traditional specialty in Nagasaki. Both delicious!

Portugal was definitely the greatest explorer nation of the 15-16th century

Stories of first contact between civilizations always fascinate me. It is incredible that a small nation like Portugal, marginal in European history compared to countries like France and England, has played a colossal role in the history of humanity. Portugal kick started the age of sail and the global trade and thus became the first and also the last empire where the sun never set. And today Portugal's legacy can be found in Africa, Asia and of course the Americas in the language, customs and faith of millions. When Yoda said "size matter not" he was talking about Portugal.

In Spain we have a very curious story about Tsunenaga's expedition. It seems that some of his sailors liked Spain and decided to settle in Coria del Río taking the surname Japón (Japan in Spanish)

Love how it’s one of the few things Filmore could claim credit for but opening up Japan is credited entirely to Perry

Portugal is the most celebrated country in Japan, for its enormous contribution to Japanese history, for having influenced the development, opening, modernization, cultural and technological expansion that allowed the eternal civil war to end and that solidified the union of Japan. All students in Japan learn about Portugal and Japanese scholars increasingly add crucial aspects of Portugal's influence on Japan. The influence of the Portuguese can be seen in language, cuisine, medicine, art, technology and even clothing, as it has become fashionable to dress Portuguese style. There are several festivals that celebrate the arrival of the Portuguese, especially in Tanegashima where, in addition to the great celebrations in which the population dresses according to the season, children also participate by singing the Portuguese anthem, while scale replicas of the Portuguese boats parade through the crowd. Unlike the Japanese and the people with whom the Portuguese maintained contact, who admire the Portuguese, the Europeans who most envy Portugal finance media propaganda to falsify, denigrate and encourage hatred against the Portuguese and consequently this reflects negatively on all Europeans. This is living proof that there are countries in Europe that do not understand in the slightest how a global empire is built, as it is not through force, hatred or propaganda, but rather through true respect for the diverse peoples of the globe.

Holy crap, this one was an absolute BANGER!! I learned so much from this one video, you guys are absolutely crushing it as always 😎

JUST finished the first episode of Shogun! Perfect timing!

Make a video about the Portuguese jesuit Cristóvão Ferreira. He had a small on-screen in "Silence"(2016) by Martin Scorsese. A priest that abandoned Christianity, became a member of the "Zen sect", married a Japanese woman and wrote several books, including treatises on Western astronomy and medicine, which became widely distributed in the Edo period.

In the Sevillian town of Coria del Río, there are more than 650 inhabitants who have the last name Japan since in the 17th century several Japanese from a diplomatic expedition settled in this territory.

You really want me to start another round of Shogun 2 Total War...

I wrote an undergraduate thesis over 130 pages long on this topic, and I'm amazed to see everything compiled into this single video. Kudos to Kings and Generals!

This is such a good topic! Definitely would love some more videos on this era of Japan! Excellent job here

'First contacts in history' videos have always thrilled me and Kings&Generals never fail to amaze me with their top-notch stuff!

These videos are SOOO good! So visually engaging and educational