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Here we have something special – the Japanese perspective of the first Europeans in Japan. In 1543 two Portuguese traders – men “whose physical features differed” from the locals – arrived on a Chinese junk, with a gift that would change the course of Japanese history. Recorded for posterity by Nanpo Bushi half a century later, this account gives us the view of a people coming into contact with Europe for the first time.
Translated by Olof G Lidin in his book “Tanegashima: The Arrival Of Europe In Japan” and published by NIAS press: http://www.niaspress.dk
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みっち
PHGCOM
37 Comments
Check out mine and Pete's new channel The Entire History of the Earth https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_aOteuWIY8ITg7DQQspG1g
There are many words I can think of to describe the 16th century Portuguese, "harmless" is not one of them.
I thought europeans had created eating utensils by that time in history? Guess not? Lol
"Tokitaka's interest lay neither in the wooden stock nor in the ornament, but in the way the weapon could be used in times of war."
At first I thought this sentence perfectly described why this dude was the dude in charge of the area, but apparently he was only 15 years old at the time. I'm just gonna go ahead and assume that this was a particularly cut-throat period of Japanese history where this kind of pragmatism is either so integral for those that want to stay rulers that even a boy king understands this during his first year of direct rule, or that this is some kind of Japanese Alexander the Great who has already managed to kill off his dad and taken charge at 15 due to impatience.
Funny…
As the original Japanese or the Ainu, were caucasians peoples.
Anything/anyone on the web that says otherwise is chatting bubbles.
Lao Tzu: "Saying you don't have time to do it really means you just don't want to do it."
"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom"
This comment section: 16Th CeNtUrY eUrOpEaNs CaN't HaNg LoL
Not property, propriety. The Japanese knew that the Portuguese understood owning something. They didn’t think that the Portuguese knew how to behave themselves like adults.
They called them barbarians, but they were so far ahead scientifically.
This guy quoted the Dao Dejing when learning how to use a gun. Love it lmao
Japan 16 centuray: wow bro cool katana (Europe at the time: wow cool musket fun how long can it shoot
It's an obvious thing to say how magnific of an invention firearms were and still are. Absolutely changed history.
me, who's born on the 9th day of the 9th month: shocked pikachu face
Does anyone know the name of the bird at 11:06?
“The many ways in which this can be used can not be counted”
Bro, it’s a gun. You shoot it. There’s 1 way to correctly use it
yakuza operate in japan inpune transfering corporate money into pedofilic pornography. nothing is done about it. 2 busy sanctioning the russians that DONT want lgbtq in they country. vote for ukraine who want nato in ukraine to force lgbtq on russia.
boycott japan now until yakuza is no longer institution.
If Portuguese never went to Japan, that country would not developed into a blood thirsty country. Most Asian countries would be saved from its brutality.
What's "Chiner"?
I cracked up when I heard them referring to the Portuguese traders as "quite harmless". Oh how their opinions would change a century later.
as an indigenous person whose ancestors were colonized and regularly called "savages", its oddly satisfying to hear another culture describe Europeans as brutes and barbarians 😂
5:10 these Francisco "zeimoto" sounds more like Francisco de Malta in portuguese
Chapter 1: they seem harmless
Chapter 2: gift of the gun
We Portuguese were poorly perceived by narrator. One could say he thought we just happen to get there, randomly. Instead we were using the stars to guide us, our sailors had immense knowledge in several fields and that's how we roamed the seven seas.
What I notice is that no one on initial contact with Europeans, describe them as “exceptionally beautiful” the way a lot of Asia and Africa sees Europeans as now. They simply say “different” without any hint of the difference being better or worse than them. Colonialism really plant this ugly seeds of self loathing, so much so that Europeans attributes are often considered “superior” or “better” than anything else.
Why do you have such trouble reading & speaking whenever you're presenting Asian perspectives?
It's honestly borderline offensive. It's like the character you want to present is a bad Godzilla dub
Yes. Portuguese were harmless.
Because they were too weak to conquer East asia in that days.
Even kimchi suckers had much more people than entire Africa.
Its interesting that they have no knowlage of gunpoweder despite it being chinese in origin. Naturally they arent chinese, but are in pretty close proximity and cultural inter-mixing with it.
The South western barbarians
Just found this thread, pure gold 😂
"mmm metal stick go boooom!"
Our servants learnt very well 👏 🇵🇹
These europeans looked so primitive to the japanese that they called them "Southern Barbarians".
Southern because the portuguese knew that the japanese would not conceive the notion of Europe, so instead saying Lisbon or Portugal, they said they came from their nearest known port which was Melaka in Malasya, Southwest from japan. Hence the southwest barbarians.
I need to point out the difference in pronunciation between 'wonder' and 'wander'.
'Wonder' is pronounced 'WUNder'.
'Wander' is pronounced 'WONder'.
Please stop pronouncimg 'wonder' as 'WONder'. Confusing and extremely irritating.
And so changed the Japanese way to wage war.
This Chinese man was actually the most powerful pirate in East Asia in the 16th century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang_Zhi_(pirate)
It's amazing how the Japanese picked up the gun so quickly. The Japanese got 2 matchlocks from some stranded Portuguese, with no instructions on how to build one just the guns and within a few decades had armies equipped with them and cannons. And had even improved upon the design. They did this again when perry showed up with his warship. They realized how behind they were and quickly developed so quickly that they were able to defeat the Russian empire in open combat just 50 years later.
Portugal changed the history of Japan, once for all. Even the eternal Japanese Civil War ended! As usual, no one in the Western world knows about how the amazing importance of Portugal to world history and they will never know, if the jewish media mafia keeps controling and manipulating the history of mankind!
Katsu Curry A popular dish was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese. Breaded chicken which originated in Europe along with the curry sauce which the Portuguese sailors adopted in their trades with India.