Asian-European Diplomacy in the Age of Discovery
The Materials Related to the Keicho-era Mission to Europe in Japan and Spain refer to a mission that sheds light on the history of early 17th century East-West cultural exchange.
Portret van Hasekura Tsunenaga (1615) by Sadeler, Raphaël (II)Rijksmuseum
What Was the Keicho-Era Mission to Europe?
The Mission was organized in 1613 upon advice from missionary Luis Caballero de Sotelo by Date Masamune Lord of the Sendai han in Japan, with Hasekura Tsunenaga as its leader. It involved visits to the King of Spain Felipe (Philip) III in Madrid and Pope Paulus (Paul) V in Rome.
Philip Ii King Of Spain 1527-1598LIFE Photo Collection
What Was the Purpose of the Keicho-Era Mission?
Its purpose was to request that missionaries be sent to Japan and to establish a trade relationship with Mexico, which was under Spanish rule at that time. The objects brought back to Japan by the seven-year travel mission are the Materials Related to the Keicho-era Mission to Europe.
Date Masamune (1897) by Artist: Tomioka Eisen, Publisher: ShunyodoSmithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
Why Are the Keicho-Era Materials Important?
The Materials are the only existing group of objects in East Asia which shed light on the history of early 17th century East-West cultural exchange in the fields of diplomacy, trade, and religion. They’re incomparable heritage, handed down for 400 hundred years to this day.
Beauty of the Keicho era, from the series Flower Patterns (1896) by Artist: Kobayashi Kiyochika, Publisher: Takekawa SeikichiSmithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
Materials Related to the Keicho-Era Mission to Europe-Part 1
The Materials are composed of two parts. Part 1 includes three objects brought back to Japan after seven years of travel, namely a Certificate of Citizenship of Rome for Hasekura Tsunenaga, who led the mission to Europe, portraits of Tsunenaga and Pope Paulus (Paul) V.
Materials Related to the Keicho-Era Mission to Europe-Part 2
Part 2 includes letters from Hasekura Tsunenaga to the King of Spain and detailed records of their stay in Spain and Rome. It also includes a letter from Sebastian Vizcaino to the King of Spain and additional correspondence.
Certificate of Citizenship of Rome (17th century)UNESCO Memory of the World
1. Certificate of Citizenship of Rome for Hasekura Tsunenaga
The Certificate was conferred after the city of Rome decided to give him citizenship of Rome and ennoble him. It’s written in Latin using gold ink and includes the family crest of the Hasekura family. It’s proves that the mission was formally accepted by the European world.
Portrait of Hasekura Tsunenaga (17th century)UNESCO Memory of the World
2. Portrait of Hasekura Tsunenaga
This portrait is evidence of the Japanese Christian faith, response of Europe to the mission as Christians, and spiritual exchange between the East and the West in the early 17th century. It’s also the only painting of a praying Japanese Christian during the 17th century.
Portrait of Pope Paulus V (17th century)UNESCO Memory of the World
3. Portrait of Pope Paulus (Paul) V
This portrait is proof of warm reception given by the Pope and Roman Curia to the mission. This is evident from the fact that Paulus (Paul) V later issued a mandate to soothe and encourage the Christians in Japan who were suffering from the persecution.
Letter from Hasekura Tsunenaga to the King of Spain (17th century) by Council of State (Spain. 1521-1834)UNESCO Memory of the World
4. Letters from Hasekura Tsunenaga to the King of Spain
The Letters adhere to the official Japanese style of formal writing, very few examples exist in Europe. The related documents that remain in Spain demonstrate that the European mission and its duties were hugely valuable in the field of diplomatic and cultural history.
Letter from the Duke of Medina Sidonia to Secretary of State Juan de Ciriza (17th century) by Council of State (Spain. 1521-1834)UNESCO Memory of the World
5. Letter from Sebastian Vizcaino to the King of Spain
The copy of the letter from Spanish diplomat Sebastian Vizcaino to the King of Spain shows his view on propagation of Christianity in Japan, different from that of Hasekura and Sotelo.
Royal Decree ordering the Count of Castro to honor and attend to the Japanese embassy (17th century) by Council of State (Spain. 1521-1834)UNESCO Memory of the World
6. Additional Documents
The other documents are also important as they include the records of the decision to accept the mission from Japan by the people in New Spain and Spain, accounts of the behavior of the mission members, and other testimony of the history of East-West exchange.
Bust of Pope Paul V Bust of Pope Paul V (1621) by Gian Lorenzo BerniniThe J. Paul Getty Museum
Christian Missionary Work and Expulsion
Europeans arrived in Japan in 1542 and Christian missionary work began in 1549. When the mission left, persecution of Christianity began on a full scale as an order to expel missionaries and Christians was issued throughout Japan. From 1635 travel to and from Japan was prohibited.
Christ Brought Before Pontius Pilate Christ Brought Before Pontius Pilate (17th century) by Anonymous, Spanish, School of Seville, 17th centuryThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Isolation Edict of 1635
During the Policy of Isolation objects related to Christianity were closely hidden from the public, as unique collection of materials conveying information on European countries and Christianity was a precious source of knowledge of European society, culture, and religion.
Tokugawa Iemitsu Receiving Lords in Audience (7/1/1875) by Tsukioka YoshitoshiLos Angeles County Museum of Art
Treaty of Amity and Commerce of 1858
The Tokugawa Shogunate maintained the Policy of Isolation it until the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between Japan and the United States of America in 1858. The ban on Christianity was lifted in 1873. Hence, after the Keicho-era mission to Europe, it was impossible to send a similar mission to Europe.
Shinkokyo Oite Seiden Kempo Happu no zu|View of the Issuance of the State Constitution in the State Chamber of the New Imperial Palace (March 2, 1889 (Meiji 22)) by Adachi (Shōsai) GinkōThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
Keicho-Era Materials-Modern Period (Meiji Period)
The Materials opened to the public in the modern period (1868–1912), when Japan was modernizing itself like European countries. They drew attention as the earliest achievement in the history between Japan and Europe and were recognized as important historical heritage.
Juan de Herrera Hall (1573) by Philip IIUNESCO Memory of the World
Keicho-Era Materials Today
Today, the Materials are held at the Sendai City Museum (SCM) and two archives in Spain: General Archive of Simancas (AGS) and General Archive of the Indies (AGI). There is no heritage comparable to this collection formed through an exchange between East Asia and Europe.
