Keichô 6 (慶長六年)
Timeline of 1601
- 1601/1 The fifty-three stations of the Tôkaidô are decided.
- 1601/3 Tokugawa Ieyasu orders land surveys (kenchi) to be conducted in eastern Japan.
- 1601/5 Planning for the construction of Nijô castle is begun.
- 1601/8 Ieyasu orders land surveys to be conducted throughout the realm.
Other Events of 1601
- Revolt of former Chôsokabe clan retainers in Tosa province is pacified.
- A Chinese ship from Fujian is attacked in Satsuma by pirates led by Itamiya Sukeshirô, frustrating plans for rapprochement in Sino-Japanese relations. The red seal ships system is revived, or re-systematized under the new Tokugawa shogunate.
- A group of Jesuits including Matteo Ricci become the first Europeans to officially reside in Beijing.
- Keichô koban and other currency are minted at Fushimi.
- The Kinza, which later becomes the shogunate mint & bank, is built in Edo.
- Kôdai-in, widow of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, retires to Kyoto.
- Tokugawa Ieyasu sends a mission to Korea, attempting to restore relations following Hideyoshi's Korean Invasions.
- Tokugawa Ieyasu replies to a missive from Nguyen Hoang of southern Viet Nam, establishing the first diplomatic relations between the two states.
- Ueda han in Shinano province is turned over to the Sanada clan.
- Uesugi clan is moved to Yonezawa han.
- Yagyû Munenori becomes the formal kenjutsu instructor of Tokugawa Hidetada.
Births and Deaths
- Arai Masanari is born.
- Hoshino Masao, lord of Takatô, dies (b. 1542).
- Painter Kanô Sôshû dies (b. 1551).
- Kikkawa Hiromasa is born (d. 1666).
- Kobayakawa Hidekane, Toyotomi retainer, dies (b. 1566).
- Sôma Moritane of Mutsu province dies (b. 1529).
- Wakabe Mitsuyoshi, lord of Iga, dies (b. 1552).
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