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*''Japanese'': 蒲刈 ''(Kamagari)''
*''Japanese'': 蒲刈 ''(Kamagari)''
Kamagari was a major [[Inland Sea]] port in [[Aki province]], on the westernmost of a short string of islands including Shimo- and Kami-Kamagari Islands, [[Teshima]], and [[Mitarai|Ôsaki-Shimojima]]. Today known as Shimo-Kamagari, and administered as part of [[Kure]] City, it is located just south of the mainland of Kure City. [[VOC|Dutch]], [[Korean missions to Edo|Korean]], and [[Ryukyuan missions to Edo]], as well as ''daimyô'' traveling on ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' and other officials and elites regularly stopped at Kamagari. It was an officially designated ''[[kaieki]]'' (maritime post-station).
Kamagari was a major [[Inland Sea]] port in [[Aki province]], on the westernmost of a short string of islands including Shimo- and Kami-Kamagari Islands, [[Teshima]], and [[Mitarai|Ôsaki-Shimojima]]. Today known as Shimo-Kamagari, and administered as part of [[Kure]] City, it is located just south of the mainland of Kure City. [[VOC|Dutch]], [[Korean missions to Edo|Korean]], and [[Ryukyuan missions to Edo]], as well as ''daimyô'' traveling on ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' and other officials and elites regularly stopped at Kamagari in the [[Edo period]]. It was an officially designated ''[[kaieki]]'' (maritime post-station).
In the [[Muromachi period]], Kamagari and the surrounding islands were controlled by sea-lords of the [[Tagaya family]]. Though they controlled a limited area, they oversaw notable shipping operations which carried goods to and from the Osaka/Kyoto region, as well as more locally, and acted largely autonomously, resisting subordination to [[Ashikaga shogunate]] edicts or authorities. Like others in the region, the Tagaya regularly made private arrangements with elite visitors (such as Korean ambassadors) and others, for protection, goods, or other services. In the Edo period, the Tagaya remained prominent in the region, becoming the chief operators of the ''[[honjin]]'' inn in the main central port of Kamagari.<ref>Peter Shapinsky, “Envoys and Escorts: Representation and Performance among Koxinga’s Japanese Pirate Ancestors,” in ''Sea Rovers, Silver, and Samurai'', ed. by Tonio Andrade and Xing Hang. UH Press (2016), 44-45.</ref>
As at many other port towns in the area, rather than having wooden wharfs extending out over the water, the most central part of Kamagari's harbor was lined with stone steps known as ''gangi'' (雁木). Boats would come right up to these steps, and thus directly into the town. Different sections of the steps were reserved for the use of different elite groups - members of Korean missions, and their [[Tsushima han]] escorts, would tie up their boats in one spot, while the lord of [[Hiroshima han]] would use a different section of the steps, some meters away.
As at many other port towns in the area, rather than having wooden wharfs extending out over the water, the most central part of Kamagari's harbor was lined with stone steps known as ''gangi'' (雁木). Boats would come right up to these steps, and thus directly into the town. Different sections of the steps were reserved for the use of different elite groups - members of Korean missions, and their [[Tsushima han]] escorts, would tie up their boats in one spot, while the lord of [[Hiroshima han]] would use a different section of the steps, some meters away.