Changes

==Life and career==

==Life and career==

Ryôi was the son of　Yoshida Sôkei, a pawnbroker from the town of Saga, near Kyoto, who was also a physician and a merchant involved in the ''[[kango boeki|kangô bôeki]]'' "tally trade." Ryôi's mother was a daughter of the prominent Nakamura family of Kyoto moneylenders. His grandfather is known to have traveled to China to study medicine, and his earlier ancestors to have been physicians for the [[Ashikaga shogunate]]<ref name=china>Jansen, Marius. ''China in the Tokugawa World''. Harvard University Press, 1992. p22.</ref><ref name=kotobank>"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%A7%92%E5%80%89%E4%BA%86%E4%BB%A5 Suminokura Ryôi]." ''Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten'' 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Accessed via Kotobank.jp, 28 May 2010.</ref>.

Ryôi was the son of Yoshida Sôkei, a pawnbroker from the town of Saga, near Kyoto, who was also a physician and a merchant involved in the ''[[kango boeki|kangô bôeki]]'' "tally trade." Ryôi's mother was a daughter of the prominent Nakamura family of Kyoto moneylenders. His grandfather is known to have traveled to China to study medicine, and his earlier ancestors to have been physicians for the [[Ashikaga shogunate]]<ref name=china>Jansen, Marius. ''China in the Tokugawa World''. Harvard University Press, 1992. p22.</ref><ref name=kotobank>"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%A7%92%E5%80%89%E4%BA%86%E4%BB%A5 Suminokura Ryôi]." ''Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten'' 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Accessed via Kotobank.jp, 28 May 2010.</ref>.

Though he aided his father for a time, ultimately his younger brother [[Yoshida Sojun|Yoshida Sôjun]] took over the family business as a physician and merchant of medicines; Ryôi took the trade-name (''[[yago|yagô]]'') Suminokura and turned to other trades. He made annual trips to Tonkin (today, northern Vietnam) along with his son [[Suminokura Soan]], beginning in [[1603]]. Not only an active trader, he also helped prepare diplomatic documents for the shogunate, with the help of the likes of [[Fujiwara Seika]] and [[Hayashi Razan]] (an indication of the kinds of contacts he had and circles he traveled in), and served as a messenger for the shogunate in delivering to and receiving messages from foreign lords, such as the Trinh of Tonkin.<ref name=china/>

Though he aided his father for a time, ultimately his younger brother [[Yoshida Sojun|Yoshida Sôjun]] took over the family business as a physician and merchant of medicines; Ryôi took the trade-name (''[[yago|yagô]]'') Suminokura and turned to other trades. He made annual trips to Tonkin (today, northern Vietnam) along with his son [[Suminokura Soan]], beginning in [[1603]]. Not only an active trader, he also helped prepare diplomatic documents for the shogunate, with the help of the likes of [[Fujiwara Seika]] and [[Hayashi Razan]] (an indication of the kinds of contacts he had and circles he traveled in), and served as a messenger for the shogunate in delivering to and receiving messages from foreign lords, such as the Trinh of Tonkin.<ref name=china/>