Murayama Toan

• Died: 1619

Murayama Tôan was the first Nagasaki daikan. A Christian and a townsman of Nagasaki, he was selected from among the townsmen of the city to serve as daikan and was formally appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

In 1616, he planned an attack on Taiwan, with the aim of setting up his own private base of operations there, from which to engage in trade with China. He prepared thirteen ships for the purpose, but the Kingdom of Ryûkyû warned Beijing of his plans. Ultimately, only three ships arrived in Taiwan and were quickly repulsed.

Despite this defeat, Murayama remained daikan in Nagasaki, working alongside the Nagasaki bugyô, until 1619, when he was executed for his religion.

References

• Marius Jansen, China in the Tokugawa World, Harvard University Press (1992), 8-9.
• Gregory Smits, Maritime Ryukyu, University of Hawaii Press (2019), 146.