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Along with [[Osaka]], [[Kyoto]], and a handful of other cities, Nagasaki was controlled directly by the shogunate, and was not included within any ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' domain; defense of the port was the responsibility, however, of the ''daimyô'' of several neighboring domains, as part of their corvée obligations to the shogun. A samurai official known as the ''[[Nagasaki bugyo|Nagasaki bugyô]]'' (Nagasaki Magistrate) was the chief shogunal authority in the city, overseeing both matters within the city, and matters of trade at the port. For several decades in the 17th century, the ''bugyô'' was assisted by the ''[[Nagasaki tandai shoku]]'', who was responsible for the defense of the port.  

Along with [[Osaka]], [[Kyoto]], and a handful of other cities, Nagasaki was controlled directly by the shogunate, and was not included within any ''[[daimyo|daimyô]]'' domain; defense of the port was the responsibility, however, of the ''daimyô'' of several neighboring domains, as part of their corvée obligations to the shogun. A samurai official known as the ''[[Nagasaki bugyo|Nagasaki bugyô]]'' (Nagasaki Magistrate) was the chief shogunal authority in the city, overseeing both matters within the city, and matters of trade at the port. For several decades in the 17th century, the ''bugyô'' was assisted by the ''[[Nagasaki tandai shoku]]'', who was responsible for the defense of the port.  

A clearinghouse or customs office known as the ''Nagasaki kaisho'' (長崎会所) was established in [[1698]] and quickly became the chief institution regulating trade at the port. The office oversaw nearly all import and export activity, with particular focus on the trade in [[copper]], [[silk]], and marine products, regulating as well the sale of imported products to Nagasaki merchants, and effecting the transference of imported copper and silver to agents of the shogunal mints, and the sale of certain goods to agents of [[Tsushima han]]. The agency charged various fees, tariffs, and markups, earning revenues which contributed to maintaining its own operations and expanding shogunate coffers, though much of the money was also used to support the Nagasaki community. Of the roughly 161,000 ''[[currency|ryô]]'' in profits the agency made in 1714, for example, roughly 70,000 was spent on matters relating to the infrastructure and people of Nagasaki, and roughly 76,000 was sent to the shogunate's Osaka treasuries; this in comparison to the closely similar figure, 171,000 ''ryô'', spent by the lord of [[Kaga han]] in 1747 on domain expenditures.<ref name=hellyer56>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 56-58.</ref>

A clearinghouse or customs office known as the ''Nagasaki kaisho'' (長崎会所) was established in [[1698]] and quickly became the chief institution regulating trade at the port. The office oversaw nearly all import and export activity, with particular focus on the trade in [[copper]], [[silk]], and marine products, regulating as well the sale of imported products to Nagasaki merchants, and effecting the transference of imported copper and silver to agents of the shogunal mints, and the sale of certain goods to agents of [[Tsushima han]]. The agency charged various fees, tariffs, and markups, earning revenues which contributed to maintaining its own operations and expanding shogunate coffers, though much of the money was also used to support the Nagasaki community. As Nagasaki was controlled directly by the shogunate, the merchants of Nagasaki were essentially direct subjects of the shogun, and thus entitled to a certain degree of protection and assurance of well-being from their lord. Thus, from [[1663]] onward, the ''Nagasaki bugyô'' (and, later, the ''Nagasaki kaisho'') divided the profits from trade and tariffs among the districts of the city, after paying their own staffs. The amount paid out also derived from rents charged to Chinese merchants living in the Chinese compound, among other sources of official revenues. In years of particular difficulty for the merchant community, such as in [[1713]]-[[1714]], when epidemics killed an estimated 5,000 people in the city in the aftermath of a serious but temporary decline in trade in [[1711]], the ''bugyô-sho'' and ''kaisho'' did what they could to help out the merchant community even further. Of the roughly 161,000 ''[[currency|ryô]]'' in profits the agency made in 1714, for example, roughly 70,000 was spent or paid out within Nagasaki, and roughly 76,000 was sent to the shogunate's Osaka treasuries; this in comparison to the closely similar figure, 171,000 ''ryô'', spent by the lord of [[Kaga han]] in 1747 on domain expenditures.<ref name=hellyer56>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 56-59.</ref>

Many Kyushu [[han|domains]], including Tsushima and [[Satsuma han|Satsuma]], maintained domain offices in the city.<ref>Robert Hellyer, 28.</ref> Agents of Tsushima were stationed in the port city in part in order to purchase from Chinese and Dutch merchants certain Southeast Asian luxury commodities such as buffalo horn, alum, and sappanwood, which Tsushima could then give to the Korean Court as [[tribute]] goods; by authorization of the shogunate, these Tsushima officials were permitted to buy the highest quality such goods available at a highly reduced rate.<ref name=hellyer56/> Korean castaways found/rescued anywhere in Japan were sent to the Tsushima han office in Nagasaki, after which they could be repatriated to the ''[[Wakan]]'' ("Japan House") in [[Pusan]]. All other foreign castaways similarly passed through Nagasaki, with the exception of those from [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]], who were sent to [[Kagoshima]] to be repatriated. Kagoshima also handled Japanese castaways who had been found/rescued in the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryukyus]].

Many Kyushu [[han|domains]], including Tsushima and [[Satsuma han|Satsuma]], maintained domain offices in the city.<ref>Robert Hellyer, 28.</ref> Agents of Tsushima were stationed in the port city in part in order to purchase from Chinese and Dutch merchants certain Southeast Asian luxury commodities such as buffalo horn, alum, and sappanwood, which Tsushima could then give to the Korean Court as [[tribute]] goods; by authorization of the shogunate, these Tsushima officials were permitted to buy the highest quality such goods available at a highly reduced rate.<ref name=hellyer56/> Korean castaways found/rescued anywhere in Japan were sent to the Tsushima han office in Nagasaki, after which they could be repatriated to the ''[[Wakan]]'' ("Japan House") in [[Pusan]]. All other foreign castaways similarly passed through Nagasaki, with the exception of those from [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû]], who were sent to [[Kagoshima]] to be repatriated. Kagoshima also handled Japanese castaways who had been found/rescued in the [[Ryukyu Islands|Ryukyus]].