Changes

==Early 16th Century==

==Early 16th Century==

Though relations between Ming [[China]] and the Ashikaga shogunate were quite good for a time, with merchants from both countries engaging in official trade, by the early 16th century, tensions arose between the two powers. The increasingly weak shogunate did not wield strong control throughout Japan, let alone overseas, and was unable to curb or halt the attacks by Japanese pirates, acting independently, upon the Chinese coast.<ref name=so204>So. p204.</ref> By the 1530s, Sengoku (i.e. civil war in many parts of Japan) was in full swing, the shogunate held little power, and relations with China had fully soured.

Though relations between Ming [[China]] and the Ashikaga shogunate were quite good for a time, with merchants from both countries engaging in official trade, by the early 16th century, tensions arose between the two powers. The increasingly weak shogunate did not wield strong control throughout Japan, let alone overseas, and was unable to curb or halt the attacks by Japanese pirates, acting independently, upon the Chinese coast.<ref name=so204>So. p204.</ref> By the 1530s, Sengoku (i.e. civil war in many parts of Japan) was in full swing, the shogunate held little power, and relations with China had fully soured.

Though the term ''wakô'' would come to be applied to a wide range of people, engaging in a wide range of activities, including Chinese traders and pirates, and Japanese traders, that is not to say that there were not, in fact, genuine Japanese pirates, raiders, brigands, or whatever term may wish to apply active on the seas at this time. The [[Murakami clan]]<!--see 村上水軍--> of [[Iyo province]], known for their piratical activities in the [[Inland Sea]], were among these; [[Murakami Zusho]], lord of Nôshima<!--能島--> is recorded as having led attacks on the Chinese coast, the Philippines, and parts of Indonesia. [[Iida Koichiro|Iida Kôichirô]] of Iyo and [[Kitaura Kanjuro|Kitaura Kanjûrô]] of [[Bingo province|Bingo]] are also known to have commanded raiding parties around this time. One contemporary source relates that "the seven bands" of ''wakô'', though presumably there were many more groups than that, grew to number as many as 1,000 men by 1555, if not earlier, incorporating people from a wide range of walks of life, including [[ronin]], fishermen, and others, mainly from Kyushu and Shikoku.<ref name=so1516>So. pp15-16.</ref>

Though the term ''wakô'' would come to be applied to a wide range of people, engaging in a wide range of activities, including Chinese traders and pirates, and Japanese traders, that is not to say that there were not, in fact, genuine Japanese pirates, raiders, brigands, or whatever term may wish to apply active on the seas at this time. The [[Murakami clan]]<!--see 村上水軍--> of [[Iyo province]], known for their piratical activities in the [[Inland Sea]], were among these; [[Murakami Zusho]], lord of Nôshima<!--能島--> is recorded as having led attacks on the Chinese coast, the Philippines, and parts of Indonesia. [[Iida Koichiro|Iida Kôichirô]] of Iyo and [[Kitaura Kanjuro|Kitaura Kanjûrô]] of [[Bingo province|Bingo]] are also known to have commanded raiding parties around this time. One contemporary source relates that "the seven bands" of ''wakô'', though presumably there were many more groups than that, grew to number as many as 1,000 men by 1555, if not earlier, incorporating people from a wide range of walks of life, including [[ronin]], fishermen, and others, mainly from Kyushu and Shikoku.<ref name=so1516>So. pp15-16.</ref>