Changes

When war broke out between Ayutthaya and [[Cambodia]] in [[1622]], Ayutthaya delayed its mission to Japan until the next year. A letter from King Songtham delivered to Iemitsu by that 1623 mission asserted that the conflict was due to Cambodia's refusal to pay tribute, or discourteous misconduct otherwise. The king called upon the strong ties between Japan and Siam, and asked that Iemitsu warn Japanese merchants not to travel to Cambodia, and not to aid the Cambodians against Ayutthaya's invasion. Iemitsu responded positively, writing that he took no responsibility for the actions of Japanese resident in Cambodia, and instructing Songtham to feel free to "exterminate" any Japanese who dared oppose his legitimate punitive attack. In addition, over the next three years, the shogunate issued only one red seal license for trade in Cambodia.<ref>Polenghi, 45-46.</ref>

When war broke out between Ayutthaya and [[Cambodia]] in [[1622]], Ayutthaya delayed its mission to Japan until the next year. A letter from King Songtham delivered to Iemitsu by that 1623 mission asserted that the conflict was due to Cambodia's refusal to pay tribute, or discourteous misconduct otherwise. The king called upon the strong ties between Japan and Siam, and asked that Iemitsu warn Japanese merchants not to travel to Cambodia, and not to aid the Cambodians against Ayutthaya's invasion. Iemitsu responded positively, writing that he took no responsibility for the actions of Japanese resident in Cambodia, and instructing Songtham to feel free to "exterminate" any Japanese who dared oppose his legitimate punitive attack. In addition, over the next three years, the shogunate issued only one red seal license for trade in Cambodia.<ref>Polenghi, 45-46.</ref>

Ayutthaya expelled and banned the Spanish from its territory in [[1624]], coincidentally the same year the Tokugawa shogunate took similar measures in Japan. This came after a Spanish ship captained by a Don Fernando da Silva, supposedly thrown off-course by a storm while on his way to [[Manila]] from [[Macao]], ended up at the mouth of the Menam River (near Ayutthaya), and attacked a Dutch ship it found there. In light of the strong and friendly relations between the Siamese court and the Dutch East India Company, the Spanish were expelled.<ref>Polenghi, 47.</ref> Several years later, in [[1628]], the Spanish sank three Siamese ships (including one royal junk), and one Japanese ''[[shuinsen]]'' (red seal licensed authorized merchant ship) off the Siamese coast. The latter had just been recently purchased by Japanese merchant [[Takagi Sakuemon]] in Nagasaki; three survivors of the attack made their way back to Nagasaki and reported on what happened.<ref>Polenghi, 48.</ref>

Ayutthaya expelled and banned the Spanish from its territory in [[1624]], coincidentally the same year the Tokugawa shogunate took similar measures in Japan. This came after a Spanish ship captained by a Don Fernando da Silva, supposedly thrown off-course by a storm while on his way to [[Manila]] from [[Macao]], ended up at the mouth of the Menam River (near Ayutthaya), and attacked a Dutch ship it found there. In light of the strong and friendly relations between the Siamese court and the Dutch East India Company, the Spanish were expelled.<ref>Polenghi, 47.</ref> Yamada Nagamasa interceded on the behalf of the Portuguese, however, at that time, convincing the court to allow the Portuguese to stay, and only the Spanish to be banned.<ref>Polenghi, 51.</ref> Several years later, in [[1628]], the Spanish sank three Siamese ships (including one royal junk), and one Japanese ''[[shuinsen]]'' (red seal licensed authorized merchant ship) off the Siamese coast. The latter had just been recently purchased by Japanese merchant [[Takagi Sakuemon]] in Nagasaki; three survivors of the attack made their way back to Nagasaki and reported on what happened.<ref>Polenghi, 48.</ref>

A series of court intrigues, and a violent ''coup d'état'', led to the destruction of the ''Nihonmachi'', and the death of Yamada Nagamasa, in [[1630]]. Yamada Nagamasa had served for some time as head of the royal bodyguard, had led a force of some 700 Japanese in suppressing insurrections, Burmese incursions, and the like, and had been elevated to high court rank. He had also been named governor of several provinces, and held monopolies over the trade in deerskin and a number of other goods.<ref>Wray, William. “The 17th Century Japanese Diaspora: Questions of Boundary and Policy.” Thirteenth International Economic History Congress, Buenos Aires 2002. Preconference: Corfu, Greece, 21-22 September 2001, 10.</ref> The community prepared and shipped some 150,000 skins a year.<ref name=pol23/> He thus represented a significant obstacle to [[Prasat Thong]], a member of the royal family who seized the throne in [[1629]] following the death of King Songtham. In the course of his ''coup'', Prasat Thong had Yamada murdered, and the ''Nihonmachi'' burned to the ground, in order to prevent Yamada's fellow Japanese from seeking violent retribution. A number of Japanese fled to Cambodia, and some returned later, with amnesty from a later king.<ref>[[Iwao Seiichi]]. “Reopening of the diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Siam during the Tokugawa period.” ''Acta Asiatica'' v.4 (July 1963), 2-4.</ref> Where the Japanese had previously exercised some degree of influence within the royal court, and the port's commerce, this now left the Dutch and Chinese merchants in a far more prominent position.<ref>Gunn, 224.</ref>

A series of court intrigues, and a violent ''coup d'état'', led to the destruction of the ''Nihonmachi'', and the death of Yamada Nagamasa, in [[1630]]. Yamada Nagamasa had served for some time as head of the royal bodyguard, had led a force of some 700 Japanese in suppressing insurrections, Burmese incursions, and the like, and had been elevated to high court rank. He had also been named governor of several provinces, and held monopolies over the trade in deerskin and a number of other goods.<ref>Wray, William. “The 17th Century Japanese Diaspora: Questions of Boundary and Policy.” Thirteenth International Economic History Congress, Buenos Aires 2002. Preconference: Corfu, Greece, 21-22 September 2001, 10.</ref> The community prepared and shipped some 150,000 skins a year.<ref name=pol23/> He thus represented a significant obstacle to [[Prasat Thong]], a member of the royal family who seized the throne in [[1629]] following the death of King Songtham. In the course of his ''coup'', Prasat Thong had Yamada murdered, and the ''Nihonmachi'' burned to the ground, in order to prevent Yamada's fellow Japanese from seeking violent retribution. A number of Japanese fled to Cambodia, and some returned later, with amnesty from a later king.<ref>[[Iwao Seiichi]]. “Reopening of the diplomatic and commercial relations between Japan and Siam during the Tokugawa period.” ''Acta Asiatica'' v.4 (July 1963), 2-4.</ref> Where the Japanese had previously exercised some degree of influence within the royal court, and the port's commerce, this now left the Dutch and Chinese merchants in a far more prominent position.<ref>Gunn, 224.</ref>