Changes

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>

The ''Nihonmachi'' revived following its destruction in 1630, though it would never again attain its former levels of activity. The imposition of policies of maritime restrictions by the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1630s meant that Japanese could no longer return to Japan (and very few left Japan, either, after this time), severing the ''Nihonmachi'' from any infusion of new blood, and severely hampering its economic power. Further, the Tokugawa shogunate, seeing Prasat Thong as an illegitimate usurper, severed formal ties with the kingdom of Ayutthaya. Though several missions were later sent to Japan attempting to restore formal relations (including missions in [[1640]] and [[1644]] which were lost in storms), none were ever successful.<ref name=iwao28>Iwao, 28-29.</ref>

The ''Nihonmachi'' revived following its destruction in 1630, though it would never again attain its former levels of activity. The imposition of policies of maritime restrictions by the Tokugawa shogunate in the late 1630s meant that Japanese could no longer return to Japan (and very few left Japan, either, after this time), severing the ''Nihonmachi'' from any infusion of new blood, and severely hampering its economic power. Further, the Tokugawa shogunate, seeing Prasat Thong as an illegitimate usurper, severed formal ties with the kingdom of Ayutthaya. Though several missions were later sent to Japan attempting to restore formal relations (including missions in [[1640]] and [[1644]] which were lost in storms), none were ever successful.<ref name=iwao28>Iwao, 28-29.</ref> Formal diplomatic relations between Siam and Japan would not take place again until [[1887]].<ref>Polenghi, 55.</ref>

Still, figures such as [[Kimura Hanzaemon]], who served as head of the community for nearly thirty years, from [[1642]] to [[1671]], remained prominent in local trade activities, including supplying the Dutch East India Company factory in Ayutthaya with deer skins.<ref name=lock241/> Another man by the same name, possibly the elder Hanzaemon's son, traveled widely across Southeast Asia in the 1680s.<ref>Nagazumi Yoko. "Ayutthaya and Japan: Embassies and Trade in the Seventeenth Century." in Kennon Breazeale (ed.). ''From Japan to Arabia: Ayutthaya's Maritime Relations with Asia''. Bangkok: The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbook Project, 1999. pp100-101.</ref> Despite the decline of the Japanese community, Siamese trade with Japan (aboard Chinese, Dutch, and Siamese ships) in this period came to exceed even Siamese trade with China.<ref name=econ93>Shimada Ryuto. “Economic Links with Ayutthaya: Changes in Networks between Japan, China, and Siam in the Early Modern Period.” ''Itinerario'' 37, no. 03 (December 2013), 93.</ref>

Still, figures such as [[Kimura Hanzaemon]], who served as head of the community for nearly thirty years, from [[1642]] to [[1671]], remained prominent in local trade activities, including supplying the Dutch East India Company factory in Ayutthaya with deer skins.<ref name=lock241/> Another man by the same name, possibly the elder Hanzaemon's son, traveled widely across Southeast Asia in the 1680s.<ref>Nagazumi Yoko. "Ayutthaya and Japan: Embassies and Trade in the Seventeenth Century." in Kennon Breazeale (ed.). ''From Japan to Arabia: Ayutthaya's Maritime Relations with Asia''. Bangkok: The Foundation for the Promotion of Social Sciences and Humanities Textbook Project, 1999. pp100-101.</ref> Despite the decline of the Japanese community, Siamese trade with Japan (aboard Chinese, Dutch, and Siamese ships) in this period came to exceed even Siamese trade with China.<ref name=econ93>Shimada Ryuto. “Economic Links with Ayutthaya: Changes in Networks between Japan, China, and Siam in the Early Modern Period.” ''Itinerario'' 37, no. 03 (December 2013), 93.</ref>