Sakai is a port town near [[Osaka]] which, in the 15th-17th centuries was a major center of merchant activity, including especially maritime trade and the manufacture and trade in firearms; it was also a center of arts and culture, [[tea ceremony]] in particular. The merchant leaders of Sakai managed to maintain a considerable degree of independence from [[samurai]] control throughout much of the [[Sengoku period]]. | Sakai is a port town near [[Osaka]] which, in the 15th-17th centuries was a major center of merchant activity, including especially maritime trade and the manufacture and trade in firearms; it was also a center of arts and culture, [[tea ceremony]] in particular. The merchant leaders of Sakai managed to maintain a considerable degree of independence from [[samurai]] control throughout much of the [[Sengoku period]]. |