Changes

*''Chinese/Japanese'': 汪直 or 王直 (Wáng Zhí / Ou Choku)

*''Chinese/Japanese'': 汪直 or 王直 (Wáng Zhí / Ou Choku)

Wang Zhi was a Chinese merchant and smuggler of the early-to-mid 16th century. Originally from [[Anhui province]], he came to Japan for the first time in the 1540s. He and his thousand or so men, a mixed Chinese and Japanese crew, based at [[Hirado]] and enjoying the aid of the [[Matsuura clan]] lord, engaged in illicit trade, mostly importing Chinese silks into Japan in exchange for Japanese silver. As his activities were in violation of the Chinese ''[[hai jin]]'' bans, he was labeled ''[[wako|wakô]]'' by the Chinese authorities.

Wang Zhi was a Chinese merchant and smuggler of the early-to-mid 16th century. Originally from [[Anhui province]], he came to Japan for the first time in the 1540s. He and his thousand or so men, a mixed Chinese and Japanese crew, based at [[Hirado]] and enjoying the aid of the [[Matsura clan]] lord, engaged in illicit trade, mostly importing Chinese silks into Japan in exchange for Japanese silver. As his activities were in violation of the Chinese ''[[hai jin]]'' bans, he was labeled ''[[wako|wakô]]'' by the Chinese authorities.

Wang is also said to have served as a translator aboard the Portuguese ship (possibly a Chinese junk carrying Portuguese crew and/or passengers) which famously brought the first Western firearms to Japan, at [[Tanegashima]] in [[1543]].

Wang is also said to have served as a translator aboard the Portuguese ship (possibly a Chinese junk carrying Portuguese crew and/or passengers) which famously brought the first Western firearms to Japan, at [[Tanegashima]] in [[1543]].