Francisco Zeimoto

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Francisco Zeimoto was a Portuguese trader and navigator. He lived in the 16th century and was the first European in Japan in 1543 .

Career

The Japanese island of Tanegashima

Zeimoto was a trader by profession. He took part in sea voyages to the Portuguese colonies, as he hoped to benefit from the trade and exploitation of Asian countries. There are few historical sources reporting of Francisco Zeimoto, but he is referred to as the first European in Japan in Portuguese books from the period.

seafaring

Francisco Zeimoto, like many other traders and adventurers, took part on an expedition to the Indian Ocean commanded by Diogo de Freitas . While the fleet was anchored on the Vietnamese coast near the city of Udia, three participants, namely António Peixoto, António da Mota and Francisco Zeimoto, deserted. They boarded a Chinese junk with the aim of China . However, they were thrown off course by strong winds and instead reached the Japanese island of Tanegashima . Little notice was taken of them in Japan, but careful contact was made. The next visit by the Portuguese attracted much more attention, as the Japanese got to know the Portuguese muskets for the first time on this occasion and were impressed by it.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Martin Scorsese: The epic journey of Portuguese Jesuits in 17th century Japan - Paramount Pictures | Portuguese American Journal . In: Portuguese American Journal . ( portuguese-american-journal.com [accessed May 3, 2017]).
  2. ^ Francisco Zeimoto and other Portuguese pioneers in Japan. Retrieved April 3, 2017 .
  3. ↑ Matthias Meyn: The great discoveries . Otto Harrassowitz Verlag, 1984, ISBN 978-3-406-09763-8 ( limited preview in Google book search [accessed on May 3, 2017]).
  4. ^ Olof G. Lidin: Tanegashima - The Arrival of Europe in Japan . Routledge, 2003, ISBN 978-1-135-78871-1 ( limited preview in Google Book Search [accessed May 3, 2017]).
personal data
SURNAME Zeimoto, Francisco
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Portuguese trader and seafarer
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century or 16th century
DATE OF DEATH 16th century or 17th century