Until the time when Japan adopted a national isolationist policy called Sakoku in the 17^th century, there was a lucrative trade going among Japanese and Asian ports. As a result, Japanese colonies were set up in certain Asian ports. Perhaps the biggest of them was Siam’s Ayutthaya (about 70 km north of today’s Bangkok). At its peak, the population ranged from 2,000 to 3,000. There, Nagamasa worked his way up. 

Nagamasa is said to have hailed from a samurai family’s janitor. Somehow, he managed to sail to Ayutthaya in circa 1612. Nagamasa became the head of a Japanese settlement in 1617. Who lived there and simply put what were they doing? Besides traders, there were soldiers who fled Japan after they were defeated in major battles and Christians who had also fled from persecution at home. From time to time, they were mercenaries on the side of a ruling king. On two occasions, Nagamasa successfully defeated the attacks on Ayutthaya by the Spanish fleet. So pleased with these victories, the Siam king let one of his princeses to marry Nagamasa, Also, he was made a provincial governor in southern Siam.

One of Nagamasa’s ship armed with cannons. What goods were carried on board? To Japan, mostly raw silk and silk ware from China. From Japan, silver, sulfur, swords and so on. At that time, Ming China prohibited trade with Japan mainly because of “wako”, Japanese pirates and smugglers. So, this led to an indirect trade between Japan and China through other Asian ports.    

Did Nagamasa live happily ever after? Not in the least. Actually, he was involved in a political turmoil after the death of the king. Nagamasa was assassinated by poisoning in 1630. By the same token, the existence of the Japanese town itself became a liability to the new king. On the premise of mutiny, the town was burnt down in the same year. As a matter of fact, the

Japanese town was rebuilt a few years later by those who had fled to neighboring Cambodia. But history tells a story of the Japanese town worn away as a result of the Sakoku. Strict measures were put into practice: not only prohibiting trading goods, but also terminating the flow of people going to and coming from Japan. What happened to people living there? Like other Japanese towns, residents were just absorbed into the local populace.    

Because of Nagamasa’s adventurous life in Siam, books and films were made about him.  

The monument of Yamada Nagamasa in Nakhon Si Thaammarat, southern Thailand. The photo by Viola. 

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