A 1634 Japanese Red seal ship, incorporating Western-style square and lateen sails, rudder and aft designs. The ships were typically armed with 6 to 8 cannons. Tokyo Naval Science Museum. Red seal ships were Japanese armed merchant sail ships bound for Southeast Asian ports with a red-sealed patent issued by the early Tokugawa shogunate in the first half of the 17th century.
System
Tokugawa Ieyasu, first ruler of Tokugawa Japan, issued red-sealed permits to his favourite feudal lords and principal merchants who were interested in foreign trade. By doing so, he was able to control Japanese traders and reduce Japanese piracy in the South Sea. Besides, 12 European and 11 Chinese residents, including William Adams and Jan Joosten, are known to have got permits. Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, English ships and Asian rulers basically protected Japanese red seal ships, since they had diplomatic relations with the Japanese shogun. Only Ming China had nothing to do with this practise, because the Empire officially prohibited Japanese ships from entering Chinese ports. (But Ming officals were not able to stop Chinese smugglers from setting sail to Japan.)
Destinations
Between 1600 and 1635, more than 350 Japanese ships went overseas under this permit system. The crew of the red seal ships were international, for many Chinese, Portuguese, and Dutch pilots and interpreters joined the sails. Major Southeast Asian ports, including Spanish Manila, Vietnamese Hoi An, Siamese Ayutthaya, Malay Pattani, welcomed the peaceful Japanese merchant ships, and many Japanese settled in these ports, forming small Japanese enclaves. A Japanese adventurer, Yamada Nagamasa, became very influential in the kingdom of Siam (Thailand) during that period.
Import & Export
Japanese merchants mainly exported silver, diamonds,copper, swords and other artifacts, and imported Chinese silk as well as some Southeast Asian products (like sugar and deer skins). Pepper and spices were rarely imported into Japan, where people did not eat a great deal of meat due to the local preponderance of adherents to the Buddhist belief system. Southeast Asian ports provided meeting places for Japanese and Chinese ships.
End of the system
In 1635, the Tokugawa shogunate, fearful of Christian influence, prohibited Japanese nationals from overseas travel, thus ending the period of red seal trades. This measure was quietly approved of by Europeans, especially the Dutch East India Company, who saw their competition reduced.
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