Faculty Publications

Representing the Nanban Moment: Gotō Thomé (1547?–1627)

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Padroado, Misericordia, Japanese Christian incunabula

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies

Volume

84

Issue

1-2

First Page

75

Last Page

110

Abstract

Japan's "Nanban Moment" has recently been defined as "a critical juncture in world history when for the first time all the major urban civilizations became interconnected." These connections were political, economic, religious, literary, linguistic, and artistic in nature. This article presents the life of Gotō Thomé, a shopkeeper from Nagasaki's Uchimachi district, drawing upon different Japanese and European sources. As mayor, he was one of four principal officials of the Inner City. A major silk dealer, he was a leading member of the national silk guild. As elder of the São Paulo parish and member of the Misericordia Brotherhood, he was the main lay spokesman for the Jesuit missionaries. As printer of the Japanese texts generated by the Jesuits, he supported a new literary movement in Japan. Finally, as the likely sponsor of Nanban art, he played an important role in creating the arts and crafts of Japan's Christian experiment.

Department

Department of History

Original Publication Date

12-1-2024

DOI of published version

10.1353/jas.2024.a948861

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