Open Collections

Sino-Japanese trade in the early Tokugawa period: kango, copper, and shinpai

University of British Columbia

This thesis surveys Sino-Japanese relations in the early Tokugawa period with a specific focus on transactions in the major commodity--copper--between the two countries. The main purpose of the research is to investigate the bilateral contact in the early Tokugawa, the evolution of the copper trade, the political events involved with the trade, and to reexamine the significance of sakoku (seclusion) policy of Japan from a Chinese perspective. This thesis first explores the efforts of the shogunate from 1600 to 1625 towards reopening the kango or tally trade with China which had been suspended in the previous Muromachi period. Based on research of the archives of the Ming imperial court, this study for the first time demonstrates the Chinese response to their efforts. The thesis goes on to survey the copper problem in China, the Qing court copper policy, and the copper trade between Japan and the Qing. The discussion includes concern with China's internal economic and monetary situation and its external trade with Japan, the Kangxi Emperor's direct involvement with the copper trade, particularly from 1684 to 1715, and the control over the trade by the bakufu. Finally, the thesis presents a thorough examination of the case of shinpai (trade credentials) in China triggered by the "Shotoku New Regulations" issued by the bakufu in 1715, and takes the shinpai case and the imperial edict of the Kangxi Emperor on the case as a touchstone and clue to the understanding of Sino- Japanese relations in the whole Tokugawa period. The study concludes that the sakoku policy had a positive impact on Sino- Japanese relations in the Tokugawa (Qing) period.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-01-16

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/3731

History

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace