The Great Japanese Pirates of the Jiajing Period

Japanese: 嘉靖の大倭寇 - かせいのだいわこう

The Wokou were pirates who operated along the coast of mainland China as well as in Japan, Korea, and the South Seas during the Jiajing period (1522-66) of the Ming Dynasty in 16th century China. Only 10-20% of the members of the Wokou in the 16th century were Japanese; the majority were smugglers from the Zhejiang and Fujian regions of China, and they were joined by the Portuguese, who had advanced into East Asia at the time. The smugglers' bases were Shuangyu (called Liangbo by the Portuguese) and Liggang (Lihang), in Zhejiang, but when these areas were attacked and wiped out by the Ming authorities, the smugglers transformed into a group of pirates.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

16世紀中国，明の嘉靖年間(1522‐66)に中国大陸沿岸をはじめ日本･朝鮮･南洋方面などを舞台にして行動した倭寇。16世紀の倭寇の構成員は，日本人は10～20％にすぎず，大部分は中国の浙江･福建地方の密貿易者で，当時東アジアに進出してきたポルトガル人もこれに加わった。密貿易者群の根拠地は，浙江の双嶼（そうしよ）(ポルトガル人はリャンポーといった)と瀝港(列港)（れつこう）であるが，この地が明の官憲の攻撃をうけて掃討されると，密貿易者たちは海寇集団に一転した。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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