Tang liaison officer

The Edo Shogunate placed translators in Nagasaki for Chinese ships. It is said that the position was first established by Feng Liu of the Ming Dynasty in 1604 (Keicho 9), but the position of translator was not clearly defined until 1641 (Kan'ei 18). The position was later increased to four Grand Interpreters and five Junior Interpreters, and the position was passed down to the descendants of people who had been exiled to Japan in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, including the Egawa (whose real surname was the Chin family), Kanbai and Niki (whose real surname was the Lin family), and Sakaki (whose real surname was the Liu family), who were all families who inherited the position. In addition to acting as interpreters during trade, they also conducted religious reforms when ships entered the port of Nagasaki, translated and submitted cargo books and rumor books, monitored smuggling within the Chinese residences, conveyed the Chinese's orders to the authorities, and issued certificates (permits for arrival) when ships returned home. Generally, the term "Tang interpreters" refers to the major and minor interpreters from the nine families mentioned above, and there were three types: Zhangzhou, Fuzhou, and Nanjing interpreters.

[Yamawaki Teijiro]

"Nagasaki Chinese Interpreter - The Great Interpreter Hayashi Doei and His Surroundings" by Hayashi Rikuro (2000, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸幕府が長崎に置いた唐船のための訳官。1604年（慶長9）明(みん)人馮六(ひょうろく)に始まるとされるが、訳官としての地位が明確になるのは1641年（寛永18）である。その後、大通事(おおつうじ)4名、小(こ)通事5名の定員になり、明末清(しん)初、日本に流寓(りゅうぐう)した人々の子孫である潁川(えがわ)（本姓陳(ちん)氏）、官梅(かんばい)・二木(にき)（本姓林(りん)氏）、彭城(さかき)（本姓劉(りゅう)氏）らの諸家がその職を世襲した。取引の際の通弁はもとより、長崎入港の際の宗門改(あらため)、積荷帳・風説書の翻訳・上申、唐人屋敷内での密貿易の監視、唐人の下意上達、帰航時の信牌(しんぱい)（来航許可証）の交付などを行う。通常、唐通事とは、前述の額設九家の大・小通事をさしていい、漳州口(しょうしゅうぐち)、福州口・南京(ナンキン)口通事の別があった。

［山脇悌二郎］

『林陸朗著『長崎唐通事――大通事林道栄とその周辺』（2000・吉川弘文館）』

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