Hamada Yahyoe

Years of birth and death unknown. Captain of a red seal ship in the early Edo period. In the early Edo period, raw silk from China, the largest import item for Japan, was brought to Japan mainly through encounter trade with Chinese merchants in Taiwan. However, in 1624 (Kan'ei 1), the Netherlands built Fort Zeelandia in Taiwan and established its base there, and since then, they began to impose new taxes on Japanese trade ships and interfere in the country. In 1625, when Yabei traveled to Taiwan as captain of a red seal ship for Nagasaki magistrate Suetsugu Heizo, the governor Martinus Sonck interfered with the trade, so Yabei brought back local residents and complained to the shogunate. After that, the new governor Nuyts came to Japan as an ambassador to explain the situation from the Dutch side, but returned without achieving his purpose. In 1628, Yabei loaded two of Heizo's ships with trade funds as well as many weapons and gunpowder, and led a crew of 470 people to Taiwan, determined to force the trade even if it meant resorting to force. Nuyts detained Yabei in the castle and trade was suspended. However, Yabei and his men waited for an opportunity and captured Nuyts and held him hostage, which led to a peace agreement with the Dutch and the return to Nagasaki in July of the same year. The shogunate was also dissatisfied with the Dutch attitude and created tension by detaining Dutch ships in Japan, closing off the Dutch House and banning trade, but the situation improved when the Dutch handed over Nuyts, the person in charge, to the shogunate in 1807 and trade was resumed. Yabei and his son Shinzo later distinguished themselves during the Shimabara Rebellion, and Shinzo later served the Hosokawa family.

[Numata Satoshi]

"Kawashima Genjiro, 'The History of Red Seal Ship Trade' (1921, Takumisha)" ▽ "Nagazumi Yoko, 'The Diary of the Dutch Trading Post in Hirado' (included in 'Japanese History Based on Diary Records Series 7', 1981, Soshiete)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生没年不詳。江戸初期の朱印船貿易船船長。江戸初期、日本の輸入品中最大の中国産生糸は、おもに中国商人との台湾での出会(であい)貿易によりもたらされていた。しかし1624年（寛永1）オランダは台湾にゼーランディア城を築いて根拠地として以来、日本の貿易船に対し新たな課税を行うなど、圧迫干渉を加えるようになった。25年長崎代官末次平蔵(すえつぐへいぞう)の朱印船船長として弥兵衛が台湾に渡航した際、長官マルティヌス・ソンクはその貿易を妨害したので、彼は同地の住民を連れて帰り幕府に訴えた。その後オランダ側の事情説明のため新長官ヌイツが大使として来日したが、目的を果たせず帰った。28年、弥兵衛は、平蔵の持船二隻に貿易資金のほか多くの武器・火薬を積み、470人の乗組員を率いて、武力に訴えても貿易を強行する意志で台湾に渡った。ヌイツは弥兵衛を城内に抑留し、貿易も差し止められた。しかし弥兵衛らは機をうかがい、逆にヌイツを捕らえ人質としたので、オランダ側と和議が成立し、同年7月長崎に戻った。幕府もオランダの態度に不満をもち、来日オランダ船の抑留、蘭(らん)館の封鎖、貿易禁止などを行い緊張したが、オランダ側が32年責任者ヌイツを幕府に引き渡すなどして事態は好転し、貿易も再開された。弥兵衛とその子新蔵は、その後島原の乱に際して功をたて、のち新蔵は細川家に仕官した。

［沼田　哲］

『川島元次郎著『朱印船貿易史』（1921・巧人社）』▽『永積洋子著『平戸オランダ商館日記』（『日記記録による日本歴史叢書7』所収・1981・そしえて）』

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