First European Description of Life in Japan // 1585 'Striking Contrasts' Luis Frois - Primary Source

"Many of their customs are so distant, foreign, and far removed from our own that is difficult to believe that one can find such stark contrasts among us and people who are so civilized."

In 1543 Portuguese traders and missionaries landed in Japan and started the Nanban Trade Period. For half a century, these missionaries and traders interacted with the Japanese, up until the early sixteenth century and the beginning of the isolationist policies of the Edo period. Here we have missionary Luis Frois describing some of the differences he saw between Europeans and the totally foreign Japanese - on subjects ranging from hairstyles to abortion.

Taken from chapters 1, 2, 3 and 14 of the translation 'The First Europeans in Japan, 1585', translated, edited and annotated by Richard K Danford, Robin D Gill and Daniel T Reff and published by Routledge.

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[Chickenlegs]

European: goes on a nice stroll through the countryside.
Japanese: “why are you punishing yourself like that?”

[victoriap]

"They don't like big eyes"

4 centuries later : anime

[gododoof]

I like the implication that he embraced someone in greeting and the Japanese thought it was hilarious.

[Osvath]

"The Japanese have short noses and small nostrils." - *shows a picture of Oda Nobunaga's massive nose*

[Poodleinacan]

European: takes a stroll outside.
Japanese: what penance is he subjecting himself for?

[alexandersilady]

"We play ball using our hands. The Japanese play ball using their feat."

Meanwhile, today, Portugal's most popular sport is soccer and Japan's is baseball.

[keat]

Portuguese: obeys gravity
Japanese: floats to spite him

[paweandonisgawralidisdobrz]

I like how a lot is mirrored in the japaneese describsion of the portugese. Like showing emotions with no restraint

[jurisprudens]

"We dress the same the entire year" - oh, written by a South European, for sure! ;)

[cebonvieuxjack]

Europeans : **do something**
This letter : not in Japan they don't.

[waltertaljaard]

Account of Dutch employer of the VOC about living on their trading post at Deshima;
-These people are a devious lot. They despice us, but are yet very polite. They rarely come to the point in matters of business, which makes negotiating very time consuming and agrivating. Yet they are very persistant when they think they can make some profit.
They rarely allow us to get off this wretched little Island in the midst of sewer infested harbor water, that reeks to high heaven on warm days. And when they do it's always under guard of grumpy guys with shaven heads and razor sharp swords, we call queerlookers, while they call themselves ''Tsjemurray'', or something like that..
The only nice thing about this place are the women they send us for our entertainment. We call then ''Keesjes'', (which means something like ''F...ies''), while they call them Geisha's. At least they are clean and without the Spanish Pox (syfilis). They drink a brew made out of fermented rice, which they call ''Hupsakee'', but tasts like horsepiss and does nothing, unless you drink great amounts of it. Good thing I brought a stockpile of good Dutch gin with me. They do not allow us to worship on sundays, nor read the Bible. But since they can't even see the difference between a cash book and any other scripture that's hardly a problem. And we do our praying after dark and in silence.
The factor (boss) has managed to learn their language. And there's also a local magistrate called Ooka who knows Dutch. I learned him to play chess, and he became quite good at it in a short period of time. He has been to the Netherlands for six months about 12 years ago and especially was impressed by our ship building and the way we use windpower.
He did not like the climate (too wet) and even less our food, which gave him a bad stomach.
All in all not such a bad guy. And not so aloof as the rest of them.
Still I look forward to the time my stint in this place is over within 10 months, and I can return to Batavia (Jakarta) and from there, God willing, back home.-

[Magicwillnz]

Bear in mind this was written in 1575, during the Sengoku Jidai. It was a time of immense warfare. That might be why violence was so common and discipline so strict.

[druidriley]

"Killing a man is common", "Killing in one's own home is common". Yet, if someone kills another, then "they, too are killed." Lot of killing each other going on in Japan.

[malahamavet]

I like how both Europe and Japan had good and bad things instead of presenting one side or the other as "better". This really looks like a fair comparison

[FOLIPE]

It's very interesting that this is the writing of someone who experienced that cultural shock first hand, and not second hand accounts like some previous texts. The Portuguese description is quite vivid and even objective.

[StudioArtFX]

Is *that* why monsters, that are supposed to be scary, in Japanese films, have big, round, googly eyes?! It always came across as comical to me.

[adamroodog]

So different than the Japanese description of the first Europeans from a couple of weeks ago. Which was 'they look different than us' then 4 chapters on this thing they call a gun.

[TheSonOfDumb]

"In Japan, ambiguous words are considered the best language, and are the most highly esteemed."


This is true even today.

[Vexxed]

I really enjoy the narrations about Japan. Love to see more!

[Dr_Gerbz]

"We play ball using our hands. The Japanese play with their feet."


What a weird concept. That'll never catch on.