Japanese Historian Describes First Contact With Europeans // 16th cent. 'Teppo-ki' // Primary Source

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Here we have something special - the Japanese perspective of the first Europeans in Japan. In 1543 two Portuguese traders - men "whose physical features differed" from the locals - arrived on a Chinese junk, with a gift that would change the course of Japanese history. Recorded for posterity by Nanpo Bushi half a century later, this account gives us the view of a people coming into contact with Europe for the first time.

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みっち
PHGCOM

[Trashplat]

"They show their feelings without any self-control."
That still is, how a Japanese person would describe a Portuguese. 😂

[dershogun]

How they basically have a philosophical conversation about the usage of a gun...

[georgepantzikis]

It's crazy how the Portuguese people were saying simple shit like "It's not about seeing far it's about having a more precise aim" and the japanese threw Lao Tsu at them.

[maxkennedy]

I love how the double translation from Portuguese to Japanese via a Ming Chinese interpreter sounds like a slightly dodgy google translate. Its oddly wholesome

[malahamavet]

Tokitaka: is it possible to learn this power?
Portuguese: *not from a jedi*

[odinstrom]

Portugese: "yeah dude you kinda just like, stand steady, close on eye and shoot, thats really it"

Japanese: "THE WISDOM OF SAGES AND THE WORDS OF THE GODS"

[nigglebit]

Portuguese: "So you just gotta brace yourself and close one eye to aim precisely."

Japanese: "I see. To be strong of heart... to perceive not foresight but clarity in what you see. These are wise words that you speak; wisdom which echoes the teachings of great sages."

[bunyamintekin]

"If you would like to shoot it, we would love to teach you all its secrets."


Pacific Theater Loading

[savage]

Europe: Boom powder make ball go fast

Japan:

[vivalibertasergovivitelibe]

Imagine being like
"Okay stand up straight and close one eye!"
And get the an answer about lao tzu

[Nale_Ckleysho]

Japanese guy: Bro why are you squinting if you're trying to see something far away?
Portuguese: (hits blunt) It's not about seeing what's far away that matters, it's focusing and finding clarity that allows you to hit that which is far away.

[FakeSugarVillain]

*Strange ship arrives*
*Strange people are in the ship*
*Chinese scholar that comes with them starts writing in the sand*
"I'm travelling with them, but I don't know them"
*Strange people get down of ship and start making noise*

[Alexander-tuiv]

I love how they had a long philosophical discussion about the nature of squinting.

[kylepickus]

I love how when he hear the word “concentration”, he immediately thought of the teachings of Lao Tzu (the creator of Daoism).

[ProjectThunderclaw]

Is it just me, or is this kind of adorable? Like yeah we all know where this eventually leads, but the account itself reads like mildly confused schoolboys who don't quite understand each other but are nevertheless happy to make friends and share their toys.

[erdnasiul]

"Quite harmless"

Portuguese "harmless" boy: let me introduce Japan to...

G U N S

[xgyyyld]

"they do not know about property" "are quite harmless"
Most inaccurate statements ever surrounding shipgoing european nations in the 1600s

[soyusmaximus]

And thus history was unalterably set on the course to deliver us cat girl tentacle hentai.

[marcatteberry]

I feel as if the original people were telling me personally, what they saw, and understood, with comparisons in life.
Thank you for bringing 500 year old people, to life.

[victoriap]

"they are quite harmless"
Oh boy