Luis Alvares

Tanegashima is the second largest island in Japan’s Ōsumi Island chain, located off the southern coast of Kyushu (the southernmost of the four major islands which make up the country of Japan). During the medieval period, Tanegashima was considered part of Ōsumi province and ruled by the daimyo in control of that territory. In 1543 a Portuguese trade ship heading for China found itself blown off course and landed at Tanegashima. The accident introduced the Portuguese to Japan (and vice versa) and within a few years the Portuguese had established a trading relationship with Japan. Among the most popular Portuguese goods