Big Ships from Amahkong - A Chronicle of Macao's Trade with Ancient Japan (1555-1640)

The book opens with a lengthy research introduction that examines the reasons why Macao's large ships occupied a special position in Sino-Japanese trade, the competition among Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, and Portuguese merchants in Japan's foreign trade, the commodity structure of Sino-Japanese-Portuguese trade, the operational system of shipping and trade, the special role of Jesuit missionaries in trade activities, the favorable conditions for Macao-Japan trade, and the reasons for the cessation of Macao-Japan trade. It then consists of two parts, each occupying half of the book: The first part is "A Chronicle of Macao-Japan Maritime History," which provides a detailed chronological study of the voyages and trade of the trade fleets between 1555 and 1640. The second part is "Explanatory Documents of Macao-Japan Trade," which compiles 26 original documents from the 17th century, covering topics such as the duties and rights of the Captain-Major, the outbound and inbound cargo of the Macao-Nagasaki voyages, the operational mechanisms of Macao-Japan trade, and the difficulties of navigation in the South China Sea. "The Great Ships from Amagao: A Chronicle of Macao and Ancient Japanese Trade (1555-1640)" is a pioneering work in the study of Portuguese-Japanese trade history. Its publication opened up a new field of research in the history of Japan-Europe relations and also marked a new stage in the study of Macao's maritime trade history.