Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's Silk Road to Japan: The Nanban Trade
While the spice trade dominated Portuguese ambitions in Asia, a quieter, more intimate exchange was transforming Japan during the late sixteenth century. This episode explores the arrival of European ships at Tanegashima and Hirado, where the 'Nanban' trade introduced not just firearms and silk, but Catholicism and new culinary habits. We follow the journey of Francis Xavier, who first landed in Kagoshima in 1549, and trace how Portuguese merchants navigated the complex politics of the Sengoku period under warlords like Oda Nobunaga. The conversation details the rise of the…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.