Luís Fróis: The First Westerner’s Description Of Oda Nobunaga

 

Fig. The Luís Fróis Memorial

Description   日本二十六聖人殉教地

Date    Taken on 27 February 2012

Source https://web.archive.org/web/20161021103818/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/67546293

Author           Ke Ki

The Luís Fróis Memorial is located within Nishizaka Park in Nagasaki City, adjacent to the Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum 

Fig. Oda Nobunaga (wood sculpture)

Photo courtesy of Gifu Castle

This is a replica of a 16th-century wood sculpture. Among the many depictions of Nobunaga, this one aligns with descriptions I’ve read, featuring his small mouth, well-defined nose, wrinkles between the eyebrows, and a nervous disposition.

Fig. Fróis arrived Goa on 4 September 1548 CE

Source: google earth modified by the author

Luís Fróis (1532 CE – 1597 CE) was a Jesuit missionary and historian who worked primarily in Japan. He authored the extensive “History of Japan.” [1]

Born in Lisbon, he served the Portuguese court at the age of nine. In 1548 CE, at the age of sixteen, he joined the Society of Jesus. In October of the same year, he went to Goa, India.

Q: Why did he go such a long way to Goa, India, in the first place?

A: Going to Goa in the mid-16th century was a significant move for someone like Luís Fróis, especially considering his elite status in European society. It should be noted that Portugal at the time was a world hegemon. He was highly educated and belonged to a prominent religious order that played a significant role in European and global affairs during the 16th century. The Jesuits were known for their rigorous intellectual training, missionary work, and influence in both religious and political spheres.

Goa was not just a remote outpost but a vibrant, strategic, and economically significant location that offered numerous opportunities for an elite European like Luís Fróis. 16th century Goa was like the 21st century Silicon Valley, attracting many able youngsters from all over the world.

Q: Why did he go another long way to Japan?

A: After training in Goa, he was ordained as a priest and was highly regarded for his linguistic and literary talents, which led him to handle communications from various mission sites.

During his stay in Goa, he met Francis Xavier and his Japanese collaborator Anjiro just before they set out for their mission to Japan. This encounter would shape the course of Fróis’s life. I will describe the Xavier encounter with Anjiro in another blog.

A year after becoming a priest, Fróis was sent to Japan for missionary purpose. He arrived in Yokoseura, Kyushu, Japan on 6 June 1563 CE. [2]

Fig. Yokoseura, Kyushu

Source: google earth modified by the author.

Fróis’s ability to travel to Japan and engage with influential figures also highlights his elite status. His detailed observations and writings about Japanese society and politics were valuable contributions to the understanding of Japan in Europe.

The following year, he travelled to Kyoto, where he met Ashikaga Yoshiteru who was then shogun. However, Fróis was disappointed to learn of the powerlessness of the Shogun. Fróis soon learned of Oda Nobunaga, a revolutionary figure. In 1569 CE, Fróis was able to meet Nobunaga. It was 9 years after Nobunaga’s miraculous victory over Imagawa Yoshimoto when Nobunaga was the lord of a relatively obscure clan. [3].

In the 16th century, among the missionaries sent to Japan, there were those who considered Japan to have a barbaric culture, but Luís Fróis was one of the missionaries who did not.

It took Luís Fróis over 20 years to complete his book, "History of Japan". The original Portuguese version consisted of 2,500 pages. Reference [1] is a Japanese translation. The book includes what is likely the first description of Oda Nobunaga by a Westerner. Below is the excerpt that interests me (translation into English by the author of this blog):

This meeting was significant as it allowed Fróis to gain permission for missionary work in the region. Nobunaga, known for his interest in foreign cultures and technologies, was intrigued by the Jesuits’ behavior. Fróis, who had been in Japan for several years, was well-versed in Japanese customs and language, which helped facilitate their communication.

During their encounter, Nobunaga showed a keen interest in the Western world. This meeting marked the beginning of a relationship that would allow the Jesuits to expand their influence in Japan, although it was also a period of complex interactions between different cultures and religions.

Frois describes Nobunaga [1] (translation into English by the author of this blog):

It is unknown by which standards, Fróis regarded Nobunaga “medium height”. Nobunaga is believed to have been 5 shaku 5 or 6 sun (166–169 cm) tall, based on the life-sized wooden statue left at Daitoku-ji temple. The average height of Japanese men those days was 157cm. [4]

My view toward Nobunaga:

There was no unified Japan in the 16th century. Instead, there were about 260 independent vassal domains, which had been fighting each other for more than a hundred years. Being the heir of a relatively obscure clan, Nobunaga was called “oh-utsuke” (big idiot) for his bizarre behavior. Even the retainers of the clan were worried about him. From his early days, Nobunaga had a striking appearance with carefully chosen clothing. He sometimes wore Western clothing given by Jesuit priests. In my view, he was an ethnic anomaly, being an exceptional strategist, a seeker of scientific truths, an art connoisseur, an excellent Japanese castle architect, and an environmental engineer, among other things.

He did not discriminate against people based on their social status or family background and associated with even the most humble individuals without prejudice. One of his major vassals, Hideyoshi, who later became shogun, was a peasant by birth. By 1588 CE, Nobunaga was on the verge of unifying Japan. However, despite possessing all these qualities, he was unable to complete the unification of Japan.

Everyone asks: Why?

My thoughts: He possessed almost everything to become the unifier of chaotic Japan except for one thing:

He may not have fully understood how his actions could hurt others.

Ultimately, he was betrayed by one of his own generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, at the Honnoji incident where Nobunaga died. Shortly before the incident, Nobunaga humiliated Mitsuhide by kicking him. There were other instances of mistreating Mitsuhide as well, but Nobunaga likely did not grasp the extent of Mitsuhide’s hurt.

I am aware that there are other theories behind the Honnoji incident; however, I will not elaborate on them here. In any event, the Incident at Honnoji was a regrettable event for Nobunaga, but the unification of Japan that he aimed for was soon achieved, and Japan finally ended the chaotic period which had lasted for 140 years. It signified the beginning of Japan’s 270 years of peaceful period to come.

There should not be ‘if’ in history. However, if Nobunaga had lived for another 10 years, Japan could have gone in a very different trajectory.

[1] Kawasaki, M. and Matsuda, K., “Kan yaku Fróis History of Japan”, Chuo Koronsha, Tokyo, 2012, second printing

[2] Wikipedia site: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%AB%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BB%E3%83%95%E3%83%AD%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B9

[3] https://japanlatebloomer.blogspot.com/2024/06/book-review-spear-of-lucky-fellow-by.html

[4] Honkawa Data Tribune: https://honkawa2.sakura.ne.jp/2182a.html