From Research into Trade History to Proposals for Overseas Expansion (2026)

Yoshimura Masami
Japan Women's University. Associate Professor

From Research into Trade History to Proposals for Overseas Expansion: Based on the Compilation of Historical Texts on Hirado

This presentation examines the impact that records concerning Hirado’s trade history have had on research into 19th century foreign relations. Hirado was a trading port until the Dutch Factory moved to Deshima in Nagasaki. Research on Hirado can be divided into two areas: studies of trade based on documents from Dutch and English factories, and studies of domain administration based on documents from the Matsura family (the lords of Hirado).

However, local historical documents in Hirado city have not yet been transcribed, meaning they cannot be used to their full potential for research purposes. 

This study examines the following three points using both documents from townspeople and documents from the Matsura family.

1. How the townspeople of Hirado responded to the Tokugawa seclusion (Sakoku) policy.
   The Tanimura family, a merchant family engaged in the whaling industry, documented Hirado’s involvement in overseas trade in historical records. The family also incorporated knowledge from Western and Chinese texts into their writings on whaling.
2. How the ‘history of the town’ was incorporated into the ‘history of the daimyo family.’
   The Matsura family compiled their chronicles and regional histories based on local documents, including the Tanimura family archives. These records detail the calls made by trading and diplomatic ships at Hirado from the 8th to the 17th century. The family proposed to the shogunate that they explore Chinese islands, drawing on such knowledge.
3. How research into Hirado's trading history influenced arguments for overseas expansion during the Meiji period.
   Teifu Suganuma, a historian from Hirado, argued about the need to study the history of foreign relations prior to the ‘Sakoku’ period. He also advocated the overseas expansion doctrine.

This study will demonstrate the influence that the compilation of historical texts in the Edo period had on perceptions of foreign countries during the Meiji period.

貿易史研究から対外進出論の提起へ: 平戸の歴史書編纂から考える

本報告では、平戸の貿易史に関する記録が19世紀の対外関係史研究に与えた影響について考察する。平戸は、オランダ商館が長崎の出島に移動する前の貿易港である。平戸に関する先行研究として、オランダ・イギリス商館の文書による貿易史研究や大名松浦家の文書による藩政史研究があるが、平戸市内の未翻刻の地方文書は活用されていない。

そこで本研究では、平戸の地方文書と松浦家文書の双方を使用し、次の3点について検討する。

1. 平戸町人は「鎖国」にどのように対応したのか。
   町人・捕鯨業者の谷村家が、海外貿易と平戸の関わりを歴史書に記録するとともに、洋書や漢籍に基づく知識を捕鯨書に取り入れていたことを紹介する。
2. 町の歴史」はどのように「大名家の歴史」に取り入れられたのか。
   松浦家は地方文書（谷村家文書など）を使用して家譜・地誌を編纂し、8世紀から17世紀までの貿易船・使節船の平戸への寄港について記録した。同家がそのような知識に基づいて、幕府に中国沿岸の島嶼の探検を提案したことを指摘する。
3. 平戸の貿易史研究は明治期の対外進出論にどのような影響を与えたのか。
   平戸出身の歴史家の菅沼貞風が、「鎖国」以前の対外関係史研究の必要性を主張し、対外進出論を唱えるようになったことを指摘する。

本事例により、江戸時代における歴史書の編纂が明治期の対外認識に与えた影響を明らかにしたい。