.The Hakluyt Society: Series III No 7. First edition. xli,428pp black and white illustrations.
Dark blue cloth with gilt design to cover and gilt title to spine. Near fine in protected dust
jacket.

Joao Rodrigues sailed from Portugal to Japan in 1577, and there entered the Jesuit novitiate and was ordained priest. He met Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the virtual ruler of Japan, in 1591, and from that time became the missionaries’ spokesman in dealings with Japanese authorities. He was also involved in negotiations concerning the bulk sale of Chinese silk in Japan, and commercial and political rivalries led to his eventual expulsion from the country in 1610.