As we are going to talk about the smuggling in the Medieval Japan, we should start by looking at the Ouchi Clan, who used to be based in the westernmost provinces in the Honshu Island, the largest island of Japan. They were engaged in the last days of the official trade with the Ming Dynasty under the Ashikaga Shogunate, and opened up the new days of smuggling by various parties.
At Ningbo, in today’s China, in 1523, half a century after Japan plunged into the Warring State Period, an epoch-making and symbolic incident happened. The Ouchi Clan clashed against the Hosokawa Clan there in China. Ouchi's trading ships had arrived at Ningbo earlier with a newer tally. Hosokawa’s, who had arrived later with an older tally, however, had bribed the head officer of the Office of Shipping Trade in the town to let their cargoes registered first. Having raged on it, Ouchi’s killed the leader of Hosokawa’s and burned Hosokawa’s ships down. Hosokawa’s Chinese crews escaped, and it added fuel to Ouchi’s flames. Ouchi’s burned the buildings and houses in the town, captured the garrison commander, and flew off to the sea. A Ming flotilla, as a matter of course, chased them, but was defeated and its commander was killed.
Both the clans might have planned to export some Japanese products and import Chinese ones peacefully, but they virtually exported war to the weakening Ming Dynasty. The Ming government shut down the tally trading against Japan as a retaliatory measure for a while, but that ironically raised smuggling and even Wokou, one of the 2 main enemies against the Ming Dynasty along with Mongolians from North.
Who and what were the Ouchi Clan then? To understand that, we should see their history first. The Ouchi Clan used to call themselves the Tatara Clan, and confessed to be a descendant of Imseong-taeja, the third prince of King Seong (or Seongmyeong) (523-554) of Baekje, the southern part of today’s Korea. The clan inherited the vice governor of Suo Province for generations as a local powerful family.
During the South and North Courts Period (1334-1392) in Japan, Ouchi Hiroyo (?-1380) laid the groundwork for the Ouchi Clan’s prosperity and domination in the Warring State Period, from the middle of the 15th Century to the middle of the 16th Century.
In the early 1350’s, Hiroyo defeated Washizu Nagahiro, who belonged to his hindered clan, and dominated Suo Province. In 1358, he defeated Koto Yoshitake, and dominated Nagato Province, which was just west to Suo Province and was the westernmost province in Honshu Island. In 1360, he was appointed the guardian samurai in Suo and Nagato Provinces by the Ashikaga Shogunate.
