1543day.year
António Mota and a few companions become the first Europeans to visit Japan.
In 1543, Portuguese merchant António Mota and his companions became the first Europeans to land in Japan.
Their arrival heralded the beginning of trade and cultural exchanges between Europe and Japan.
Portuguese traders were blown off course while sailing to China and made landfall on Tanegashima Island on August 25, 1543.
António Mota, along with two Portuguese shipmates, is widely credited as the first Europeans to meet Japanese locals.
They introduced firearms and European goods to the islanders, sparking curiosity and eventual widespread adoption of matchlock guns known locally as Tanegashima.
These initial encounters paved the way for Jesuit missionaries and the Nanban trade era, which brought profound technological and cultural changes to Japan over the next century.
The meeting on Tanegashima represents a key moment in the global Age of Discovery, linking two distant worlds.
1543
António Mota