The true story of Japan’s One Piece

Delve into the world of Japanese piracy, where disgruntled government officials command thousands of raiders, a sea tribe takes control of the Seto Inland Sea, and a multi-ethnic group of seafarers battle the Spanish far from Japan’s borders

One of the many reasons for popularity one piece is its pirate theme, which is rare in Japanese pop culture many different reasons This mostly comes down to people distorting history for their own benefit. That’s a shame, because the actual history of pirates in Japan is long and complicated, and full of fascinating characters like the country’s real-life Pirate King. Let’s talk about some of these wannabe Luffy’s:

Sumitomo Fujiwara finds piracy easier than working in government

Around the 930s, Fujiwara Sumitomo was appointed military commander of Iyo Province (today’s Shikoku, Ehime Prefecture), which was a minor undertaking for a then-unremarkable seventh-level nobleman (one of the lowest in the court system) Position. When Iyo is ordered to suppress local piracy, the ambitious Sumitomo sees a chance to prove himself. However, after completing the arduous task, he was ignored for the position of governor of Iyo and decided to “rebellion” for this.

In 936, Sumitomo Fujiwara abandoned his position, gathered together the surviving pirate factions – and even formed new factions from disaffected peasants and samurai – and created his own pirate kingdom on the island of Hiburi. Some sources claim that he commanded a total of 1,000 ships, which were crewed by men who followed him, as Sumitomo, in addition to being a skilled warrior, was also a nobleman, regardless of rank, which gave him an edge over others. Prestige in the eyes of outlaws.

Soon, Sumitomo controlled the waters off Shikoku, eastern Kyushu, and the southern coast of modern Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, and Hyogo prefectures. For a time, the court tried to appease him, as they were more worried about a separate future rebellion in the east of the country.The angriest soul in Japan“.

Sumitomo took matters into his own hands, disrupting trade and plundering across the Seto Inland Sea, even once sending his lieutenants to cut off the ears and noses of two provincial governors who had complained to the emperor about him. However, after the Eastern Rebellion was put down, the Kyoto court assembled a large fleet to fight against Sumitomo, and completely defeated Sumitomo in the Battle of Hakata Bay, capturing more than 800 pirate ships. Sumitomo survived and fled to Iyo, where he was quickly captured and eventually executed. hope, one piece It won’t end the same way.

Murakami Takeyoshi is more like a water general

In the middle of the 14th century, Japanese Emperor loses all political powerMore than a hundred years later, the shogun was by his side. The collapse of the central government eventually led to the Warring States Period, when feudal lords essentially acted as kings over their largely independent territories. Not all of these are located in Japan itself. The Seto Inland Sea is more than 400 kilometers long and contains about 3,000 islands, some of which are claimed by the Murakami clan. During the country’s civil war, the Murakami family protected their territory and surrounding waters, enforcing their own laws on strategic trade routes and defying any higher authority. Thus, the Murakami Pirates were born.

One of Murakami’s most powerful sealords was Takeyoshi Murakami, leader of the Nojima branch, who nearly made the sea bleed. As king of the narrowest strait in the Seto Inland Sea, he wears a helmet with a gold shell, eats octopus before battle (because its eight arms are said to symbolize protection from all sides) and commands a huge floating fortress ship that can only rely on 80 Famous oarsmen move instead of sails.

Hundreds of sailors and minor daimyo Pay tribute to Murakami Takeyoshi and recognize him as the Lord of the Seto Inland Sea. The Jesuit missionary Louis Froy wrote of him: “He lived in a magnificent fortress and had numerous retainers… His power was so great that on these coasts, and on the coasts of other lords’ kingdoms, all pay him annual tribute out of fear that “he will destroy them. ”

Buyoshi was eventually defeated by Oda Nobunaga’s navy in the Second Battle of Kizukawaguchi, but the maritime power he left behind is one of the reasons why the Murakami clan is also called the Murakami navy today. (“Navy Army”).

Tefusa clashes with the Spanish Empire

this your These pirates were East Asian pirates who plundered all the way from Korea to Okinawa and beyond, and they were made up of many different ethnic groups, including Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese Hakkas, Ainu, and even, at one time, Filipino raiders . In the 1580s, a group of wako Pirates conquered the Cagayan Valley in the Spanish-controlled Philippines, enslaving the local population and taking control of a precious metals trading center. The pirates took root in a fortress and, under the leadership of “Tai Phosa”, briefly turned the area into their own kingdom of terror.

The name is said to come from a Spanish report, which is likely a misheard version. taifu-san or Sir, A Japanese term for a person in charge, such as chief or high steward. This leads historians to believe that this particular group of wako It was led by a Japanese, but the exact makeup of its crew is unclear. Still, it’s so far away from Japan that it’s hard to imagine that Japanese people make up even a small percentage of the band. The Spanish didn’t really care who piracy was on their turf, though. They just wanted them to stop, so they sent a captain, Juan Pablo de Carrion, to deal with the problem.

In 1582, Spanish imperial forces clashed with multinational pirates in a battle known as the Battle of Cagayan. Some websites report that this was the only time in history that samurai fought against European armies, but there is no evidence that any samurai were part of this band of Japanese pirates. group. Some think They may include ronin, But this is just a guess. Furthermore, instead of samurai swords, the pirates wielded spears and firearms, and wore breastplates.

Another misconception is that approximately 40 to 60 Spanish soldiers (supplemented by Filipino recruits) fought against 1,000 pirates. Researchers who did some basic mathematics Based on the information about each man’s vessel it was concluded that this was most likely a wako They are severely undernumbered. The whole event is filled with too many legends based on unreliable sources, but since piracy in the area seems to have declined after 1582, we can assume that the Spanish ended Tefuza’s rule. OK He deserves it, as his crew doesn’t include any katana-wielding warriors, giving us a break from the real-life conflict between samurai and European knights.

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