Posted on 02/14/2008 3:49:10 PM PST by blam
17th century Japanese village uncovered in Cambodia
Thursday, February 14, 2008 at 07:01 EST
PHNOM PENH — A site of a Japanese village dating back to the 17th century has been found in the outskirts of Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, a Japanese archaeologist said Wednesday. Hiroshi Sugiyama, chief research fellow at Japan's National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, said that based on research since 2004 and analyses of excavations and documents, the site in Ponhea Lueu Commune, about 25 kilometers north of Phnom Penh, is a Japanese village dating back to the 17th century.
Based on on-site research, excavations and historical documents, Japanese people came to Cambodia aboard ships between 1601 and 1635, he said. "There were about 100 Japanese living in the village during that period of time, and most of them were engaged in religious affairs and trading," Sugiyama said in a lecture on his findings to about 100 Cambodians, many of them university students, at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center in the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
GGG Ping?
Really, not that long ago.
One wonders if the archaeologists found any sashimi or sushi in the ruins?
Damn, the Japanese were taking sex vacations all the way back in the 1600’s. The more we learn, the more we find out nothing is new.
More likely they were committing atrocities on the Cambodian villagers nearby.
Just doing the jobs ancient Cambodians wouldn't do.
Huh?
Welcome to FreeRepublic, I think.
Sounds to be pretty close to the time the Tokugawas gained control, following Ashikaga/Hojo domination, during the centuriesof the Shogunate(s).
Like they did to every other country during and before WWII,
NOt to mention what they did to Korea even before that war.
Um, I doubt it. Stuff decomposes pretty quickly in the jungle.
Civil War refugees?....from Nihon.
..avoided the sword...rare indeed.
They were there to establish the local Toyota rickshaw dealership.:-)
Could have been religious persecution, but political perscution is just as plausible. The reason will probably never be known, but it is quite a curiosity.
Japanese sent trade and religious missions as far away as India prior to the closing of Japan by the Tokugawas. A Japanese was even mayor of Macao. To the others talking about atrocities, this was at the time the Europeans were enslaving Africans and commiting genocide on the Native Americans. Times change.
Thanks for posting. I suspect there will be more finds like this. Japan was never completely closed during its ‘Isolation’ period. In fact, the west coast facing the continent was the scene of a brisk black economy and occasional migrant route away from the ‘enlightened’ rule of the Tokugawas. This continued into the early twentieth century.
Japanese Pilgrims? Whatever became of them?
Just a little something to stick into your knowledge base.
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