European Traders

For Portuguese Factions in other Total War games see Portugal.

European Traders
European Traders Icon
Daimyō	None
Playable	No
Appears in	Grand Campaign
Emerges in	Sea of Japan
Controls	None
Bonuses	Naval Faction

European Traders are a minor faction in Total War: Shogun 2.

General Information

Following their arrival, which appears as an in game event, it becomes possible to build nanban trade ports and nanban quarters. Although it is not actually possible to form a trade agreement with this faction, building these ports enables the player to recruit Imported Matchlock Ashigaru, Matchlock Samurai and European Cannons. At least one nanban trade port must be in the players possession in order to convert the clan's religion to Christianity.

The only unit belonging to the European Traders is the Black Ship, the most powerful naval unit in the game. This ship appears by itself and sails along the western and northern coasts of the map. If the Black Ship is captured by a clan, the European Traders will not send another one unless the initial ship gets sunk. Attacking and/or capturing the trade ship does not anger the traders, and gunpowder weapons can still be purchased.

If the black ship appears in a spot visible to the player, an announcement will tell the player of its existence.

Like the Wako Pirates, the European Traders do not have any provinces or land armies, nor can they be negotiated with. They only appear in the form of a navy, and cannot be eliminated unlike most other clans.

History

The Portuguese arrived in Japan in 1543. Nagasaki became an important trading port with the Portuguese in result opening Japan up to contact and trade relations between the rest of the world, particularly with mainland China with whom Japan had previously severed its commercial and political ties due to a number of incidents. With the Portuguese now serving as intermediaries between the two Asian countries, both merchants and the Kyushu daimyo (feudal lords) expected to collect great advantages from these trade intercourse with the Portuguese. This introduced Christianity, Firearms, and Gunpowder to Japan.

The Dutch arrived in 1600, led by an Englishman, starting their first commercial interaction attempts in 1605. On 1639 Tokugawa Iemitsu grandson of Tokugawa leyasu banned foreign influence in Japan. Western Ships were to be sunk and those aboard them would be beheaded. Samurai often checked citizens if they had passports. Anyone who was caught were given severe penalties. The Westerners were driven out of Japan. The Japanese only allowed a handful of Dutch, Korean, and Chinese traders on an island off of Nagasaki to trade in Japan. Japan was closed from the rest of the world until March 31, 1854 when Commodore Matthew Perry under the orders of the U.S navy forced Japan to be opened to the rest of the world for the second time.

Trivia

• The flag or coat-of-arms of the faction is that of the Kingdom of Portugal specifically between the years of 1521 to 1640. In general, although the faction represents Europeans broadly by name, it is slanted towards representing Portugal in particular.
• Like the Wokou pirates, the European Traders faction is physically stored out of bounds to the top-left corner of the map in what is a rudimentary representation of the topographical area of a part of Joseon-era Korea using the "Nanban Base" city as its capital. This city is appropriately starting the campaign as Christian.
• Although the European Traders faction will never recruit or build, it has access to Japanese units and buildings.