y ō ▁Ch ō s ok abe ▁Mot och ika ▁seized ▁the ▁cargo ▁of ▁the ▁rich ly ▁l aden ▁Man ila ▁g alle on , ▁and ▁the ▁incident ▁es cal ated ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁up ▁to ▁Toy ot omi ▁H ide y oshi , ▁r uling ▁ta ik ō ▁of ▁Japan . ▁The ▁pilot ▁of ▁the ▁ship ▁in ca ut iously ▁suggested ▁to ▁Japanese ▁authorities ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁Spanish ▁mod us ▁oper and i ▁to ▁have ▁mission aries ▁in fil tr ate ▁a ▁country ▁before ▁an ▁event ual ▁military ▁con quest , ▁as ▁had ▁been ▁done ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁cru c if ix ion ▁of ▁ 2 6 ▁Christians ▁in ▁Nag as aki , ▁the ▁first ▁le th al ▁per sec ution ▁of ▁Christians ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁Japan . ▁The ▁executed ▁were ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Tw enty - S ix ▁Mart y rs ▁of ▁Japan . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁So on ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁contacts ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 3 , ▁Portuguese ▁ships ▁started ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁Japan ▁to ▁trade . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁Japanese ▁were ▁very ▁much ▁looking ▁forward ▁to ▁acqu iring ▁Chinese ▁goods ▁such ▁as ▁sil k ▁and ▁por cel ain , ▁but ▁had ▁been ▁prohib ited ▁from ▁private ▁trade ▁with ▁China ▁by ▁the ▁M ing ▁dynast y ▁as ▁a ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁the ▁w ok ou ▁pir ate ▁ra ids . ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁therefore ▁found ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁inter medi aries ▁trad ing ▁Chinese