▁cont rolling ▁commerce ▁between ▁Japan ▁and ▁other ▁nations , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁as ser ting ▁its ▁new ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁Asian ▁hierarchy . ▁The ▁Tok ug awa ▁had ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁create ▁their ▁own ▁small - scale ▁international ▁system ▁where ▁Japan ▁could ▁continue ▁to ▁access ▁the ▁trade ▁in ▁essential ▁comm od ities ▁such ▁as ▁medic ines , ▁and ▁gain ▁access ▁to ▁essential ▁intelligence ▁about ▁happen ings ▁in ▁China , ▁while ▁avoid ing ▁having ▁to ▁agree ▁to ▁a ▁sub ordinate ▁status ▁within ▁the ▁Chinese ▁trib ut ary ▁system . ▁ ▁Japan ' s ▁generally ▁construct ive ▁official ▁diplom atic ▁relationship ▁with ▁Jose on ▁Korea ▁allowed ▁regular ▁emb ass ies ▁( T ongs ins a ) ▁to ▁be ▁dispatch ed ▁by ▁Korea ▁to ▁Japan . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁the ▁br isk ▁trade ▁between ▁Ts ush ima ▁and ▁Korea , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁Japanese ▁in ▁P us an , ▁Japan ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁access ▁Chinese ▁cultural , ▁intellectual ▁and ▁techn ological ▁develop ments ▁throughout ▁the ▁E do ▁period . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁prom ul g ation ▁of ▁the ▁strict est ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁mar itime ▁prohib itions , ▁the ▁M ing ▁dynast y ▁had ▁lost ▁control ▁of ▁much ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁unnecessary , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁und es irable , ▁for ▁Japan ▁to ▁purs ue ▁official ▁diplom atic ▁relations ▁with ▁either ▁of ▁the ▁M ing ▁or ▁the ▁Q ing ▁govern ments ▁while ▁the ▁issue ▁of ▁imperial ▁legit im acy ▁was ▁un sett led . ▁ ▁Japan ▁was ▁able ▁to