▁just ▁a ▁commercial ▁domin ion ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁The ▁host ility ▁of ▁many ▁Indian ▁kingdom s ▁and ▁al li ances ▁between ▁s ult ans ▁and ▁zam or ins ▁to ▁exp el ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁made ▁it ▁necessary ▁for ▁the ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁so ver eign ▁state . ▁Portugal ▁thus ▁militar ily ▁occupied ▁some ▁key ▁cities ▁on ▁the ▁Indian ▁coast , ▁and ▁Go a ▁became ▁the ▁headquarters ▁of ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁Empire ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁as ▁of ▁ 1 5 1 2 . ▁Go a ▁became ▁a ▁starting ▁point ▁for ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁European ▁cultural ▁and ▁religious ▁values ▁in ▁India , ▁and ▁churches , ▁schools ▁and ▁hosp it als ▁were ▁built . ▁Go a ▁remained ▁an ▁over se as ▁possession ▁of ▁Portugal ▁until ▁India ▁rec laimed ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁Portuguese ▁arrived ▁in ▁Japan ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 3 . ▁Japan ▁had ▁been ▁known ▁in ▁Portugal ▁since ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Marco ▁Pol o , ▁who ▁called ▁it ▁" C ip ango ". ▁Whether ▁Portuguese ▁national s ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁Europe ans ▁to ▁arrive ▁in ▁Japan ▁is ▁deb atable . ▁Some ▁say ▁the ▁first ▁Portuguese ▁arrival ▁was ▁the ▁writer ▁Fern ão ▁M endes ▁P into , ▁and ▁others ▁say ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁navig ators ▁Ant ón io ▁Pe ix oto , ▁Ant ón io ▁da ▁M ota ▁and ▁Francisco ▁Ze im oto . ▁ ▁Portuguese ▁trad ers ▁started ▁negoti ating ▁with ▁Japan ▁earlier ▁than ▁ 1 5 5 0 ▁and ▁established ▁a ▁base ▁there ▁at ▁Nag