In 1643, when a group of Dutch sailors came ashore to replenish their supply of water, they were arrested and taken to Edo for interrogation. A month earlier, the Japanese had picked up four Jesuits trying to enter Japan. This had been prohibited since 1640 when Japan had closed its borders to the Portuguese. The Japanese decided to confront the two groups with each other. They suspected a plot. It did not take long before it became clear that the Dutch and the Portuguese groups had nothing to do with each other. Once the matter was clarified, the Dutch were treated well and eventually released. On the other hand, the Jesuits were tortured until they renounced their faith.
This digital media file - and/or the physical objects depicted on it - originates from the digital and/or physical collections of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.kb.nl/">Koninklijke Bibliotheek</a>, national library of the Netherlands.