In 1609, two VOC ships arrived in Japan, namely, the Griffioen and the Rode Leeuw met pijlen. They brought a letter from Price Maurits (1567-1625) in reply to an earlier invitation from the Japanese government. Accompanied by Melchior van Santvoort, one of the men who survived the wreckage of De Liefde and led by Jacques Groenewegen, the Dutch representatives took the letter to the Shogun, Japan’s military ruler. They then received a trade pass, giving them official authorization to come to Japan to do business.
1609<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1609-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
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