JAPANESE GOVERNMENT’S ESTABLISHMENT OF EUROPEAN FACTORIES DURING THE 16TH CENTURY AND 17TH CENTURY AND THE LESSONS FOR VIETNAM IN THE RENOVATION PERIOD

Abstract

Following the geographic discoveries in the 15th and 16th centuries, the European countries enhanced the process of penetrating the Eastern countries via trading and missionaries. Portugal, Britain, and the Netherlands all wished to establish factories in Japan - a highly potential market in Eastern Asia. However, Japanese government had different responses towards the establishment and development of these European factories. At first, they had quite positive and tolerant attitude towards the European people and even granted them some special rights, including the right to establish factories. Via those factories, the Japanese were able to learn numerous European advances, especially those on war weapons. Later, to protect national security, the Japanese government implemented several strict policies on the European factories. Therefore, by using the historical method and logical method, this article focuses on analyzing the Japanese government’s policies on the establishment and development of the European factories during the 16th and 17th centuries. The success of Japan in this economic integration has given Vietnam precious lessons during the current renovation period.