Tenshō embassy to Europe

Timeline

1. 1582–1584Sea route from Nagasaki to Lisbon · Atlantic OceanThe four boys were Itō Manshō, Chichibū Michael, Nakahara Julian and Hara Martin, accompanied by translator Diogo de Mesquita and others. They reached Macau in March, then Goa. Valignano had intended to go to Europe himself to present the policy of the Japanese mission, but was ordered at Goa to remain, entrusting the embassy to Nuno Rodrigues. The envoys landed in Lisbon on 11 August 1584, more than two years after departure.
2. 1584–1585Rome · RomeThe envoys passed through Toledo and Madrid to audience Philip II, king of both Portugal and Spain, visited El Escorial and other sites, then entered Italy. They arrived in Rome on 22 March 1585, were received by Jesuit superior general Acquaviva, and had audience with Gregory XIII; Itō Manshō received honors such as the Golden Spur knighthood. The pope soon died, and the envoys also saw Sixtus V, touring Tuscany, Venice and elsewhere, becoming living letters displaying 'Eastern Christians' at European courts.
3. 1586–1590Nagasaki · NagasakiThe envoys departed Lisbon eastward in April 1586, the whole journey exceeding eight years. When they returned to Nagasaki on 21 July 1590, the Oda regime had fallen and Toyotomi Hideyoshi had issued the 1587 edict expelling Christian missionaries, greatly changing the religious environment. Valignano subsequently re-entered Japan as envoy of the viceroy of India and compiled the De Missione (1590) from the envoys' accounts. This entry does not cover the opening of Macau.