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Entrepôt trade in the Ryukyu three-kingdoms period of the 1390s

Type Event Region East Asia Time 1391–1400

In the 1390s the Ryukyu Islands were still divided among Hokuzan, Chuzan, and Nanzan, whose ships traded entrepôt goods along East Asian sea lanes, l…

Timeline

  1. 1391–1395Okinawa main island · Ryukyu IslandsHokuzan, Chuzan, and Nanzan, in their divided state, each dispatched merchant ships, using Ryukyu as a transshipment point linking Ming ports in Fujian with Kyushu in Japan, engaging in arbitrage trade in spices, silk, and swords.
  2. 1395–1400Naha–Fuzhou–Hakata route · Ryukyu IslandsIn the late 1390s Ryukyu merchant ships more frequently entered and left Ming maritime customs ports and Japanese ports such as Hakata and Sakai, accumulating wealth and seafaring experience that later spurred the flourishing tribute trade under the unified regime.

Sources