The Establishment of Japanese-Spanish Diplomatic Relations with Focus on the Mission of Hasekura Tsunenaga

This bachelor thesis deals with the establishment of Japanese-Spanish diplomatic relations and their development in the second half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. The main part is dedicated to the so-called Keicho Embassy, which has been sent between the years 1613 - 1620 from Japan to the European courts in order to discuss the trade agreements, to meet with Pope Paul V and to spread the Christian faith in northern Japan. This mission has been led by the Japanese ambassador Hasekura Tsunenaga, who was accompanied among others by Franciscan friar Luis Sotelo. This work also briefly depicts the arrival of the first European traders or the rivalry between Christian religious orders in Japan. The aim of the thesis is to analyze these Japanese-Spanish relations