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Ayutthaya was the capital of the
Kingdom of Thailand for 417 years from B.E. 1893 (A.D. 1350)
to B.E. 2310 (A.D. 1767).
During this period, in the second half of the 16th Century,
foreigners began to come to the Kingdom and gradually increased
in number. These foreigners were traders, missionaries, and
some were engaged as volunteer guards of the King. During this
same era, Japan was under the feudal system. However, with a
succession of conquerors Lord Oda, Lord Toyotomi, and finally
the Tokugawa Shogun, the feudalism was dissolved and the country
was governed as a whole. Progress continued with the coming
of the Portuguese to Tanegashima Island in 1543;
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| the first European to visit Japan. Japanese
trade abroad was also boosted when the Japanese Authorities
granted official permission to travel, for trading purposes,
by issuing the “Shuin” (Red Seal). Along with the official
ships bearing the seal, unauthorized ships also sailed
to South East Asia with many Japanese. Among the travelers
were those who came to Ayutthaya, the former capital of
Thailand. The King granted permission to the Japanese,
as well as other nationalities, to settle. At that time
there were from 800 to 3,000 Japanese reported to be living
in Ayutthaya of a total 8,000 in the Japanese settlement
including Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese dependants and
employees. This Japanese settlement was governed by the
following leaders during different period. Ook Phra Sumihiro
(1600-1610) Kyuemon Shiroi (1610-1617) Nagamasa Yamada,
namely, Ookya Senapimuk (1617-1630). |
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After the death of King Songdham in 1628, Yamada remained
faithful to the royal sons. However, he had to leave
the capital for Nakorn Srithamaraj and after suppressing
a revolt, Yamada became Governor of the province and
died there later.
In 1935, the Thai-Japanese Association was established
in Bangkok. From old documents of the Dutch East India
Company, the Association was able to locate the site
of the old Japanese settlement of the Ayutthaya period
and acquired 7.5 rai (12,000m2) of this land to maintain
and develop as a memorial site of the old Japanese settlement.
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