Japan voyage

The Japan voyage was a Portuguese trade route established in 1550 and operating until 1639, linking Goa to Japan under a crown monopoly. A captain general, appointed by the governor of Portuguese India as a reward for services, commanded each annual trip. The large ships used were called nau do trato, silver ships, China's ships, and kurofune by the Japanese. The route initially departed from Malacca, and after an agreement in 1554 with Canton authorities, the Portuguese legalized trade in China. From 1557 they established Macau, which became part of a triangular trade ending in Japan. In 1570, after an agreement with a local daimyō, they founded Nagasaki.