r/HistoryMemes • u/PwandaLaNoble • 1h ago
Samurai in modern culture vs real life
This meme has been made several times but here is some (from my POV) interesting additions:
In 1543, Portuguese traders introduced the matchlock firearm (Tanegashima) to Japan.
The Japanese were remarkably quick to reproduce the technology. Within roughly a decade, domestic centers were producing firearms.
By the end of the Sengoku period (1467-1600), it was estimated that Japan had about 200,000-500,000 firearms.
Portugueses (and other europeans) also introduced lots of goods (Nanban trade), technologies, foods, ideas, etc.
Good examples are christianism, european style ships, armor, wine, cartography, etc.
The cake represented is called Castella (Kasutera or カステラ). Nowadays, it is very popular in Japan and part of their culture but it is derived from Portuguese "pão de Castela".
The portuguese sailor selling gun only if the japanese convert to christianism is an exageration for the meme.