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Keshavarz S B. (2022). Trade Ports of Japan & Iran in Qajar / Meiji Era. Parseh J. Archaeol. Stud.. 6(19), : 9 doi:10.30699/PJAS.6.19.195
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-692-en.html

Abstract
Since the formation of the Silk Road, the route has been the main route between East and West Asia. With the beginning of the age of colonialism, the process of globalization began and so direction-function of communication evolved greatly, which reached its peak in the nineteenth century and the close relationship of Iran-Japan became possible. the question of the present article is which areas or ports of Japan and Iran in the nineteenth century were used foreign trade, did the designated areas had a history and what factors affected trade. answer is that the products of the Sassanid and Safavid types reflect the political position of Japan and the trade role of other nations rather than a demonstration of the Iran-Japan relationship but in 19th century because of Imperialist pressure and needs of global trade this drastically changed .A historic review of this relationship reveals areas in Japan that were the main centers of state trade, such as the ports of Osaka and Kobe to Kyoto and Nara plains, the port of Nagasaki, and the ports of Kanagawa Bay specially Yokohama, which all of them played a similar & synchronized role in the 19th century to make trade possible from the ports of Bushehr, Lenge and Abbasi in Iran and even because of Opium trade it expanded to Taipei too. So before nineteenth century the trade in question was always influenced by the culture of closeness in Japan, but in the new era due to the pressure of imperialism and the trend of modernism gates were opened and strategic goods such as Opium exported from Iran to Imperial Japan. In order to achieve the above, artifacts and written sources along with the analysis of geographical data by using a socio-historical approach have been used.
Keywords: Japan, Iran, Globalization, Qajar Era, Meiji Era.

Introduction
Since earliest times humans had trade relations to each other and so created trade routes which by developing and increasing of social complexity these routes became longer and connect more and larger societies, one of ancient and maybe first truly international routes known as Silk Road and so colonial powers (such as at first Dutch & USA) same naval routes. In result western countries connected Iran to Japan & those two as a process of modernization opened their doors to globe and started their embassies. our question is which areas/ports of Japan and Iran in the nineteenth century were used for trade with each other, did the designated areas had a history and what factors affected trade relations. Hypothesis is the same marine areas of Japan, Omura, Osaka & Kanagawa bays along different eras, Same with Bandar Abbas and Bushehr in Iran. Answering to this non-studied socio-historical title matter is very important. plus at least in Iran, because of social situation study of Qajar period always been hard and easily can effected by non-academic believes.

Main
Japan is an archipelago at the east end of Asia which as Nihongi say, made of eight main islands. Such geographic setting makes a special cultural which before anything is barred from outside and there is a self-aware hierarchy which despite shatter nature of geography, make centralize system possible. because of this cultural, Japan closed its borders to foreign relation many times such as in Heian, Kamakura and Edo periods. so despite creation of Silk Road in 119B.C Japan did not benefit it until Jingu invasion of Korea in 3th century, exactly when Sassanid artifacts alongside Korean ones found northern Kyushu & central Honshu. which most of them made in Korea not Iran. The only sources in advent of Islam are Geographer’s mention of Japan as Vaq. In early Colonial era everything changed when Portuguese and Dutch traders came to Safavid Iran and Japan at war. We do know Safavid cloth, salt, rug and even maybe marble exported to Japan by all of it foreign traders to Nagasaki and Osaka ports. By beginning of Sakoku or closed door policy of Edo period almost everything came back to first step. In 19C because of economic pressure of modernization Iran began it global trade, at first by silk and then Opium which make Iran close to eastern Asia and particularly Qing China. At the same time, Japan ended Sakoku and enters Meiji era so by the will of Nasereddin shah two countries began their relation which strengthen by Japanese conquest of Taiwan, where most of Iranian opium exported from ports of southern Iran like Bushehr and it follows by oil and Japanese exports from main ports like Yokohama and Osaka which were used during history because of their fine geography that make grow and trade easier.

Conclusion
With establishment of the Silk Road a great opportunity created for meeting of both civilizations of Japan & Iran but China & specially Korea had their monopoly in trade & relation. So least of acknowledgment and indirect relation was possible for Japan and Iran. In fact, the artifacts are more show of Japanese power & prestige than it economics. Another reason was closeness in Japanese cultural. In early colonial era were another lords of monopoly in foreign trade at least for Japan. Despite these trade happened in the same route and trade areas through history until 19C which because of Imperialist pressures new order began and so both countries began their globalization process and so for the first time direct political, cultural and economic relations were possible. The area of Omura bay and mainly Nagasaki alongside of northern parts of Kyushu to the Shimonoseki since early centuries of AD was main place for trade, the reason other than great gulfs is it nearness to main body of Asia. eastern Osaka area (or Osaka and Kobe) is a great place for establishment of a megapolis trade port and always was in use because of its route to Kyoto and other ancient capitals. We can see the same situation for Bushehr which is very close to Shiraz and other places of power to Tehran. But Kanagawa and Hormozgan areas have way better situation for making cities and ports specially their situation is more attractive for foreign traders. Because of that by modernization those ports roused immensely. Another port which grow because of 19C modernization is Taipei which used for importation of Iranian goods and have physical geography as good as Nagasaki.