BFor Japan the period 1570-1630 was a unique moment when the country was unified- Japanese vessels were still forbidden to trade directly with China, so the exchange of Japanese silver for Chinese silk and other goods had to take place in Southeast Asian ports, notably Manila and Hoi An
Throughout the period 1604-35 about ten Japanese vessels a year were licensed to trade with the south, the largest numbers going to Vietnam, the Philippines and Siam .
In 1635 this activity stopped abruptly when the shogun Iemitsu prohibited Japanese from travelling abroad.