Footprints of Juan Naito, Christian feudal lord
　　　　　　　　　during the Warring States period (No.2)

Juan served Ashikaga Akiyoshi at Nijo Castle. Later Akiyoshi was banished by Oda Nobunaga, and when Akiyoshi came back to Izumi-Sakai, Juan entrusted Yagi Castle to other people and served him. Yagi Castle later fell to Akechi Mitsuhide. After the Honnoji Incident, Hideyoshi unified Japan and decided to take his army to Korea. Hideyoshi asked Akiyoshi to enter Nagoya Castle in Saga and though Juan tried to prevent him, Akiyoshi refused to listen. Because of this, Juan broke with Akiyoshi.
After this Juan visited the Christian feudal lord Konishi Yukinaga and entered Udo Castle in Kumamoto. Yukinaga had tried to prevent Hideyoshi from sending out troops, on the grounds that there were trading links with Ming China, but Hideyoshi ignored him and both Yukinaga and Juan joined the invading army.

At that time, Korea was politically unstable and the various regions were not organized in a way which could enable them to cooperate.  The Japanese army therefore advanced to Seoul and from there to
P’yongyang, while Kato Kiyomasa’s troops reached Manchuria.

However, since the front had expanded so suddenly, supplies did not arrive in time and  P’yongyang was retaken by a large force from Ming China.  The Japanese soldiers died of hunger and cold

In this disadvantageous situation, Ming made overtures of peace to Yukinaga.  The terms on the Ming side were to blockade Hideyoshi in Japan. On the other side, Hideyoshi believed in the superiority of the Japanese army and set unacceptable terms. No one wanted to be an envoy because everyone thought negotiations would be broken off on the spot.  Yukinaga therefore asked Juan to undertake the mission.

  　　　　 　　 　　　　　　　　　(Esther Atsuji is responsible for the wording of this article.)

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References:
　｢いま甦るジョアン内藤」　広瀬幸雄氏著
　「内藤如安に関する年表」各務英明氏著

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