After the age of discovery which began in the 15th century, in the 16th century the West started sending missionaries around the world to evangelize. Portuguese missionaries came also to Japan. One of their leaders, Francis XAVIER wrote about his impressions of Japan in a letter as followis: The people of this country are smarter than the people of any other country I have ever known. They are friendly, good-hearted, and without malice… TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi, who managed to unify Japan, was in favor of allowing the missionaries to preach, but later issued an order to expel them in 1587, because he was afraid of Christian rebellions. The next leader, TOKUGAWA Ieyasu, who ushered in the shogunate in Edo (present-day Tokyo), was in favor of foreign trade. As a result, the numbers of Christians increased. The Tokugawa shogunate issued an order banning Christianity in 1612. This was because if the citizens and their daimyo (lords) regarded God as being a higher authority than the shogunate, then the shogun’s power would diminish. Along with this the shogunate installed a system that required people to prove they were a Buddhist. All daimyo, citizens and peasants were obliged to worship at a particular temple. In addition, those suspected of being a Christian were subjected to a test of faith which involved stepping on a picture or sculpture of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. However, the “Shimabara Rebellion” occurred in present-day Nagasaki in 1637. This was a Christian rebellion led by AMAKUSA Shiro, a young man, who was legendary for his good looks, and lasted for one year. In 1639 the shogunate adopted a closed-door policy. Buddhism and Shintoism were deeply rooted in Japan. This is why a monotheistic faith that rejected these religions was unacceptable. The main target of the closed-door policy was the then strong Catholic nations of Spain. However, at the end of the Warring States period, Japan had the technology to manufacture guns and possessed the largest number of guns in the world. Believing that neither would attempt an invasion, the shogunate only permitted trade with the Netherlands, a protestant country that did not pose a threat as an invader, and with China, with whom commercial relations already existed. The reasoning behind this was that the shogunate thought that it would still be possible to gain knowledge of the West through trade with the Netherlands. Furthermore, trade was limited to the island of “Dejima” in Nagasaki, allowing the shogunate to control not only the entry of foreigners, but also giving the shogunate a monopoly on the profits from all foreign trade. The policy of national isolation lasted for more than 200 years. During this peaceful period, a uniquely Japanese culture flourished. With more than one million residents and an advanced infrastructure, Edo was one of the world’s greatest metropolises.