Paper short abstract:

In December 1790, a group of Dutch interpreters was sentenced to house confinement in Nagasaki as the result of the mistranslation of an official decree regarding the reduction of camphor export to the Dutch traders. The paper intends to discuss the suspected political agenda behind the incident.

Paper long abstract:

In December 1790, a small group of Dutch interpreters was sentenced to house confinement in Nagasaki as the result of the mistranslation of an official decree regarding the reduction of camphor export to the Dutch traders. The following year in March, three of the most prominent amongst this group, namely Yoshio Kōgyū, Narabayashi Jūbei, and Nishi Kichibei were placed under house arrest for five years per direct order of Rōjū Matsudaira Sadanobu. This incident is generally referred to as the “Translation incident” or Goyakujiken (誤訳事件). In this paper, we will have a look at the socio-economic background of late 18th century Japan, the suspected political agenda behind the incident, and how it may have indicated a temporary crackdown from the Edo Bakufu on Nagasaki as a center of intelligence gathering, as well as toning down on some of the liberties Nagasaki interpreters had enjoyed under previous Rōjū Tanuma Okitsugu.