A National Treasure Born from East-West Diplomacy: The Letter from the Portuguese Viceroy of India

Among Japan's remarkable collection of National Treasures, few objects embody the drama of early global diplomacy as vividly as the Letter from the Portuguese Viceroy of India (ポルトガル国印度副王信書). Written on parchment in 1588 and presented to the powerful warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1591, this extraordinary document stands as one of the rarest European-origin artifacts ever designated as a National Treasure of Japan. Housed at Myōhō-in Temple in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto, it offers visitors a tangible connection to the age when East met West in the most dramatic fashion.

What Is the Letter from the Portuguese Viceroy of India?

This National Treasure is a diplomatic letter written in Portuguese on fine parchment (sheepskin), measuring approximately 60.6 cm in height and 76.4 cm in width. It was composed in 1588 by Duarte de Menezes, the Portuguese Viceroy stationed in Goa on the western coast of India, and addressed to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the de facto ruler of Japan at the time. The letter was entrusted to the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano, who carried it to Japan as part of his role as special envoy of the Viceroy.

Valignano arrived in Japan in 1590, accompanying the four young Japanese delegates of the famous Tenshō Embassy who were returning home after their remarkable eight-year journey through Europe. On March 3, 1591, Valignano was granted a formal audience with Hideyoshi at the Jurakudai Palace in Kyoto, where the letter was presented alongside various gifts including weapons and other precious items.

The Artistic Splendor of the Document

Far more than a simple letter, this parchment is a work of art in its own right. The upper portion and both sides are adorned with exquisite oil miniature paintings. The top section depicts the Seven Hills of Rome, with the Roman war god Mars at the center. On the left is a shield bearing the inscription "SPQR" (Senatus Populusque Romanus, meaning "The Senate and People of Rome"), and on the right is a shield depicting Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome. Decorative braided cords and tassels hang from the lower edge of the document.

The main text begins with an ornamental initial letter "C," inside which the paulownia crest of the Toyotomi clan is painted — a thoughtful touch showing the Portuguese desire to honor the Japanese ruler. The body of the letter is written in elegant Portuguese script, and notably, every instance of the honorific "Vossa Alteza" (Your Highness) and its abbreviation "V.A." is rendered in gold lettering. At the bottom center, the Viceroy's personal signature completes the document.

An intriguing detail is visible in the date: the year was originally written as 1587 but was later changed to 1588, suggesting that Valignano's departure from Goa was delayed, requiring the correction.

The Historical Context: A Letter Between Two Worlds

The content of the letter serves two purposes. The first half praises Hideyoshi's extraordinary achievement in unifying Japan after more than a century of civil war. The second half contains a diplomatic request: an appeal to Hideyoshi to ease his anti-Christian policies, specifically the Bateren Expulsion Edict (伴天連追放令) he had issued in 1587, which ordered Jesuit missionaries to leave Japan.

This historical context adds layers of significance to the document. When the letter was drafted in 1587–1588, the Viceroy in Goa was not yet aware of Hideyoshi's anti-Christian edict. The letter had been prepared in response to a request from the Jesuit Vice-Provincial Gaspar Coelho, who had asked the Viceroy to send an embassy to the Japanese ruler. By the time the letter reached Hideyoshi in 1591, the political situation had changed considerably, making the letter's conciliatory tone all the more poignant.

It is worth noting that during this period, Portugal was under the Spanish Crown as part of the Iberian Union (1580–1640), with King Philip II of Spain also serving as King of Portugal. This broader geopolitical context underscores the complex web of European and Asian power dynamics at play.

Why Was It Designated a National Treasure?

The letter was designated as a National Treasure of Japan on June 22, 1955. Its exceptional status rests on several factors:

• It is one of very few European-origin parchment diplomatic documents preserved in Japan, making it extraordinarily rare among the nation's cultural properties.
• The document provides direct physical evidence of the diplomatic exchanges between Japan and Portugal during the pivotal Azuchi-Momoyama period.
• The artistic quality of the oil miniature paintings, gold lettering, and decorative elements is of outstanding craftsmanship, reflecting the highest standards of European diplomatic art of the era.
• It is an irreplaceable primary source for understanding the relationship between Toyotomi Hideyoshi and the European powers, as well as the history of Christianity in Japan.
• A comparable example of a parchment document from this era in Japan is the Roman Citizenship Certificate given to Hasekura Tsunenaga, which further highlights the rarity of such artifacts.

Myōhō-in Temple: The Guardian of the Letter

Myōhō-in is a prestigious Tendai Buddhist temple in Kyoto's Higashiyama district. Known as one of the "Three Tendai Monzeki" (天台三門跡), along with Shōren-in and Sanzen-in, it is a temple of the highest rank, historically headed by members of the imperial family or high-ranking nobility. The temple also administers the famous Sanjūsangen-dō (Hall of Thirty-Three Bays), one of Kyoto's most popular attractions.

The letter came to Myōhō-in through an interesting chain of events. After Hideyoshi's death in 1598, the document was kept at Toyokuni Shrine, which was built to enshrine Hideyoshi as a deity. When the Tokugawa shogunate ordered the shrine's dissolution, many of its treasures — including this letter — were transferred to Myōhō-in for safekeeping.

The temple itself boasts a National Treasure kitchen building (Kuri) dating from around 1595, believed to have been used to prepare meals for a grand ceremony of one thousand monks organized by Hideyoshi. The Ōshoin (Grand Hall) and entrance hall are designated Important Cultural Properties, adorned with magnificent Kanō school paintings.

Visiting Information and Viewing Opportunities

The original letter is deposited at the Kyoto National Museum, which is located just a short walk from Myōhō-in. The letter is displayed to the public only on rare occasions — typically once every few years during special exhibitions at the Kyoto National Museum. When Myōhō-in holds its occasional special public openings (usually in autumn or during the annual May event called "Gogatsu-e" on May 14), a replica of the letter may be shown in the temple's treasure hall.

While the interior of Myōhō-in is generally closed to the public, visitors can freely enter parts of the temple grounds and approach the main hall (Fugen-dō). To maximize your chances of seeing the original letter, it is recommended to check the Kyoto National Museum's exhibition schedule in advance. The museum regularly updates its schedule of special exhibitions featuring treasures from Kyoto's temples.

Nearby Attractions

Myōhō-in is situated in one of Kyoto's richest cultural zones. Within walking distance, visitors can explore:

• Sanjūsangen-dō (三十三間堂) — The iconic hall containing 1,001 statues of the Thousand-Armed Kannon, administered by Myōhō-in and located just minutes away.
• Kyoto National Museum (京都国立博物館) — One of Japan's foremost art museums, housing an outstanding collection of Japanese art and cultural artifacts, and the repository of the original letter.
• Chishaku-in (智積院) — A major Shingon Buddhist temple known for its stunning paintings by Hasegawa Tōhaku and its beautiful garden.
• Hōkō-ji (方広寺) — The site of Hideyoshi's Great Buddha, with its famous bell bearing the inscription that gave Tokugawa Ieyasu a pretext for attacking the Toyotomi clan.
• Toyokuni Shrine (豊国神社) — The shrine dedicated to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, where this very letter was once housed.