Los textos misioneros para el estudio del Japón premoderno : la Guerra Imjin (1592-1598), un caso paradigmático

Historiography, both Western and Asian, has traditionally catalogued writings by European missionaries, especially the Jesuits, as primarily valid historical resources for studying Christian missions in the Far East. However, given the Jesuits' robust humanistic education, the ethnographic richness of their works, and their direct witnessing of pivotal events in this region, we argue that Jesuit writings also hold immense value for anyone seeking to delve into the intricacies of early modern Japan. This perspective becomes especially significant in the context of the Imjin War (1592-1598), the biggest conflict of the 16th century. The involvement of converted daimyos in this war provided the Ignatian missionaries with firsthand insights into various facets of the Japanese invasions into the Korean peninsula. Therefore, in this study, we will use references to the Imjin War found in Jesuit texts as a paradigmatic example of their historical value, utility, and accuracy.