Japanese pirates experienced their “golden age” during the time period of the13th-16th Century. They were called “Wokou,” a term which means “ungoverned dwarf pirates,” but became generally synonymous with people of the pirating nature in the eastern region. Much later, people came to refer to them as “Samurai Pirates,” perhaps as a reference to their preference for swords as weaponry. Their operations were made possible in large part due to a weak Japanese government, made so because of a lack of centralization. Control was too loose, and pirates took advantage of the lack of repercussion for their illegal practices. 

​

So what made someone “Wokou?” These pirates were not just Japanese. Although majority of them were of Japanese descent, these pirates brought in people of both Chinese and Korean descent, as well. Their bases extended along the eastern Chinese coast, even including Taiwan. It has been documented that there were also bases in the Setouchi and Tsushima Islands. Using horses, the Wokou were able to push their operations inland. This meant more land to pillage. Some were merchants gone rogue, some became pirates because they had little choice, some sought protection. Feudal lords also endorsed many pirates, discreetly, of course. Regardless, these were definitely people in search of profit. Under strict Chinese government regulation, looting, smuggling, and raiding proved more lucrative than the limited trade capacity attributed to East Asia at the time. Maritime prohibition led to increase in piracy that continued until the Japanese government could centralize enough to form a proper navy to combat the raiders.

​

Despite their more violent tendencies, Wokou also practiced proper diplomacy in the form of limited legal trade. Japanese pirates traded with European merchants who travelled to or were stationed that far East. They also used such merchants as middlemen for their covert operations, mainly when it came to smuggling valuables. Trade with Chinese groups was done legally and illegally, depending on the state of the Chinese dynastic mandates. At times, trade with Japan was outlawed. Even though some trade was harmoniously free of rampage, these pirates are famous for exerting violent influence across the East Asian seas, living up to the pirate name. These pirates reflect what today’s media would portray in reference to the word “pirate.”