Sengoku Period Colonization of the Americas

I suppose possibly the best enterprise from a Spanish perspective would be the Jesuits. Say a nobleman who is a member or more likely a member whose family is in a position of power arranges for land settled in lower California. After all, they need to be removed from all heathen influences so Manila (which had a large Chinese immigrant population) is out of the question.

The scheme is to bring over Japanese converts and artisians, on one part so they can truly teach them about the ways of Christ and also develop the land/help with the natives in the region and 2 gain any economic benefits from their skills. Possibly an overarching doomed-to-fail part of the scheme which makes it easier to convince government support being training the converts to be an Army of Christ which will return and take Japan for the Spanish.

Eventually the plan runs out of steam but with several settlements of Japanese converts in lower California having developed. Dependent on the Spanish for support. Eventually they become more and more self-sufficient and manage to make contact with relatives at home/still receiving support from the Jesuits.
 
. . . A shipload of Japanese Zen Buddhists paying an unwelcome visit to Mexico, or Peru for the matter, . . .
Maybe a larger strain of evangelical Buddhism develops. Which might sound like a contradiction in terms, but perhaps not. (Bertrand Russell, once in passing, included Buddhism in a short list of missionary religions)

And crossing the huge expanse of the Pacific is part of the show of dedication and/or skirt the Aleutians.
 
The POD is after Japan's unification.

Which unifcation? The one under Hideyoshi which could have a more favorable atmoshphere to colonization or the Tokugawa where colonization is all but imposible?

Maybe a larger strain of evangelical Buddhism develops. Which might sound like a contradiction in terms, but perhaps not. (Bertrand Russell, once in passing, included Buddhism in a short list of missionary religions)

And crossing the huge expanse of the Pacific is part of the show of dedication and/or skirt the Aleutians.

Jodo Shinshu or New Pure Land was a very popular and very accessible branch of Buddhism, the only problem is the POD, if we go with either post-unification POD, the Jodo Shinshu have ruthlessly crushed by Nobunaga either way.
 
In 1636: Seas of Fortune the Tokugawas deliberately open them up for reasons given at the start of the plot. There are two important points here. 1) Undesirables are used as colonists. 2) The Shogun had the situation set up that he grab any rewards whilst leaving the daimyos to pick up the bill.

Hmm. Interesting. So, Japanese Catholics? :p

The POD is after Japan's unification.

Yep, Japanese Catholics.

On the other hand...

Jodo Shinshu or New Pure Land was a very popular and very accessible branch of Buddhism, the only problem is the POD, if we go with either post-unification POD, the Jodo Shinshu have ruthlessly crushed by Nobunaga either way.

This might be out of the scope of the proposed PoD, but is there any way the Ikko-ikki can moderate and develop into something like the Old Swiss Confederacy?
 
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