1607: The Completion of Kumamoto Castle and the First Korean Embassy
Kumamoto Castle, into which Katō Kiyomasa had poured immense effort, was completed this year. Around the same time, mediation by the Sō clan of Tsushima bore fruit as negotiations to restore diplomatic relations between Japan and Korea succeeded, and the first Korean embassy since the Bunroku-Keichō invasions arrived in Japan, marking a step toward normalized relations between the two countries.
Events this year
5/23
A major reconstruction of Sunpu Castle began with daimyo mobilized from across Japan to create the base of Tokugawa Ieyasu's retired-shogun government.
Sources 静岡市「駿府城跡・駿府城跡天守台発掘調査」
Kumamoto Castle, built by Katō Kiyomasa, was completed as the center of his rule in Higo together with improvements to the castle town and Shirakawa River.
Sources 【公式】熊本城「歴史」
Korean envoys visited Japan and exchanged state letters with the Tokugawa government in Edo as relations severed by the invasions of Korea were restored.
Sources 九州国立博物館「対馬と宗家 － 対馬宗家文書」
At Ieyasu's command, Kyoto merchant Sumizuoka Ryōi undertook dredging and engineering work on the Fuji River, opening a waterway linking the Kōshin region with Suruga and Edo. This secured transportation routes for tax rice, salt, and other goods.
Sources 富士市「富士川を行き交う～渡船と舟運」