Black Seal Certificate

�@This certificate was conferred upon Matsumae Yoshihiro in the year 1604 from the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. It grants the privilege of monopolizing trade with the Ainu, not only in the area where Japanese immigrants were allowed to settle, but also in the rest of Ezochi restricted to the Japanese. The certificate also confirmed the rights of the Ainu to travel freely and to continue their way of life. The intent of the black seal certificate was almost the same as the vermilion seal certificate given to the Matsumae clan from the shoguns previous to Tokugawa Ieyasu.