Tobacco and Its Use in Asia is a 1924 booklet written by Berthold Laufer and published by the Field Museum of Natural History. It’s part of a series of booklets on the origins and spread of tobacco across the world that the Field Museum published mostly in 1924, but completed in 1930.
Laufer writes, “The earliest datable reference to the use of tobacco in the Far East occurs in an entry under August 7th, 1615, in the diary of Captain Richard Cocks, who was chief of the English Factor of Hirado in Japan from 1613 to 1621.”1 In that diary entry, Cocks wrote that tobacco was ordered to be burned throughout Japan by the Emperor. He also writes that the Japanese people were “besotted in drinking that herb; and, not ten years since it was in use first.”1 This indicates that tobacco was introduced into Japan somewhere around 1605. It was brought to Japan by Portuguese traders right around that time period.
According to Laufer’s research, tobacco seeds came to China from the island of Luzon in the Philippines. An early record of it, written by Chang Kiai-pin puts the introduction “during the period Wan-li (1573-1620) of our Ming dynasty.”2 The spread of the plant in China was pushed along by physicians in the beginning, similar to how it spread in Europe. It met some stiff opposition, though: “An imperial edict issued in 1638 prohibited the use of tobacco and threatened decapitation to those who would clandestinely hawk it.”2 The ban didn’t last long.
Tobacco came to Java in 1601, introduced by either the Portuguese or the Dutch.3
The Portuguese also introduced tobacco into Indian around 1605.3
Tobacco made its way to Persia (Iran) during a war against the Ottoman Empire. It was first recorded there in 1626, though by 1636 it had spread throughout the country.4
Laufer fills in the history with interesting anecdotes in medicine and philosophy from the 1600s. It’s worth the time to read this short booklet.
Tobacco and Its Use in Asia can be read for free at the Biodiversity Heritage Library.