《明史·列传·卷二百一十》
此前，永乐初年，朝廷曾诏令日本每十年献贡一次，每次献贡人数不能超过二百，船不能超过二艘，不能携带兵器，违反者以贼寇论处。
先是，永乐初，诏日本十年一贡，人止二百，船止二艘，不得携军器，违者以寇论。
Earlier, at the beginning of the Yongle era, the court had issued an imperial edict demanding that Japan send tribute once every ten years. Each tribute mission could not comprise more than two hundred people, two ships, and no weapons were to be carried. Any offenders would be treated like bandits.