LOUREIRO Jose da Silva consul general de Portugal, a Nagasaki (Japon).
Jose Loureiro was in Nagasaki by the autumn of 1858, leaving the city for Shanghai on 3
November of that year. On 12 June of the following year, he sailed from Shanghai to
London. By at least 22 June 1861, Loureiro was back in Nagasaki, where he served as
Portuguese Consul. Until late 1862, he also handled consular affairs for the French in the
city. He also seems to have had close contacts with British government officials in
Nagasaki, since he rented the lots that eventually housed the British consulate. In addition
to his consular duties, Loureiro also had business interests centered on the tea trade.
Loureiro's consular duties were conducted at his home at Nos. 8 and 10 Higashiyamate,
while the tea trade took place at Nos. 17, 29, 33 and 45 Oura. Loureiro remained in
Nagasaki until 1870. In July that year, his house and furniture were sold at auction, and on
1 October, he and his family left Nagasaki. He later became Portuguese Embassador to
Japan and resided in Tokyo in that capacity in June 1888. After the Portuguese Embassy
closed in 1892, Loureiro passed through Nagasaki on his way back to Hong Kong. He died of
pneumonia in Hong Kong in August 1893 at the age of fifty-eight.