William Adams, also known as Miura Anjin, holds the distinction of being one of the few non-Japanese individuals granted samurai status. Born in Gillingham, Kent, England in 1564, Adams embarked on a remarkable journey that led him to become an influential figure in Japanese history.
Following his father's death at the age of 12, Adams apprenticed in a shipyard where he honed his skills in shipbuilding and navigation. He later joined the Royal Navy, serving under Sir Francis Drake during the conflict against the Spanish Armada in 1588.
In a fateful turn of events, Adams found himself aboard the Liefde, a Dutch ship, which, after 19 months at sea, encountered a typhoon that decimated its crew. Only 23 of the original 110 men survived as the battered vessel made its way to the port of Bungo (modern-day Usuki, Oita Prefecture), where authorities seized the ship and imprisoned its crew in Osaka Castle.
On May 12, 1600, Adams was brought before Tokugawa Ieyasu at Osaka Castle. The ship's cargo, including cannons and firearms, piqued Ieyasu's interest, leading him to order its transfer to Uraga for inspection.
Adams's fate took a remarkable turn when Ieyasu became his patron, valuing his intellect, mathematical prowess, and nautical expertise. Despite having a family in England, Adams was forbidden from leaving Japan and became Ieyasu's trusted advisor and official interpreter. In return for his loyalty, Adams was granted samurai status, bestowed with the two swords of the samurai, and provided with an estate in Uraga Harbor, among other privileges.
Under the name Miura Anjin, Adams married the daughter of a samurai official and had two children. He continued to serve the Tokugawa faithfully, conducting trade on behalf of various trading houses while also enjoying the Shogunate's permission to engage in his own trading ventures.
Adams passed away in Hirado, north of Nagasaki, in 1620, leaving behind a legacy that inspired numerous books and even computer games. Today, a monument in Tokyo's Anjin-cho commemorates his remarkable life and contributions to Japan.
See also
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Uesugi Kagetora
Uesugi Kagetora (1552 – April 19, 1579) was the seventh son of Hojo Ujiyasu and was originally known as Hojo Saburo. He was adopted by Uesugi Kenshin and intended to be Kenshin's heir. However, in 1578, he was attacked in his Otate Castle by Uesugi Kagekatsu, his brother-in-law, and was ultimately defeated. Kagetora committed suicide the following year at Samegao Castle.
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Hojo Ujinao
Hojo Ujinao (1562 – December 19, 1591) was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period and the last leader of the Later Hojo clan. An important figure in Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the Siege of Odawara (1590). Despite this, he survived, and his family continued as minor daimyo during the Edo period.
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Takeda Katsuyori
Takeda Katsuyori (1546 – April 3, 1582) was a Japanese daimyo of the Sengoku period, renowned as the head of the Takeda clan and successor to the legendary warlord Takeda Shingen. He was also the son-in-law of Hojo Ujiyasu. Katsuyori was born to Shingen and the daughter of Suwa Yorishige, known posthumously as Suwa-goryonin and by her real name, Koihime. His children included Takeda Nobukatsu and Takeda Katsuchika.
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Yasuke
Yasuke, an African page, arrived in Japan in 1579 as the attendant of the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Before the arrival of the Englishman William Adams, it is thought that Yasuke was possibly the inaugural non-Japanese samurai, arriving about twenty years earlier.
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Yamanami Keisuke
Yamanami Keisuke, the second in command of the Shinsengumi, a special police force during the late Edo period, shocked many when he performed seppuku on March 20, 1865, at the age of 32.
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Yamamoto Kansuke
Yamamoto Kansuke, renowned as a samurai strategist and one of Takeda Shingen's esteemed 24 Generals, hailed from the Mikawa region, known for breeding formidable warriors. Despite physical challenges—blindness in one eye, lameness in one leg, and a malformed hand—Kansuke embarked on a warrior's pilgrimage in his twenties. Traveling across the land, he honed his skills in strategy, tactics, castle construction, and warfare, engaging in various swordsmanship schools and forms.
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Yamaga Soko
Yamaga Soko was a multifaceted figure in Japanese history, renowned as a strategist, philosopher, and scholar. Later in life, he became a ronin, leaving a significant mark on the understanding of the Tokugawa period samurai.
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Wakisaka Yasuharu
Wakisaka Yasuharu held the position of daimyo over Awaji Island before ruling over Ozu in Iyo Province. His significance in the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 cannot be overstated.
