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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Oda Nobutada
Oda Nobutada (1557 – June 21, 1582) was a samurai and the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, known for his active role in several battles during Japan's Sengoku period. He led armies under his father's command in campaigns against Matsunaga Hisahide and the Takeda clan.
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Imagawa Ujizane
Imagawa Ujizane (1538 – January 27, 1615) was a Japanese daimyō who lived through the Sengoku and early Edo periods. He became the tenth head of the Imagawa clan, following in the footsteps of his father, Imagawa Yoshimoto. Ujizane was the father of Imagawa Norimochi and Shinagawa Takahisa.
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Hojo Ujiyasu
Hojo Ujiyasu (1515 – October 21, 1571), the third head of the Odawara Hojo clan, was a formidable daimyo known as the "Lion of Sagami." Revered as a fearsome samurai and brilliant strategist, he became famous for successfully breaking sieges by renowned warlords Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin. Ujiyasu was the son of Hojo Ujitsuna, and his only known wife was Zuikei-in, sister of Imagawa Yoshimoto. Among his children were Hojo Ujimasa and Uesugi Kagetora.
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Hojo Ujimasa
Hojo Ujimasa (1538 – August 10, 1590) was the fourth leader of the later Hojo clan and the daimyo of Odawara. He continued his father Hojo Ujiyasu's policy of territorial expansion, achieving the largest territorial holdings in the clan's history.
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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.
