William Adams

William Adams (September 24, 1564–May 16, 1620), also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama (???, "Mr Pilot") and Miura Anjin (????, "the pilot of Miura"), was an English navigator who went to Japan, and is believed to be the first Briton ever to reach Japan.

Establishment of an English trading factory

In 1611 news came to him of an English settlement in Bantam, Indonesia, and he sent them a letter, asking them to give news of him to his familly and friends in England, and enticing them to engage in trade with Japan, in which "the Hollanders have here an Indies of money" (Adams's letter to Bantam).

Related Topics:
1611 - Bantam - Indonesia

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In 1613 Captain John Saris arrived at Hirado in the ship Clove with the object of establishing a trading factory for the British East India Company (Hirado was already a trading post for the Dutch East India Company (the VOC)).

Related Topics:
1613 - John Saris - Hirado - British East India Company - Dutch East India Company

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Adams met with Saris's ire over his praise of Japan and adoption of Japanese customs:

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He persists in giving "admirable and affectionated commendations of Japan. It is generally thought amongst us that he is a naturalized Japaner." (John Saris)

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In Hirado, Adams refused to stay in English quarters, and instead resided with a local Japanese magistrate. It was also commented that he was wearing Japanese dress and spoke Japanese fluently. Adams estimated the cargo of the Clove was of little value, essentially broadcloth, tin and cloves (acquired in the Spice Islands), saying that "such things as he had brought were not very vendible".

Related Topics:
Broadcloth - Tin - Clove - Spice Islands

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Adams travelled with Saris to Shizuoka, where they met with Ieyasu at his principal residence in September, and then continued to Kamakura, where they visited the famous Buddha (the 1252 Daibutsu, on which the sailors etched their names), and then to Edo, where they met Ieyasu's son Hidetada (who gave Saris two varnished suits of armor for King James I, today housed in the Tower of London).

Related Topics:
Shizuoka - Kamakura - Buddha - 1252 - Hidetada - King James I - Tower of London

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On their way back, they visited again Ieyasu, who confered trading priviliges to the British, giving them "free license to abide, buy, sell and barter" in Japan. They headed back to Hirado on October 9, 1613.

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On this occasion, Adams asked for, and obtained, Ieyasu's authorization to return to his home country. He ultimately declined Saris's offer to bring him back to England however: "I answered him I had spent in this country many years, through which I was was poor... desirous to get something before my return". His true reasons seem to lie rather with his profound antipathy for Saris: "The reason I would not go with him was for diverse injuries done against me, the which were things to me very strange and unlooked for." (William Adams letters)

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He accepted an employement with the newly founded Hirado trading factory, signing a contract on November 24, 1613, by which he became an employee of the East India Company, for the yearly salary of 100 English Pounds, more than double the regular salary of 40 Pounds earned by the other factors at Hirado. Adams was to take a leading part, under Richard Cocks, and together with six other compatriots, in the organization of this new English settlement.

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Adams had actually recommended against the choice of Hirado, which was small and very far away from major markets in Osaka and Edo, and instead had recommend to Saris, in vain, that they should select Uraga, near Edo.

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During the ten year activity of the company between 1613 and 1623, apart from the first ship, the Clove in 1613, only three other English ships brought cargoes directly from London to Japan, invariably described as poor value on the Japanese market. The only trade which helped support the factory was that organized between Japan and South-East Asia and mainly undertaken by William Adams, selling Chinese goods for Japanese silver:

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Were it not for hope of trade into China, or procuring some benefit from Siam, Pattania and Cochin China, it were no staying in Japon, yet it is certen here is silver enough & may be carried out at pleasure, but then we must bring them commodities to ther liking. (Richard Cocks Diary, 1617)

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