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.

The first foreign samurai

The Shogun took a liking to Adams, and made him a revered diplomatic and trade adviser and bestowing great privileges upon him. Ultimately, Adams became his personal advisor on things Western, and after a few years replaced the Jesuit Padre João Rodrigues as his official interpreter. Padre Valentim Carvalho wrote: "After he had learned the language, he had access to Ieyasu and entered the palace at any time"; he also described him as "a great engineer and mathematician".

Related Topics:
João Rodrigues - Valentim Carvalho

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Adams had a wife and children in England, but Ieyasu had forbidden the Englishman to leave Japan. He was presented with two swords representing the authority of a Samurai. The Shogun decreed that William Adams the pilot was dead and that Miura Anjin (????), a samurai, was born. This made Will's wife in England, in effect, a widow (although Adams managed to send regular support payments to her after 1613 via the English and Dutch companies), and "freed" Adams to serve him on a permanent basis. Adams also received the title of hatamoto (bannerman), a high-prestige position as a direct retainer in the Shogun's court.

Related Topics:
Samurai - Hatamoto

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He was provided with generous revenues: "For the services that I have done and do daily, being employed in the Emperor's service, the emperor has given me a living" (Letters). He was granted a fief, in Hemi (Jp: ??) within the boundaries of present-day Yokosuka City, "with eighty or ninety husbandmen, that be my slaves or servants" (Letters). His estate was valued at 250 koku (measure of the income of the land in rice, about five bushels). He finally wrote "God hath provided for me after my great misery" (Letters).

Related Topics:
Yokosuka City - Koku - Bushel

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Adams's estate was located next to the harbour of Uraga, the traditional point of entrance to Edo Bay, where he is recorded to have been dealing with the cargoes of foreign ships. Saris related that when he visited Edo in 1613, Adams was in possession of the reselling rights for the cargo of a Spanish ship at anchor in Uraga Bay.

Related Topics:
Uraga - Edo Bay

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Adams's position gave him the means to marry Oyuki, the daughter of Magome Kageyu, a noble samurai and official of Edo Castle, which stood in present day Tokyo. Anjin and Oyuki had a son called Joseph, and a daughter, Susanna. The Anjin, however, found it hard to rest his feet and was constantly on the road. Initially, it was in the vain attempt to organize an expedition in search of the Arctic passage that had eluded him previously.

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Adams had a high regard for Japan, its people, and its civilization:

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The people of this Land of Japan are good of nature, curteous above measure, and valiant in war: their justice is severely excecuted without any partiality upon transgressors of the law. They are governed in great civility. I mean, not a land better governed in the world by civil policy. The people be very superstitious in their religion, and are of divers opinions. (William Adam's letter to Bantam, 1612)

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