Many epic stories in history usually involve sailors. They are the ones who saw strange lands and met people from all over the globe, while most people never left their village. I'd like to tell some of these stories in the coming weeks. Today: William Adams (1564-1620), first Englishman in Japan and Western Samurai.

Adams was born in Kent and became an apprentice at a shipyard when he was twelve. There he learned valuable skills such as navigating and shipbuilding, which would serve him well later, before entering the Royal Navy. As sailor and pilot he took part in the defeat of the Spanish Armada, worked for the Barbary company and took part in an expedition to find the Northeast passage.

Fascinated by the Dutch trade with 'the East', he joined a Dutch company's expedition to Asia. Adams became the 'pilot major' of the five-ship fleet. The expedition was a disaster and after a 19 month voyage Adams' ship ended up in Japan with a crew of 23 sick men out of the original 100. The other 4 ships ran into all sorts of trouble.

William and some other men went on shore and were immediately imprisoned and questioned. A Portuguese Jesuit priest who acted as translator argued for their execution as pirates. However, Ieyasu, a government representative and future shogun, was impressed by Adams' nautical knowledge and talent and refused this proposal, especially since the sailors had not done any harm.

Instead, over the course of the next 20 years, William Adams became increasingly important and powerful serving the Japanese government and Ieyasu personally. He was in charge of building the first Western-style ships and led Japanese trading expeditions to South-East Asia. He also made trade deals with the Dutch and English to set up trade posts in Japan. Furthermore, he became the official translator and made sure the Portuguese missionaries, who had disliked him as protestant, were kicked out of Japan.

Due to his loyalty and service William Adams became the first Western Samurai, owned land and married a Japanese wife, although he never forgot his English family. Adams is still honored in various ways in Japan. 

Originally posted on Instagram on August 27, 2023