Around The World In 80 Waves

William Adams (24 September 1564 – 16 May 1620) is known in Japanese as Anjin Miura (“the pilot of Miura”). He had served in the Royal Navy under Sir Francis Drake and saw service against the Spanish Armada in 1588, but later worked on Dutch vessels as a navigator.

In 1600 his ship was the only one of five vessels that had started their voyage together that was still afloat. It was brought to anchor off the island of Kyushu at the south of Japan, when only 24 crewmen, of which Adams was the navigator, were still alive with the other 76 having died from starvation.

Once nine were able to walk they were summoned by Tokugawa Iesayu, the future Shogun, who so liked what Adams had to say about European affairs, religion, science, mathematics, navigation and armaments that he made him his personal advisor.

He later served the Shogun as a diplomat and interpreter, broking deals with the European powers. He also oversaw the construction of Japan’s first western style sailing ships, setting up the shipyard at Ito on the coast south of Mount Fuji.

Adams had a family back in England who he continued to send support to, but was forbidden to leave Japan and eventually remarried. However his work was rewarded when he was presented with two swords representing the authority of a Samurai, with the Shogun decreeing that William Adams was dead and that Miura Anjin was born. He held the honour until his death and is the only westerner to do so.

He was the most influential westerner on early dealings with Japan, and he was the inspiration for the lead character in James Clavell’s novel Shōgun. There are monuments to Adams in both England and Japan.