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History of Samurai William Adams

On a scenic & verdant hill, in eastern Yokosuka City, overlooking Tokyo Bay, is a memorial gravesite for William Adams and his wife.  William Adams was the first Englishman to set foot in Japan in 1600, and his life and amazing experiences thereafter served as the basis for a novel by James Clavell called "Shogun" -- which is also now a tremendously popular television miniseries streaming on Disney+ (see link below).  Very briefly, after being shipwrecked in Japan, which was in the middle of civil war power struggles, and not very welcoming to foreigners, Adams was able to make a good impression on Tokugawa Ieyasu (who would eventually unify and rule Japan), and after showing how to effectively use naval cannons and building a couple of Western-style oceangoing ships, he was promoted to Samurai status.  As part of his Samurai rank, William Adams was given a fief (control of land and rice production) in what is now the Hemi District of Yokosuka City.  The hill on which Adams' gravestones are located is called "Anjin-Zuka".  Anjin means "maritime pilot" and it was the part of the title bestowed on William Adams -- i.e., "Miura Anjin".  A beautiful park is now situated on Anjin-Zuka, and every year, during Sakura-blooming season in April, there is a ceremony and festival (organized by Yokosuka City government) held at the park to honor his memory.  The event is attended by senior diplomatic representatives from both the United Kingdom and The Netherlands.  We hope you will be able to visit the park at Anjin Zuka and experience some of the 400-year-old history of Yokosuka.  Written by Goodfield   

Links:

"Shogun" Official Trailer:

Shōgun - Official Trailer | Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai | FX - YouTube

The Life of William Adams:

Discover Yokosuka 横須賀奥旨: William Adams --- Miura Anjin --- An Incredible Story (deepyokosuka.blogspot.com)

William Adams and Yokosuka :: William Adams ウィリアム・アダムス

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