William Adams Gravestone: Hirado, Nagasaki Prefecture

Anyone who has ever read James Clavell's "Shogun," or seen the movie, has already been indirectly introduced to William Adams. The fictional heroics of John Blackthorne were loosely based on Adams' exploits.

After serving in the Royal Navy under Sir Francis Drake, Adams became a pilot for the company Barbary Merchants. During this service, he took part in an expedition to the Arctic that lasted about two years in search of a Northeast Passage along the coast of Siberia to the Far East.  It was late November 1599 when the ship sailed westwardly for Japan.  When the ship made landfall April 19, 1600, in Oita Prefecture as a result of a typhoon.

Allegations by Portuguese priests that Adams' ship was a pirate vessel led to seizure, and the sickly crew was imprisoned at Osaka Castle on orders by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
But the Shogun took a liking to Adams, eventually making him a revered diplomatic and trade adviser and bestowing great privileges upon him. In 1604, Ieyasu ordered Adams to build a western-style sailing ship.

Ieyasu's rewards for Adams' service and loyalty were grand, and included a large house in the new capital of Tokyo. The most impressive, however, were two swords. A badge of rank and authority, the swords transformed Adams the English pilot into Miura Anjin the samurai. Along with this came a handsome salary, and the means to marry Oyuki, the daughter of a noble samurai and official of Edo Castle.

Adams and Oyuki had a son, Joseph, and a daughter, Susanna.  In 1613, he became preoccupied with trading after helping the British East India Company set up a trading post near Nagasaki then setting up his own.

Adams died at Hirado, north of Nagasaki, on May 16, 1620. He was 56.

It is worth noting that William Adams had a wife and children in England, but Ieyasu had forbidden the Englishman to leave Japan. In a true stroke of wisdom, the Shogun decreed that William Adams was dead and that Miura Anjin, a samurai, was born. This made his wife in England a widow and allowed Adams to serve him on a permanent basis. Also, only as a samurai, was he eligible to marry a samurai's daughter.

Please see William Adams Gravestone on the map below:

 

Please click of the pics below to enlarge:

Messages in English

William Adams Gravestone

The tomb

Insciptions

Well signposted

Interesting indeed

Here is a video of William Adams Gravestone located in Hirakata Park in Hirado:

Nagasaki Ninja and Samurai Experience: Shimabara, Nagasaki Prefecture

The Nagasaki Ninja and Samurai Experience is one that all children and adults alike will enjoy to no end.  The Shimabara Castle located on the Shimabara Peninsular in Nagasaki has been able to turn back the clock and offer an experience like no other to the public. The chance to be a Ninja or Samurai if only for just a short period of time is one that you should not let slip your grasp.

On a bitterly cold winter day a friend of mine requested to go and check out the Shimabara Castle so without hesitation I grabbed the kids as I knew they would relish being a Ninja again even though they have had the opportunity to do so many times in the past.  Luckily when we arrived late in the afternoon just before closing time, the coast was clear and we had the whole place practically to ourselves.

All the staff members are extremely polite, friendly and helpful in every regard and request.  It is their hope that everyone leaves the Shimabara Castle with a smile on their faces and a positive experience having realized a dream and or just having an experience that one would not be able to back in their home country or even in the city areas of Japan.  Not only have many foreign travelers never had a chance to dress up as a Ninja or Samurai most Japanese people haven`t either!

Well, my friend and my kids left the Shimabara Castle just as intended, a huge smile on their face and they also talked about the experience for hours afterwards.  Mission Completed!  I am sure you will feel the same, come and check it out for yourself whilst on your Private Nagasaki Tour.

Please check out Nagasaki Ninja and Samurai Experience here on a map below:

 

Please click on the photos below to enlarge:

At the Shimabara Castle

One happy Samurai

Castle Entrance

Preparing the Ninja`s

The team in action

Real Samurai?

Fighting Style

Action Shot!

Climbing the Castle

Posing like Ninja`s

Closeup of a Ninja?

Please click on the videos below to see the real Nagasaki Ninja and Samurai Experience:

Kazagashira Park: Nagasaki City

Kazagashira Park in Nagasaki is otherwise known as Ryoma Sakamoto's Park.  It stands on the top of a hill overlooking the magnificent Nagasaki Harbor.  With panoramic views of the city it is a excellent place to get a feel of the land and the encompassing valley below.  The park is a well known landmark and visitors from all over Japan as well as from overseas especially those that have studies Nagasaki History come to get a gander of the most famous Samurai of recent times.

Ryoma Sakamoto is heralded as being a visionary samurai for his time and during the mid 1800′s when the country was in turmoil with feudal Lord’s batting for domination one man had new ideas to transform Japan from a backwater country into an industrial force.  Ryoma Sakamoto envisioned a country unhindered by the feudal system and led a movement to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate, which he was successful in accomplishing.  This opened up Japan to overseas influences, world trade, industrial advances, technological expertise and generally made Japan the country that it is today!

Nearly every Nagasakian knows about this park and has visited at least once.  It would be a brave man or woman to admit to never having heard of Ryoma Sakamoto and or his park that is named after his accomplishments.  If you have a spare hour or 2 and wish to take a nice scenic walk through the heart of Nagasaki City and experience the beauty of the area then this place is for you.

Come and check out Kazagashira Park Nagasaki on a map!

Click on the photos below to enlarge:

Nagasaki

Ryoma Sakamoto the famous Samurai

The legend

Views of the harbor below

Spectacular Views

Here is a video of Kazagashira Park Nagasaki and the scenic views and splendid panorama: