Japan Ambassador Visits Gillingham Church for William Adams
- Japan’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hiroshi Suzuki, visited St Mary Magdalene Church in Gillingham on Thursday.
- Adams' christening took place at the parish on 24 September 1564.
- Suzuki noted that the historical journey reflects an amazing pioneer spirit that fosters close, heart-to-heart connections between British and Japanese people today.
Ambassador Suzuki Honors Gillingham’s Samurai Pioneer
Japan’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hiroshi Suzuki, visited St Mary Magdalene Church in Gillingham on Thursday. The visit marked the anniversary of the christening of William Adams.
Adams’ christening took place at the parish on 24 September 1564. A navigator and merchant-adventurer, he became the first and only English samurai after becoming shipwrecked in feudal Japan 426 years ago.
From Chatham Docks to the Court of the Shogun
Suzuki noted that the historical journey reflects an amazing pioneer spirit that fosters close, heart-to-heart connections between British and Japanese people today.
Adams originally worked as a shipwright at the dockyard in Chatham. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, he sailed to the Far East aboard the Dutch-registered vessel De Liefde.
Tokugawa Ieyasu, the military ruler or shogun of Japan, grew impressed with Adams’ proficiency in shipbuilding, navigation, and gunnery. Ieyasu subsequently employed him as an adviser and bestowed upon him the name Miura Anjinan.
Surviving the Shogunate and Forging Trade Routes
Beyond his advisory role, Adams shaped bilateral relations by acting as a conduit between King James I and Ieyasu. This diplomatic bridge enabled the East India Company to open a trading post in Japan.
Nicolas Maclean, Honorary Chairman of the William Adams Association, explained that Adams sailed as part of a Dutch flotilla, only one of which survived while the others were wrecked. Maclean added that Adams faced severe accusations of being a Protestant spy upon arrival and risked execution if Jesuit factions had succeeded.
A Legacy Living On Through Modern Exchanges
Adams successfully avoided those political dangers to serve as an official adviser for nearly two decades.
His remarkable life story later inspired the hit 1980s television series Shogun, which starred Richard Chamberlain. That enduring legacy also prompted the creation of a youth exchange initiative called the Medway Japan Friendship Association.
Each summer, the association facilitates visits where four students from Japan travel to Medway and four English students travel to host towns in Japan.