An Englishman in Japan.

The article focuses on William Adams, an English navigator who became a trusted adviser to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate in early 17th-century Japan. Arriving in 1600 aboard a Dutch ship, Adams gained Ieyasu’s confidence by advocating free trade and sharing knowledge of navigation and Western technology, helping to break the Portuguese monopoly on trade and contributing to Japan’s naval and military advancements. Adams was appointed Hatamoto, a direct retainer of the shogun, and played a key role in establishing Dutch and English trading posts. After Ieyasu’s death in 1616, Adams’ influence declined under the more conservative rule of Ieyasu’s son, and Adams died in 1620 in Hirado.