Yaesu
If you walk around Tokyo, you realise that there are interesting place names, especially around the Imperial Palace. That is because the town was planned and developed by the Tokugawa shogunate. So the names around the Imperial Palace are related to the Edo castle.
The other day, we walked Yaesu area and found this memorial tablet. It was obviously related to Europe, but I didn't think about it at that time. It was the memorial tablet of Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (or simply Jan Joosten; c.1560-1623), a native of Delft and one of the first Dutchmen in Japan in 1600.
According to Wikipedia, 5 ships departed from Rotterdam for a long journey. He and other survivors were received by future Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who questioned them at length on European politics and foreign affairs. He was selected to be one of confidants of the Shogun on foreign and military affairs, and he contributed to the development of relations between the Netherlands and Japan.
The interesting thing is that the place name Yaesu derives it's name from him. Yaesu (current Marunouchi area) was used to be called 'Yayosu Quay' after him. His Japanese name was 'Yayōsu'. It changed into Yaesu with changing of the times. Later, the east side area of Tokyo station was renamed as Yaesu.
Another famous person was William Adams (1564-1620), known in Japanese as Anjin Miura. He was the first Englishman to become a Western Samurai. As with Jan Joosten, he became a key advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu. But here, it's another story.
Jan Joosten was not allowed to return to the Netherlands. Instead, he was allow to take a Japanese wife. I searched about his Japanese wife, but I couldn't find who she was, even her name. In 1623, he drowned in the South China Sea when his ship sank as he was returning to Japan from Batavia (current Jakarta)...
Perhaps, there may be some information or resources, but their presences were became vague and lost to history. Their experience must had been beyond my wildest imagination. But it's a fascinating that his name remains in our lives. It's a distinct proof of past existence of this Dutchman.
The other day, we walked Yaesu area and found this memorial tablet. It was obviously related to Europe, but I didn't think about it at that time. It was the memorial tablet of Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (or simply Jan Joosten; c.1560-1623), a native of Delft and one of the first Dutchmen in Japan in 1600.
According to Wikipedia, 5 ships departed from Rotterdam for a long journey. He and other survivors were received by future Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who questioned them at length on European politics and foreign affairs. He was selected to be one of confidants of the Shogun on foreign and military affairs, and he contributed to the development of relations between the Netherlands and Japan.
The interesting thing is that the place name Yaesu derives it's name from him. Yaesu (current Marunouchi area) was used to be called 'Yayosu Quay' after him. His Japanese name was 'Yayōsu'. It changed into Yaesu with changing of the times. Later, the east side area of Tokyo station was renamed as Yaesu.
Another famous person was William Adams (1564-1620), known in Japanese as Anjin Miura. He was the first Englishman to become a Western Samurai. As with Jan Joosten, he became a key advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu. But here, it's another story.
Jan Joosten was not allowed to return to the Netherlands. Instead, he was allow to take a Japanese wife. I searched about his Japanese wife, but I couldn't find who she was, even her name. In 1623, he drowned in the South China Sea when his ship sank as he was returning to Japan from Batavia (current Jakarta)...
Perhaps, there may be some information or resources, but their presences were became vague and lost to history. Their experience must had been beyond my wildest imagination. But it's a fascinating that his name remains in our lives. It's a distinct proof of past existence of this Dutchman.
