Netherlands: The Liefde, William Adams's ship. 17th century engraving. William Adams (1564-1620) was, on a...

William Adams (September 24, 1564 - May 16, 1620), also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama (anjin, 'pilot'; sama, a Japanese honorific) and Miura Anjin, was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country. He was the inspiration for the character of John Blackthorne in James Clavell's bestselling novel Shogun. Soon after Adams' arrival in Japan, he became a key adviser to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and built for him Japan's first Western-style ships. Adams was later the key player in the establishment of trading factories by the Netherlands and England. He was also highly involved in Japan's Red Seal Asian trade, chartering and captaining several ships to Southeast Asia. He died in Japan at age 55, and has been recognized as one of the most influential foreigners in Japan during this period.