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Nakahama Manjirō 中濱 万次郎 | |
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.jpg) Nakahama "John" Manjirō | |
| Born | (1827-01-27)January 27, 1827 |
| Died | November 12, 1898(1898-11-12) (aged 71) |
| Other names | John Mung |
Nakahama Manjirō (中濱 万次郎; January 27, 1827 – November 12, 1898), also known asJohn Manjirō (orJohn Mung),[1] was a Japanesesamurai and translator who was one of the firstJapanese people to visit theUnited States and an important translator during theopening of Japan.[2]
He was a fisherman before his journey to the United States, where he studied English and navigation and became a sailor and gold miner. After returning to Japan, he was elevated to the status of a samurai and was made ahatamoto. He served his country as an interpreter and translator and was instrumental in negotiating theConvention of Kanagawa. He also taught as a professor at theTokyo Imperial University.
During his early life, he lived as a simplefisherman in the village of Naka-no-hama,Tosa Province (nowTosashimizu,Kōchi Prefecture). In 1841, 14-year-old Nakahama Manjirō and four friends (four brothers named Goemon, Denzo, Toraemon, and Jusuke) were fishing when their boat was wrecked on the island ofTorishima. The American whaleshipJohn Howland, with CaptainWilliam H. Whitfield in command, rescued them.[3] At the end of the voyage, four of them were left inHonolulu; however, Manjirō (nicknamed "John Mung") wanted to stay on the ship. Captain Whitfield took him back to the United States and briefly entrusted him to his neighbor Ebenezer Akin, who enrolled Manjirō in the Oxford School in the town ofFairhaven, Massachusetts. The boy studied English and navigation for a year, apprenticed to acooper, and then, with Whitfield's help, signed on to the whaleshipFranklin (Captain Ira Davis). After whaling in the South Seas, theFranklin put into Honolulu in October 1847, where Manjirō again met his four friends. None were able to return to Japan, for this was during Japan'speriod of isolation, when leaving the country was an offense punishable by death.
When Captain Davis became mentally ill and was left in Manila, the crew elected a new captain, and Manjirō was made boatsteerer (harpooner). TheFranklin returned toNew Bedford, Massachusetts in September 1849 and paid off its crew; Manjirō was self-sufficient, with $350 (~$13,229 in 2024) in his pocket.
Manjirō promptly set out by sea for theCalifornia Gold Rush. Arriving inSan Francisco in May 1850, he took a steamboat up theSacramento River, then went into the mountains. In a few months, he found enough gold to exchange for about 600 pieces of silver and decided to find a way back to Japan nearly a decade after being rescued from the island of Torishima.[4]
Manjirō arrived in Honolulu and found two of his companions were willing to go with him. Toraemon, who thought it would be too risky, did not voyage back to Japan, and Jusuke had died of a heart ailment. Manjirō purchased a whaleboat, theAdventure, which was loaded aboard the barkSarah Boyd (Captain Whitmore) along with gifts from the people of Honolulu. They sailed on December 17, 1850, and reachedOkinawa on February 2, 1851. The three were promptly taken into custody, although treated with courtesy. After months of questioning, they were released inNagasaki and eventually returned home to Tosa[4] where LordYamauchi Toyoshige awarded them pensions. Manjirō was appointed a minor official and became a valuable source of information.
In September 1853, Manjirō was summoned toEdo (now known asTokyo), questioned by the shogunate government, and made ahatamoto (asamurai in direct service to theshōgun). He would now give interviews only in service to the government. In token of his new status, he would wear two swords, and needed a surname; he choseNakahama, after his home village.
In 1861, Manjirō was ordered to join the shogunate's expedition to theBonin Islands, on which he acted as an interpreter.[5]
Manjirō detailed his travels in a report to the Tokugawa Shogunate, which is kept today at theTokyo National Museum. On July 8, 1853, when CommodoreMatthew Perry'sBlack Ships arrived to force the opening of Japan, Manjirō became an interpreter and translator for the Shogunate and was instrumental in negotiating theConvention of Kanagawa.However, it appears that he did not contact the Americans directly at that time.
In 1860, Nakahama Manjirō participated in theJapanese Embassy to the United States (1860). He was appointed translator on boardKanrin Maru, Japan's first screw-driven steam warship, purchased from the Dutch. Due to Japan's former policy of isolation, the crew had little experience on the open ocean, and during a storm, her CaptainKatsu Kaishū, AdmiralKimura Kaishū and much of the crew fell ill. Manjirō was put in charge and brought the ship to port safely.
In 1870, during theFranco-Prussian War, Manjirō studied military science in Europe. He returned to Japan by way of the United States. He was formally received at Washington D.C., and he took advantage of this opportunity by traveling overland toFairhaven, Massachusetts to visit his "foster father", Captain Whitfield. Eventually, Manjirō became a professor at theTokyo Imperial University.
Manjirō apparently used his knowledge of western shipbuilding to contribute to the effort of the Shogunate to build a modern navy. He translatedBowditch's American Practical Navigator into Japanese, and taught English, naval tactics and whaling techniques. He allegedly contributed to the construction of theShohei Maru, Japan's first post-seclusion foreign-style warship.[citation needed]
Manjirō was married three times and had seven children. In 1918, his eldest son, Dr. Nakahama Toichirō, donated a valuable sword to Fairhaven in token of his father's rescue and the kindness of the town. It continued to be displayed inthe town library even during World War II when anti-Japanese sentiment was very high. After the sword was stolen in 1977, a replacement was given in 1982 and is still on display at the library.
Among his accomplishments, Manjirō was probably the first Japanese person to take a train, ride in a steamship, officer an American vessel, and command a trans-Pacific voyage.
There is a statue of Nakahama Manjirō atCape Ashizuri, onShikoku. However, his grave, formerly at theZōshigaya Cemetery in Tokyo, was destroyed by Americanair raids inWorld War II. In Fairhaven, the Manjirō Historic Friendship Society renovated William Whitfield's home to include a museum dealing with the Manjirō legacy.[6]
Minor planet4841 Manjiro is named after him.
Many books have been published about Manjiro's life and journey, such asHeart of a Samurai by Margi Preus,Born in the Year of Courage byEmily Crofford, andShipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg.
A Manjiro Festival, sponsored by the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society,[7] is held inFairhaven in early October of odd numbered years.[8]
Manjiro was referenced in a 2025 episode of the anime seriesAharen-san wa Hakarenai.
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