A Gentleman from Japan

April 1, 2024
An account of a 16th-century enslaved Japanese man who endured abduction and hard labor among pirates to become the first documented Asian to learn English and set foot in North and South America and Britain. Historian Lockley, co-author of African Samurai, found reports of "Christopher" from archived private diaries and letters and presents the young man's life as close to fact as possible. Enslaved by an Andalucian merchant in Manila, Christopher was bound aboard the Spanish ship Santa Ana in 1587 when it was overtaken in waters offshore Cabo San Lucas by English "privateers" working for an expedition led by Thomas Cavendish. As the author recounts, Christopher translated some prized booty into English: a map of China that formed the basis for charts later used by Westerners. Brought to England in 1588, he made a sensation in his "exotic robes" and "innate nobility," and he was granted an audience with Queen Elizabeth. Lockley narrates parts of the story close to Christopher's perspective, emphasizing his discoveries and insights. For example, as a guest of London society, Christopher marveled that the English seldom bathed and lived with indoor animals. Pressed into service in Cavendish's next attempt to reach the Far East, he "almost definitely succumbed to the perils of the voyage," which was storm-tossed, violent, and, ultimately, doomed. However, in his adventures, Christopher inadvertently became a "pioneer in global travel, technology transfer, international relations, and cross-cultural communication." Lockley succeeds in focusing his history on the contributions of the "oppressed, trafficked and marginalized" who have otherwise left no record. In the process, he tells a lively tale of maritime adventure, piracy, and advancements in science and global economics. Extensive notes and bibliographies help fill in the political and cultural landscape. The life story of an unlikely voyager from Japan provides a fascinating look into 16th-century geopolitics.

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April 15, 2024
Lockley, an associate professor of law at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo, brings the story of a sixteenth-century Japanese man to life. Christopher, who was enslaved in Manila and taken aboard a Spanish ship, the Santa Ana, became the first documented Japanese man to set foot in the Americas and Britain. Lockley notes, "although the story of Japanese slavery has been virtually forgotten, indentured and trafficked people in fact represented the majority of Japanese people outside Japan" in the 1600s. Christopher made the most of his situation by making himself indispensable. He translated a map of China into English and was granted an audience with Queen Elizabeth. The stories of enslaved people are given short shrift in history books, and Lockley draws on extensive research, combing through private diaries and letters, to depict Christopher's global odyssey. In so doing, he reminds the reader of the unsung contributions of marginalized people during the Age of Exploration. Recommended especially for students of geopolitical history.

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April 26, 2024

Lockley (history, Nihon Univ. Coll. of Law; African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke) tells the story of the first recorded Japanese person to visit Great Britain. In 1586, English explorer Thomas Cavendish set off to circumnavigate the globe. Spain had made a fortune creating an empire and bringing in valuable trade goods from Asia. England wanted in on the action. In the Pacific Ocean, Cavendish captured a Spanish galleon loaded with treasures from Asia; it was headed to Mexico. On board was a Japanese man named Christopher, the only name for him in the historical record. He had been captured in Japan as a boy, sold to pirates, and subsequently enslaved again by the Spanish. The English were eager for any information they could find about Asia, so Christopher was ordered to get on Cavendish's ship and go with him to England. Eventually, feted for his knowledge about Japan and China, Christopher became the first known person of Japanese descent to meet an English monarch, Queen Elizabeth I. VERDICT Highly recommended for readers interested in the Age of Discovery. The author does an excellent job of placing Christopher's story in the greater context of the era's global history.--Joshua Wallace

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