John Manjiro,The Man who First Migrated from Japan to the United States

　The other day, after a long time, I read a biography of John Manjiro. It was an adventure story which is rather for boys and girls by American author Margi Preus , called ‘ Heart of a Samurai, John Manjiro ‘. I have read Masuji Ibuse's novel "John Manjiro, the Cast Away ; his Life and Adventure” a long time ago and it was a fascinating book.

　Manjiro was born January 1, 1827 ( 文政10年 ). John Manjiro’s real name was Manjiro Nakahama.and he was born in Nakahama of the Tosa clan in Kochi ( 土佐藩、高知県 ), which is in present day Tosashimizu city, Kochi Pref. (高知県土佐清水市中浜 ) He was the second son of a poor fisherman and he lost his father wh en he was 9 years old so he had to work from a young age because of his sickly mother and elder brother. Manjiro supported the family so he was a boy who could do almost no reading and writing because there was no opportunity to go to a temple school ( 寺子屋 ). One day, he went fishing and met a storm in 1841 (天保12年) , and he experienced disaster in the storm with his 4 fisherman companions. He drifted 5 and half days and ashore in Torishima ( 鳥島 ) on Izu-hanto peninsula miraculously. He lived on a deserted island for 143 days and was finally rescued by the John Howland, an American whaling ship. At that time, as the Tokugawa shogunate was in a state of isolation by its policy, foreign ships could not approach Japan easily. Even if they returned home, there was no guarantee of life so the senior Japanese sailors were dropped at Hawaii. But Manjiro was liked by Captain William Whitfield and by Manjiro’s own request, he continued to sail on the whaler, and migrated to the United States. John Mung, his nickname, was taken from the name of the ship, John Howland, and his name, Manjiro, and he set his  first step on the mainland of the U.S.A. as a Japanese. It was FairHaven, Massachusetts in 1843. John Mung, who migrated to the United States, had various experiences and finally returned to his home country in 1853( 嘉永6年 ). Using the knowledge and language he learned in the United States, he introduced people to the United States, a place that no one knew about during Bakumatsu in the late Tokugawa period. Margi Preus, the author, describes the story interestingly.

　After returning to Japan, he taught his learned knowledge and language study which he got during his stay in the Americas and he was known as a significant contributor to the Meiji Restoration( 明治維新 ). For instance, he taught about America and shared his knowledge with the patriot leader Sakamoto Ryoma(坂本龍馬), Mitsubishi founder Iwasaki Yataro( 岩崎弥太郎 )  Katsu Kaishu( 勝海舟 ) of Kanrinmaru( 咸臨丸) warship, educator and Keio University founder Fukuzawa Yukichi( 福沢諭吉 ), poritician Itagaki Taisuke( 板垣退助 ) and others. John Mung was a great person of Bakumatsu( 幕末 )  , at the end of the Edo period, and the Meiji Restoration whose life ended in 1898（明治31年）. John Manjiro's story which I had in my hands after a long time was very fascinating because of his positive life.

　By the way, the TV drama that is now being broadcast on NHK, "Hana Moyu ( 花燃ゆ Burning Flower )", is a story of a great scholar Yoshida Shoin ( 吉田松陰 ) of the Choshu clan ( 長州藩 Yamaguchi Pref. ). Yoshida Shoin failed in a voyage to the America and he was jailed. After he was discharged, he brought up many patriots of the Meiji Restoration in his private school Shokasonjuku( 松下村塾 ). Such a subject is now being introduced on TV.　

　As for the time of the Meiji Restoration, two of these young stowaways to the United States moved Japan greatly.