William Adams Quotes

A collection of quotes by William Adams.

William Adams was an English navigator and trader, born in Gillingham, Kent, in 1564. Not much is known about his early life, but he became the first ever Englishman to reach Japan in 1600. Adams became an advisor to the ruling shogun and played a key role in establishing trading relations between England and Japan. His knowledge of shipbuilding and navigation greatly impressed the shogun, and he was granted the rank of samurai. Adams's remarkable life and contributions to Anglo-Japanese relations are immortalized in his memoirs, known as "The Adams' Letters."