PDA

View Full Version : Text: Yamada Nagamasa in old Siam



John Lindsey
1st July 2000, 18:25
I think the story of Yamada Nagamasa and his adventures in Siam (Thailand) is very interesting, yet his story is not well known outside of Japan. What I find fascinating about it is that he organized the local Japanese into an army and fought for the local government. I am not sure how much we know about these battles, but I think this story would make a great movie!

The following was taken from the article: Yamada Nagamasa, Japanese Warrior in Old Siam by Namamura Koya. It appeared in the December 1939 issue of Cultural Nippon Magazine published by the Nippon Bunka Chuo Renmei.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the two courts (Japan and Siam) were exchanging official letters and gifts, a framed picture of a ship was presented to the Sengen Shrine in the province of Suruga by Yamada Nagamasa, who sent it by a merchant of his native province in February, 1626. Overtaken by a hurricane, his ship entered the River Menam in Siam, to be moored near the castle of Ibir. An official came to take the merchant into the royal castle where he was received in audience by its lord, who proved to be Yamada Nagamasa. The anonymous author of the Yamadashi-Kobdki gives a detailed description of the interview between Yamada and
.the merchant:

" In the evening I was again invited to the Palace, and the King
received me privately. He stepped forth and said : ' Do you know
me ? ' No, my lord, I do not, I said. He spoke my own language,
and I thought it very strange. The King then said : 'I was a Japanese.
I lived in your own village of Manomachi, and my name was Yamada
Nizayemon. In a certain year and month my ship encountered a
storm when it drifted helplessly about, until I came to this land in
the same way as you did today. The last King of this country, who
was on bad terms with that of a neighboring state, asked us, the
Japanese residents here, to help him. We consented. We saw that
the troops of this country were not so well trained or disciplined as
the Japanese soldiers, and we gave the King some tactical suggestions,
which pleased him and his officials. I was appointed the leader of
the troops and attacked the enemy, whom I defeated. I won every
battle we fought, and all the people admired me. The last King had
a daughter, whom he gave me in marriage. He also made me his
heir and abdicated the Throne in my favor. I am the King of the
country. I feel so homesick at your sight and think so much of my
relatives. If you stay with me, I will make you rich and appoint you
high in my court.' ‘Little did I expect such a thing, I replied, and
much less to have wealth and honor offered. This is an opportunity
that comes once in a thousand years. But I cannot abandon my parents
staying at home. All I ask is that you let me sail back. I shall
feel as grateful as though I -were brought to life again.' ' You are
right,' the King said, ' I won't force you. But just wait a little. I
will get a picture made of myself fighting a victorious fight against
the enemy while leading my troops. I will offer the picture to the
Sengen Shrine to show that I do not forget my native village, and also-
to indicate the chivalry of the Japanese warriors.' When the picture
was ready, the King signed his name on it, before he handed it to me.
After a thousand or ten thousand more courtesies and hospitalities
poured upon me, I sailed back to Japan. His picture was offered to
the Shrine as he desired."


This description of the interview is not quite correct, because, for
one thing. King Nimontam, with whom Yamada was a favorite, was
not dead in 1626, nor was he crowned as King. Be that as it may, it
must have been a pleasant interview for Yamada to meet a man from his
own province, and he sent a framed picture by the merchant for the
Sengen Shrine in the same province. The picture, which represented
a three-masted frigate with many Japanese warriors aboard, Yamada
Nagamasa commanding them, bears forty-three Chinese ideographs^
which translated mean in effect:—
" This framed picture is offered with a prayer that all wishes be
fulfilled with satisfaction, by Yamada-Nizayemonnojo-Nagamasa,
born in this province, but now residing in the country of Siam of
India ; on the lucky day in the month of February in the zodiac year
of fire-junior-tiger, 1626."
This picture was lost when the Sengen Shrine was destroyed by
fire in 1788, though fortunately its copy is still preserved in the shrine.

----------end of text---------------

John Lindsey
1st July 2000, 18:36
Here is a copy of the painting and a portrait of Yamada Nagamasa.

<center>http://204.95.207.136/pics/boat.jpg</center>

John Lindsey
16th October 2001, 19:11
Bumped for the request for Siam Samurai info.