Nakahama “John” Manjiro is known as the first Japanese man to live in America. He was shipwrecked in Japan and was rescued by an American who brought him to Fairhaven and New Bedford. There he received the American elementary and secondary education. After 12 years, he came back to Japan where he was confronted by the government, accusing him of violating the nation’s policy of isolation. Eventually, he was given permission to return to his home in Nakanohama. Due to the previous accusation on him, he was supposedly forbidden from leaving his home town, as well as the country. However, the knowledge he obtained from having stayed in the United States were deemed valuable by the Japanese. He received a summons from Yamanouchi Yodo (Lord of the Tosa Doman) and was asked to share his knowledge of the American ways to the youth.
He served as an ambassador from the United States and enabled Japan to open its walls to the world – also forming a treaty with the United States. Through his life he was able to send a very inspirational message across to people, influencing a few who have great contributions in Japanese history. Some of the people he influenced were: Sakamoto Ryoma who initiated a revolution to transform Japan into an open, modernized society. Fukuzawa Yukichi, who had great ideas of integrating not only western democracy but every aspect of its civilization to enable the modernization of Japan. And we have Iwasaki Yataro who was a known industrialist improving Japan’s economic sector.
Works Cited
Kawasumi, Tetsuo. "Introducing John Manjiro." 5 November 2003. John Manjiro. 6 March 2013
"Iwasaki Yataro". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2013
Macfarlane, Alan. "Yukichi Fukuzawa and The Making of the Modern World." n.d. AlanMacfarlane.com. 6 March 2013
"Sakamoto Ryoma: An Unlikely Reformer." n.d. Squidoo. 6 March 2013
