A Gentleman from Japan: An Epic Sea Voyage, an Intriguing Tale of Espionage and the Forgotten Story of the First Japanese Explorer in Tudor England

by Thomas Lockley

An incredible sea story that turns the Age of Exploration on its head, following the first Japanese man to set foot on North America and England.

On November 12, 1588, five young Asian men—led by a twenty-one-year-old called Christopher—traveled up the River Thames to meet Queen Elizabeth I. Christopher’s epic sea voyage had spanned from Japan, via the Philippines, New Spain (Mexico), Java and Southern Africa. On the way, he had already become the first recorded Japanese person in North America. Now, Christopher was the first ever Japanese visitor to England, and no other would leave such a legacy for centuries to come.

The story of Christopher is almost utterly forgotten and has never been fully told before.

A Gentleman from Japan is a fast-paced, historical narrative of adventure, cross-cultural endeavor, intellectual exchange, perseverance, espionage and conflict in the Age of Exploration.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Japan, Historical, Biography, Asia

432 pages, Hardcover

Published May 21, 2024

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book that weaves together the tale of a Japanese pirate rescued from Spanish servitude by the Japanese and his impact on European, particularly English navigation and exploration. He is only known by his Christian name, Christopher. The first part of his life is well documented through to his time living on the manor of his English benefactor. On the return trip to Japan the documentation of his life gets sketchier. Christopher is believed to be the first Japanese person to visit Europe and the first documented Japanese visitor to North America.

Christopher's story is told throughout the book but lacks true biographical depth. The book is mostly about how information provided by him was used to help England catch up with Spanish and Portuguese navigation during the rush to open trade links in the Far East. The book is interesting and has an interesting perspective on the history of the world in the late 1500s. I recommend it for anyone interested in early exploration, or the rise of England as an imperial power.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an intriguing story about the first documented Japanese person to set foot on two Western Hemisphere continents and journey to London in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. However, it reads somewhat like historical fiction because the record on this man called Christopher (real name not known) is so thin that we do not know much about him, even how and where he died.

What you DO learn a lot about is the history of English privateering, the nebulous connections between Japan and Europe at that time, and the horrible travails of global sea-going. Christopher was useful because he apparently was good at languages and learned English fluently enough to explain his country to the English intelligentsia. This was the first insider testimony about Japan, as all other accounts were non-Japanese, fleeting and second-hand.

If you don't mind the author engaging in constant speculation about what Christopher was doing and feeling on these voyages, then you can ease into this book and learn a few things. In the afterword the author wonders why nobody had told this story before, but the thinness of the historical record and the fact that Christopher did not act as a meaningful go-between to connect European and Japanese rulers probably put other scholars off.

[Claire Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting history lesson, but drawn out and full of semi- fictitious scenes of Christopher's days and thoughts on the seas. We all know about Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare and the East India Company, but not how they were influenced by Asian politics and trade.
Did I really read this because I saw Shogun? Yes, yes I did. I can definitely see where Clavell took inspiration from history.

[Dee Sampel · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an interesting subject but the author went on long tangents about background history while attempting to tell the story of the book subject. It was very difficult to read and a struggle to get through

[HTP Books]

Japan History, Expeditions & Discoveries, Tudor & Elizabethan Era in Great Britain, Historical Biographies & Autobiographies, Adventurers & Explorers Biographies & Autobiographies

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a truly difficult read because it covers so much worldwide shipping and exploring history of that late era Queen Elizabeth I (both 15th and 16th centuries actually) conceptual world views. Furthermore not only the view "from Europeans" at all. It is far more inclusive.

In fact, I nearly gave this 5 stars because it gave Christopher and Cosmos (two Japanese born) primes of these tales- SUPERIOR "eyes" coming from views of those OF the East. Primarily this entails great tracts of Japanese history of 12th to 16th centuries. I had NO idea that there was a 300 year lengths war there of sections and lords for dominance and/or unity. So essentially rose the samurai class and base military offensive/defensive hierarchies for mere existence. Made the English/ French 100 year war look like a pittance.

Regardless, so much to read. The EAST as described in quantity/placement as Cathay. No real exact geography or physical understandings of space/ distances either. So many ships lost trying to find the Northwest routes to get there over Canada. Everyone (ALL nations and the specifics with no nations re piracy) annihilating and confiscating every druthers of the losers. Viscous. No holds barred when you lost. Be it in a battle off the present coast of CA or somewhere in straits near Russia. Most times they only had general ideas of where they were, IMHO.

The main Japanese gentleman of the title here is taken in ship battles or through slavery/ piracy at least twice before being sucked up by the Cavendish victory. And went from less than slave (could not even remember any parents as sold before 4 or 5) to eventually becoming European gentry. He was 4 years up and 4 years back to the "west" before he was even 20 years old as a nobleman's aide. Learned to read/write Japanese and nearly always at sea. You learn to write first before you can begin to read the figurations. Very difficult. So BEFORE any of the English interchanged control- he was half his life at sea. And only 20 when the English battled and sunk his Spanish lead ship. Yet he had knowledge of ports and latitudes, and weather.

Life was short on these seas. All human life and all of animal life. Well worth the read for the logistics of their worldviews alone. And the reality of their physical conditions and/or fallouts for "luck".

You need a thick skin to read this. The nations that didn't allow slavery, IMHO- they actually treated humans even worse. Some working all ages to death while starving them at the same time. Or in taking chances- even within NOT being of the loser group- often with suffering horrendous outcomes which they triple shared with any accompanied "losers" they had corralled.

Put your thinking cap on if you want to read this one. And give it a month. Immense history context is included, conceptual backgrounds and perceptions of those times from 10 or 15 sets of languages and eyes. Know that I discounted all personal political asides of the author. They appeared in bursts and would have been better to be occluded from this book. Thus the 4 stars.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A Gentleman from Japan by Thomas Lockley is a creative nonfiction exploring a young Japanese man named Christopher (Japanese name unknown) and his journey to England. When Christopher is sold to a naval captain and discovered to understand Chinese writing, he begins a journey across the world.

I had never heard of Christopher before reading this though I have background knowledge in Japanese history. The era Christopher grew up in, the Sengoku or Warring States Period, was known for quite a bit of political turmoil and war as the rest of the world was facing from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries. I was also unaware of Japanese people being sold into slavery outside of Japan. In many ways, this book shines a light on things that are not often discussed in conversations around the Sengoku period because the daimyou tend to be the stars.

What I think the book does really well is make strong connections between the various nations during Christopher’s journey. We get to see how Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare had interest in the Far East, particularly China and Japan, and what the Portuguese and Spanish were doing around the Philippines and the Americas. There’s often a separation, a honing in, on a specific country or a specific continent in nonfiction because nonfiction does well when it’s specific. But the topic of Christopher’s life asea lets Thomas Lockley make those connections organically and thoughtfully. As some of the chapters are from Christopher’s POV, they are not entirely in-line with our morals today, but it never felt excessive.

I would recommend this to readers who are looking for a nonfiction about Japanese or world history, fans of the Sengoku period, and those who have a strong preference for nonfiction focusing on the sixteenth century.

[JournalsTLY]

Gentleman from Japan - historical account from the days when maps drew California and Korea as islands ; and when Japan produced a third of the world ‘s silver .

King Philip of Spain controlled most of the (ill- gained) silver from the New World . None of the European kings (or queens) were gentlemanly when it came to taking the gold , spices and silk from others.

The English navy - more so their pirate counterparts - want a share of Spanish treasures and raided the high seas . The pirates pay tax when they get back to England . So the Crown was happy too .

No just about the Japanese gentleman but much more about 16th century sailors, gunnery , slavery as well as the sailing ships that were sort of “floating zoos and farms “ - bringing bank species and specimens to show , sell and also as seeds for new crops.

The maps are a picture of the maritime world of the bygone days.

The big picture of European colonisers exploring and exploiting - Opium Wars and slave trades - are we beginning to see more of these - evolved as fentanyl abuse and illegal migration ?

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Gentleman from Japan” is a non-fiction book following Christopher ( Japanese name unknown) born in Japan during the War Era as well as the explorer Thomas Cavendish and his escapades and how Christopher’s life changed after their encounter— the book follows Christopher as his identity continues to be reinvented as a naturalist, a scientist, and a spy. This book has two main themes in history that are being explored - The Age of Exploration and Christopher’s life. This book is well researched but for me a bit heavy with facts and information, it was overall an interesting read and would be of a huge interest to those deeply interested in Japanese history, Japans interactions with foreigners in the past as well as exploring the horrors of colonisation and piracy. The writing was well paced , and kept me invested in history of the time.

Thank-you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC . This is my honest review.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3..25 Stars
Parts of this tale were quite engrossing - if you love reading of exploration, pirates, and what life was like on a ship of the late 16th / early 17th centuries. However, I don’t use the term “tale” lightly here - the sources on Christopher (the Japanese gentleman of the title) are sparse, so author, Thomas Lockley, spends most of his time where Christopher is mentioned speculating about what he saw, heard, & felt. Christopher feels more like a device to tell the story of an English privateer (Cavendish) and the English attempts to reach the Far East. It’s an interesting tale, but feels a bit like historical fiction (as other reviewers have said). Also, the last chapter is just weirdly placed. Even Lockley describes it as a “rant” about imperialism and the swinging pendulum between East & West. That being said, I’m glad I picked it up on a whim at my local library - a bit of history that I had no knowledge of. It is an enjoyable, though flawed read.

[M. Apple · Rating 3 out of 5]

High hopes for this after reading the author’s previous tome about Yasuke, the African samurai. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough actual evidence to support most of this at times entertaining narrative. Too little is known about the actual “Christopher,” and there is too much speculation bout what he might have thought or may have seen. The final chapter is also out of place in a purported book of history; the “diatribe” (as the author puts it) is about political realities of 2023 and has nothing to do with the fictionalized events of the 16th century. The especially jagged ragged writing of one-sentence paragraphs certainly doesn’t help and makes the last chapter seemed tacked on as a politically-correct after-thought.

[Firetruckmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“A Gentleman from Japan” is a non-fiction book by Thomas Lockley. For me, this was basically two histories - one about the Age of Exploration and the other about a group of Japanese men who met Queen Elizabeth. This book is well researched and, while at times a bit dense with facts and information, it was an interesting read. There is a rather large source material section at the end. If you wish to know more about the British Age of Exploration and curious about Japan (and the world!) during this time, this may be a book to pick up.

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible book. I could see the story as though watching a movie! I had hoped for a better ending, but alas, history is not so kind. Nonetheless, I highly recommend this book to history buffs, and especially to those with an interest in notable Japanese figures. Christopher was an incredible human being for all he experienced and (even if indirectly) did for society and international relations today. Banzai, Christopher! I am not ashamed to admit I shed a tear at the end of this story...

P.S. I chuckled quite a bit at the letters from Elizabeth I to Hideyoshi in Japan...what a treat to read those!

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable book about sea exploration in Elizabethan times, focusing, at times, on the lives of a small group of young men from Japan. One of them, whose life was upended numerous times from birth to schooling with Jesuits, taken captive by Spanish and then by English privateers, became the first from Japan to set foot in North America, and then England. This scantly facted tale is used as a thread to weave the stories of rapid European expansionism and imperialism. No punches pulled, the brutality of this era is not glorified for 'ye ole england' nor any other countries' seekers of riches. Colonialization never looked so bad.

[Ernest Spoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating investigation of one of those corners of history that has farther ranging consequences than it appears at the time. I have never read of a "Christopher," a young Japanese man who found himself in Elizabethan England; became something of a minor celebrity while living there, only to die, perhaps in Brazil, on what can only be described as a fool's errand.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in obscure history and tales of seafaring survival. It is suitable for readers as young as middle school as well as geezer, such as myself.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at history through a lens seldom seen, at least by me. I read about these terrible (to me) voyages men set out upon and that so much of it was for just pure greed is horrifying. Not to mention that many if not most of the sailors aboard these absolute nightmare cruises from hell didn't sign up for it - they were impressed, abducted, enslaved, or just lied to. An enlightening and entertaining read.

[Alaine Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction story introduces us to a Japanese indentured servant(in Manila)-who becomes part of an English ship crew sailing back to Elizabethan England. While not much time of the novel is spent in England-it's really an introduction to life on the high seas in the mid 1600's when the world is being explored by ships.

[Arnold Grot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Communication was not easy in the late 16th century. Gentleman from Japan exposes the difficulties and portrays implications for existing let alone exploration and commerce. Life in the ‘80’s had different meanings.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of Thomas Cavendish, the Navigator's trips around South America which included the capture of a Spanish ship off the coast of California which included two Japanese and several Philepino sailors. They then returned to England with Cavendish.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is fine but it suffers from the same problem his previous work on an African samurai did. There is not enough known about the central figure and thus a lot of this is general history or speculation.

[MonkeyBusiness · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's an interesting read, but there's way too much speculation here for this book to be considered biographical. It's more of a history of the time and place with an obscure character thrown in. I had similar objection to African Samurai.

[Robert Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story that does a good job showing the importance of 16th century trade and exploration for both Europe and Asia. My only complaint is the story, at times, loses focus and veers off course (pun intended).

[Madelaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This true story kept my attention until the bitter end. Excellent research. I recommend

[F Gato · Rating 3 out of 5]

History is a bitch.

[Olga Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowing the unknown is quite as nice
As bringing back some gold and precious spice.

[Rei A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because the unknown history of a Japanese sailor being in Tudor England is compelling and I like a good narrative history or pop history book every so often, especially if it's an East-meets-West angle. The Age of Sail is a very adventurous time of men setting out to discover the world, trying (in England's case) to find passages to Asia that don't involve Spain or Portugal. There's piracy, double crossing, capturing hostages, sea battles, mutinies, and leaving people on random beaches to Robinson Crusoe themselves.

My quibbles with this book are that parts of read like fiction. The author ascribes thoughts to Christopher, the Japanese gentleman of the title, and to others through this book because the historical record is scanty when it comes to Christopher; we're not even sure exactly how old he was, where in Japan he was from, or what his original Japanese name was. And ascribing thoughts and feelings to historical people when we simply cannot know them felt strange to me, in a work that is supposed to be non-fiction. But because there's so little solid historical record to go by, the book felt padded. I came away from this book with a more expansive view of how global the world was, even in 1589, and at how afraid and adventurous one had to be to be an explorer in those days, because most likely, you were going to freeze, drown, be killed, or "be lost at sea."

[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher, born in Japan during The Age of the Country at War while Queen Elizabeth I was ruling the other side of the world, led an incredible, yet largely forgotten, life. Thomas Lockley remedies that unfortunate situation in his incredible book, A Gentleman from Japan: The Untold Story of an Incredible Journey from Asia to Queen Elizabeth’s Court. Christopher, with no memories of his parents, was probably a child pirate on a Chinese ship (where he learned how to read and write Chinese characters) and then as a crew member of the Spanish ship, the Santa Ana. His life changed forever when an English pirate in service of Queen Elizabeth, Thomas Cavendish, relieves the Santa Ana of its cargo off the coast of California. In addition to capturing goods ultimately worth one-third of the entire annual royal budget, Cavendish recognizes that the Japanese seaman Christopher is also a treasure. In a bizarre twist of fate, Christopher is elevated to the status of “gentleman”, and after the Desire sails into England in 1587, he is even introduced to Queen Elizabeth I. But that’s not all. Christopher’s identity continues to be reinvented as he also becomes known as a naturalist, a scientist, and a spy.

This well-researched book would be of huge interest to anyone interested in Japanese history and in history related to piracy on the high seas. Even though it is non-fiction, it has all the makings of a blockbuster movie. Who doesn’t love a good pirate story, especially when it is based on true facts?

[Chapter Chirp (Jessica)]

Thomas Lockley’s, “A Gentleman from Japan” was a well researched historical non-fiction read. This book descriptively narrates life as a privateering pirate in the Age of Exploration. The book also follows the plundering adventures of Englishman, Thomas Cavendish and the long-forgotten Japanese gentleman Christopher. This story shares a vast plethora of historical facts and details that will definitely satisfy anyone looking for a fantastic historical read or a realistic perspective of a privateer during this era.
Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.