Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Samuarai


Below I mentioned Endo's Book The Samuarai.

Part of the book can be read on googlebooks

the story is a fictionalized account of the life of Hasekura Tsunenaga
picture via Wikipedia: Hasekura's portrait during his mission in Rome in 1615, by Claude Deruet, Coll. Borghese, Rome

and awhile back I wrote about Korean Admiral Yi and the genocidal invasion of Korea by Japan; and yes, Tsunenaga served there:
It is also recorded that Hasekura served as samurai of the Japanese invasion of Korea under the Taiko Toyotomi Hideyoshi, during six months in 1597.
It is also recorded that Hasekura served as samurai of the Japanese invasion of Korea under the Taiko Toyotomi Hideyoshi, during six months in 1597.

there is no film on his life, but the voyage also served as an inspiration for Gisaku, a scifi/fantasy film on a medieval Samurai in modern Spain. link

If you read the biography, you'll note that they traveled via the Philippines and then Mexico to go to Spain. This is why many of the Philippines "Spanish" links are actually Mexican/Spanish links.

And then there is this:

Approximately 700 inhabitants of Coria del Río bear the surname Japón (originally Hasekura de Japón), identifying them as descendants of the members of Hasekura Tsunenaga's delegation.[32]


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