In the year 1600, a bedraggled English sailor and his sick and dying crewmates anchored off the coast of Kyushu, Japan. His name was William Adams, and over the next two decades, he would rise through the ranks of Japanese society to become the first Western samurai. As a close advisor to the revered shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Adams was a first-hand witness to a defining period in Japanese history.
To hear about Adams' remarkable life, Dan is joined by Frederik Cryns, author of In the Service of the Shogun: The Real Story of William Adams and historical advisor for the Disney+ series, Shōgun.
Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/.
We'd love to hear from you- what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
Sportswashing and the Nazi Olympics
Life in Tudor England
A Short History of The World
Atlantis: Deciphering The Truth
Owain Glyndwr and The Welsh Revolt
The Legacy of Rome
Plagues
A Short History of Scotland and England's Union
Kings and Queens: Villains, Heroes and Rulers
Central Park: What Lies Beneath
Rogue Heroes: Veteran of the SAS
Medieval Pubs
The Budget: Britain's Financial Crisis Explained
Band of Brothers: A New Discovery
Band of Brothers: Yanks in Britain
Sunken Swedish Warship Discovered!
Lost Recordings from the Front Line
The Crown: A Short History of British Monarchy
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Origins of Modern Iran
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
History Extra podcast
Gone Medieval
The Ancients
Battleground
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society