Jan Joosten
Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (* around 1560 in Holland ; † 1623 drowned in the South China Sea , Jan Joosten for short ) was second mate and one of the shipmates of the better-known William Adams on his voyage to Japan on the Dutch ship Liefde .
Early time in Japan
Similar to William Adams, Jan Joosten became a confidante of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu . He was an advisor on foreign and military affairs and contributed to the development of relations with Holland and England, thereby weakening the influence of Portugal and Spain.
His Japanese name was Yayōsu ( Japanese 耶 楊子 ), derived from the first syllables of his name in Japanese Yan Yōsuten . For his services he was given a house in Edo (today's Tokyo ) in part of the city. This was later named after him and is called Yaesu in today's pronunciation.
Trade between Japan and Southeast Asia
Jan Joosten is said to have made a fortune trading between Japan and Southeast Asia . He operated several Red Seal ships under the license from Ieyasu. At a point in time after 1621 Jan Joosten is said to have owned ten Red Seal ships. It is reported by Dutch traders in Ayutthaya , Siam (now Thailand ) that he was sighted aboard richly laden junks in 1613 .
It is also reported that he was on one of his ships in India with the Japanese adventurer and writer Tenjiku Tokubei . Jan Joosten is said to have had a choleric temper and got drunk, so that he was no longer welcome at court.
Joosten drowned in the South China Sea when the ship sank in 1623, on which he wanted to return to Japan from a trade trip to Batavia in Indonesia .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Joosten, Jan |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Dutch seaman and trader |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1560 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Holland |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1623 |
| Place of death | South China Sea |