This is a list of foreign-born people who became

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

in Japan.

Definition

In this list, Japan means the

Japanese archipelago The Japanese archipelago (Japanese: 日本列島, ''Nihon rettō'') is a group of 6,852 islands that form the country of Japan, as well as the Russian island of Sakhalin. It extends over from the Sea of Okhotsk in the northeast to the East Chin ...

. The word ''samurai'' has had a variety of meanings historically; here it is taken to mean 'those who serve in close attendance to the nobility'. This list includes the following people. * Foreign soldiers and generals who served daimyō directly during the

Sengoku period The was a period in History of Japan, Japanese history of near-constant civil war and social upheaval from 1467 to 1615. The Sengoku period was initiated by the Ōnin War in 1467 which collapsed the Feudalism, feudal system of Japan under the ...

(1467–1615) and Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600) before the unification of Japan by

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

. In this period, many emerging forces like

Jizamurai The were lords of smaller rural domains in feudal Japan.Harold Britho, 'The Han', in John Whitney Hall, ed., ''The Cambridge History of Japan, volume 4: Early Modern Period'' (Cambridge UP, 1988), 183–234, They often used their relatively sma ...

call themselves samurai. Hideyoshi himself was born as a son of a peasant-

ashigaru were infantry employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ''ashigaru'' was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period) that the use of ''ashigaru'' became prevalent by various ...

. The definition of samurai was obscure in those periods * The Tokugawa shogunate did not confiscate swords from farmers and townspeople, who could continue to wear daisho until 1683. Many would keep wearing wakizashi on a daily basis after then. After the middle of the 18th century, they were still worn during special events such as travel, weddings, and funerals. This lasted until the Meiji Restoration. * Foreign-born people who served the Tokugawa shogun and were granted a status higher than ''

Hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the shogunates in Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred to as '' gokenin.'' Howev ...

''. * In the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...

(1603-1867), foreign-born people who served ''daimyō'' and granted a status higher than ''koshō'' ( :ja:小姓, page). * In the

, foreign-born people who served ''daimyō'' and were given salary of '' koku'' The following people are treated as "people who could be foreign-born samurai". * "Foreign-born samurai" whose existence is uncertain. * Foreign-born people who served samurai, whose occupations were unclear. * Foreign-born people who were given territory or rice as salary by lords, whose occupations were unclear. This list excludes the following people. * Samurai of foreign ancestry born in Japan. * Foreign-born people who served samurai and allowed to wear two swords but was not given territory or salary of koku. All men from samurai class were permitted to wear

daishō The —literally "big-little"—is a Japanese term for a matched pair of traditionally made Japanese swords (''nihonto'') worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan. Description The etymology of the word ''daishō'' becomes apparent when the ...

. However, people from other social classes were sometimes allowed to wear swords. For example, Hijikata Toshizō, the famous swordsman and vice-commander of

Shinsengumi The was a special police force organized by the (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863. It was active until 1869. It was founded to protect the shogunate representatives in Kyoto at a time wh ...

was born as a son of a farmer. Even though he wore daishō and engaged in police activity, he couldn't gain the title of the official retainer of bakufu until 1867. * Foreign-born people who served samurai in other occupations, for example

Confucianist Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

or medical doctor. * Foreign-born people who served samurai as

oyatoi gaikokujin The foreign employees in Meiji Japan, known in Japanese as ''O-yatoi Gaikokujin'' (Kyūjitai: , Shinjitai: , "hired foreigners"), were hired by the Japanese government and municipalities for their specialized knowledge and skill to assist in the ...

, not Japanese-style soldiers.

Foreign-born samurai

People who could be foreign-born samurai

;Foreign-born people who were given a territory. * Seal of Ming dynasty

Kawaminami Rishin (汾陽理心): Retainer of the

Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in cont ...

, who was given 597 koku. He was born as 郭国安 (Japanese pronunciation: Kaku Kokuan) in the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

. He made a journey to Japan in 1559. Later he was scouted by

Shimazu Yoshihisa was a powerful ''daimyō'' and the 16th Chief of Shimazu clan of Satsuma Province, the eldest son of Shimazu Takahisa. He is a renowned as a great general, who managed to subjugate Kyushu through the deft maneuvering of his three brothers. Eventu ...

, daimyō of Satsuma as retainer. During the Imjin war, he went to Joseon as the officer in charge of letters. He was said to hold secret communications with Ming at that time. Later, he served the Satsuma domain using his medical knowledge.,87-88頁 In 1598, Rishin appeared in Chinese document as Japanese general. * Seal of Ming dynasty

Kyo Gigo (許儀後): Physician to

, who was given 410 koku.,107頁 He was the bureaucrat of

Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...

of the

. In 1571, he was captured by

wokou ''Wokou'' (; Japanese: ''Wakō''; Korean: 왜구 ''Waegu''), which literally translates to "Japanese pirates" or "dwarf pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 16th century.

, and brought to

Satsuma Province was an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Satsuma" in . Its abbreviation is . History Satsuma's provincial capital was Satsumasendai. D ...

. He was scouted by Yoshihisa there. He went to Joseon with him during the Imijin war. ;Other possible foreign-born samurai * Flag of the Papal States (1825-1870)

Yamashina Katsunari (山科勝成): He was born in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

and served

Gamō Ujisato or Gamō Yasuhide was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Sengoku and Azuchi–Momoyama periods. He was heir and son of Gamō Katahide, lord of Hino Castle in Ōmi Province, he later held Matsusaka ( Ise Province) and finally Aizuwakamatsu Castle i ...

as retainer. It is said that the Gamō clan sent an embassy to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

with the help of Katsunari. But his existence is highly questioned. * Coat of Arms of Joseon Korea

Kawasaki Seizō: Born as 李達越 in Joseon. His

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theob ...

was 宗歓. During the Imjin war, he was active from behind as a Japanese

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tangib ...

.,734-735頁 As reward, he was allowed to wear swords and given salary by Naoshige. Later he became a merchant, and built a town in Saga now called Toujinchō. * Coat of Arms of Joseon Korea

Hoshiyama Chūji:Born as 金海(Kim Hae) in Joseon. He was a potter brought to Japan by

. He was the founder of

Satsuma ware is a type of Japanese pottery originally from Satsuma Province, southern Kyūshū. Today, it can be divided into two distinct categories: the original plain dark clay made in Satsuma from around 1600, and the elaborately decorated ivory-bodie ...

and allowed to wear two swords. * Coat of Arms of Joseon Korea

Akizuki Tanenobu: Born as Park Won-hyuk (朴元赫) in Joseon. Page (koshō) of Chōsokabe. After Chōsokabe clan had been removed from

Tosa province was a province of Japan in the area of southern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Tosa''" in . Tosa bordered on Awa to the northeast, and Iyo to the northwest. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō sys ...

, he became a renowned Korean style

tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super f ...

merchant.,746-748頁 * Coat of Arms of Joseon Korea

Ryō Murin (梁夢麟): He was born in Joseon. He seemed to be a Chabōzu (choreman) of

Wakisaka Yasuharu (1554 – September 26, 1626), sometimes referred to as Wakizaka Yasuharu, was a ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of Awaji Island who fought under a number of warlords over the course of Japan's Sengoku period. Wakisaka originally served under A ...

.,101頁 In 1617, he returned to Joseon.,121頁 * Coat of Arms of Joseon Korea

Inpuku (允福): Son of 慎忠義 (Japanese pronunciation: Shin Chūgi), military officer of Joseon. He was a

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millenni ...

. Captured during the Imjin war, he won the favor of

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...

. He seemed to be the page of Ieyasu.,67頁 * Coat of Arms of Joseon Korea

Okada Hanzaemon (岡田半左エ門): During the Imjin war, he was brought up by Mōri Motomasa, and became a close adviser of his. But later he was expelled because of a fight and injury. * Coat of Arms of Joseon Korea

unknown: Mori Shimanokami, navy officer of

Hachisuka clan The are descendants of Emperor Seiwa (850-880) of Japan and are a branch of the Ashikaga clan through the Shiba clan (Seiwa Genji). History Ashikaga Ieuji (13th century), son of Ashikaga Yasuuji, was the first to adopt the name Shiba. The Shiba ...

had a retainer born in Joseon. * Seal of Ming dynasty

Watanabe Kotonori (渡辺士式): Born as 孟二寛 (Japanese pronunciation: Mō Jikan) in the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

, he served the

Asano clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan, and the Emperor Seiwa (850-881), the 56th Emperor of Japan. The Main Lineage (''sōke'', 宗家) were Lords (daimyō) of the Hiroshima Domain in Aki Province and another f ...

using his medical knowledge. His grandson, Takebayasi Takashige was a member of the

Forty-seven Ronin 47 (forty-seven) is the natural number following 46 and preceding 48. It is a prime number. In mathematics Forty-seven is the fifteenth prime number, a safe prime, the thirteenth supersingular prime, the fourth isolated prime, and the sixth L ...

. *

Jules Brunet Jules Brunet (2 January 1838 – 12 August 1911) was a French military officer who served the Tokugawa shogunate during the Boshin War in Japan. Originally sent to Japan as an artillery instructor with the French military mission of 1867, he refu ...

(1838–1911) – was a French officer who fought for the

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamak ...

in the Boshin War. Originally a foreign advisor, a

, part of the French military mission to Japan, he later resigned his post from the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

and with a number of other former French officers, officially joined the shogunate. He was the main inspiration behind the character of Captain Nathan Algren in the 2003 movie ''

The Last Samurai ''The Last Samurai'' is a 2003 epic period action drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay with John Logan and Marshall Herskovitz from a story devised by Logan. The film stars Ken Watanabe in the ...

''.''Le dernier samouraï était un capitaine français'' ("The Last Samurai was a French captain"), Samedi, 6 mars 2004, p. G8, Le Soleil. Quoting Christian Polak about

movie. *

André Cazeneuve André Cazeneuve (December 10, 1817 - August 20, 1874) was a French soldier, a horse trainer in the Guard of Emperor Napoleon III with the rank of corporal. He was a member of the first French military mission to Japan in 1867. He served as a cava ...

(December 10, 1817 - August 20, 1874) was a French soldier, a horse trainer in the Guard of Emperor

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

with the rank of corporal. Following the outbreak of the Boshin War, he resigned from the

French army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

and entered the service of the shōgun, along with Jules Brunet. He was commissioned as a captain. * François Bouffier (1844–1881) was a French non-commissioned officer, who in the advent of the Boshin War, and the declaration of neutrality of foreign powers, chose to resign from the French Army and continue the fight on the side of the

Bakufu , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...

. * Jean Marlin (1833–1872) was a French sergeant of the 8th Infantry Battalion. He worked as an instructor for infantry in the army of the shōgun, later resigning form the French Army, officially joining the

. *

Eugène Collache Eugène Collache (29 January 1847 in Perpignan – 25 October 1883 in Paris) was French Navy officer who fought in Japan for the ''shōgun'' during the Boshin War. Arrival in Japan Eugène Collache was an officer of the French Navy in the 19t ...

(29 January 1847 in Perpignan – 25 October 1883 in Paris) was

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

officer who fought in Japan for the shōgun during the Boshin War. Noted for wearing a

kimono The is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn left side wrapped over right, unless the wearer is deceased. The kimono ...

, while japanese samurai transitioned to more western style uniforms. * Arthur Fortant (June 14, 1829 - April 10, 1901) was a sergeant of the French Regiment of the Guard of the field artillery. He resigned from the French Army and joined the Bakufu. *

Henri Nicol Henri Paul Hipolito Nicol was an officer of the French Navy in the 19th century. Based on the ship ''Minerva'' of the French Oriental Fleet, he deserted when the ship was anchored at Yokohama harbour, with his friend Eugène Collache to rally other ...

(birth and death unknown) is a French Navy officer who came to Japan at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. Nicol was tasked with organizing the Navy.

References

{{Expand list, date=January 2016 *

Foreign Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United S ...

Expatriates in Japan

Definition

Foreign-born samurai

People who could be foreign-born samurai

See also

References