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The Yomiuri Shimbun Ceremony participants bow in front of a memorial monument in Usuki, Oita Prefecture.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
14:34 JST, May 10, 2025
USUKI, Oita — A ceremony was recently held to mark the day when the Liefde, a Dutch ship carrying British navigator William Adams (Japanese name: Miura Anjin), is said to have arrived on Kuroshima, a remote island in Usuki, Oita Prefecture, in 1600.
The annual ceremony, which has been held by the Usuki Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2017, was held on April 19 beside the island’s commemorative monument with about 40 people in attendance.
The Yomiuri Shimbun A model of the Liefde ship on display at the Liefde museum on Kuroshima Island
The Liefde washed ashore on the coast of the island on April 19, 1600, according to the chamber of commerce. Surviving crew members and others were looked after by local people, saving 18 lives. Adams served as a diplomatic advisor to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Messages from the British Consul General in Osaka and the Consul General of the Netherlands in Osaka were read at the ceremony. Participants honored the deceased and shared their wish for Japan to continue friendly relations with Britain and the Netherlands.
This year marks the 425th anniversary of the start of exchanges between Japan and the Netherlands. A special exhibition will be held at Osaka Castle in May to coincide with the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, which will feature the relationship between the city and the Liefde.
“The city is the place where exchanges between Japan, the Netherlands and Britain began. In this commemorative year, we want to once again highlight at home and abroad how Usuki has been an international city,” said Kyoji Kotegawa, chairman of the chamber of commerce.
