William Adams was an English navigator and shipwright who became the first Englishman to reach Japan in 1600. After his ship, the Liefde, was shipwrecked on the coast of Kyūshū, he and his surviving crew were brought before the powerful daimyō and future shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Adams gained Ieyasu's favor, becoming a key advisor on shipbuilding and Western affairs, and was granted the title of samurai. Known in Japan as Miura Anjin (the pilot of Miura), he played a crucial role in establishing trade relations and lived the remainder of his life in Japan.