ジョン万次郎の決して諦めない生き方

8月にジョン万次郎の生誕地である土佐清水市に伺う機会があり、その生き方に触れ、荒々しい太平洋を眺めながら強烈なパワーを頂いて帰りました。

折しも再来年の大河ドラマの主人公が「ジョン万次郎」に決定したばかりで土佐清水市の市内はいたるところでのぼり旗が立てられ盛り上がりをみせていましたが、

その一方でやはり多くの方は名前は聞いたことがあるけれど、どのようなことをした人なのか知らない方も多いのではないでしょうか。

本名は中浜万次郎。四国の最南端、現在の土佐清水市の出身。
9歳の時に父親が亡くなり、病弱な母と兄の代わりに漁に出て家族を助けていましたが、14歳の時、太平洋に漁に出て遭難。無人島に漂着し、143日間もの間飢えに苦しみながら生活していたところアメリカの捕鯨船に助けられ、船長の養子となりその後アメリカで生活をしていました。

当時鎖国をしていた日本に帰ることは不可能と言われていた時代。日本に帰れば死罪になるかもしれないという絶望の中、英語を学び、測量、航海術を学びながら母に会いたい一心で命がけで帰国を果たしました。

江戸時代末期、開国を迫られ緊迫した外交情勢の中、アメリカに詳しいジョン万次郎が日本とアメリカの架け橋となり力を注いできました。

ジョン万次郎の知識や経験は同じ土佐出身の坂本竜馬などにも大きな影響を与え、ジョン万次郎がいなければ、おそらく日本の歴史も変わっていたことでしょう。

14歳という若さで無人島で生き延び、言葉も通じない異国で差別を受けながら生活をし、その後命がけで日本に帰国ができたことは奇跡というほかありませんが、

やはりそこには「決して諦めてはいけない。諦めなければ必ずチャンスが来る」という母からの教えと強い精神力により運命を切り拓いたのではないかと思います。

ジョン万次郎の生き方は夢や希望を見失った若い人にも勇気を与え、先が見えない日本の未来に明るく光りを照らしてくれることでしょう。

再来年の大河ドラマ、主人公は山崎賢人さん。どのような脚本になるのか大変待ち遠しいですね。

“John Manjiro: A Life of Never Giving Up”

In August, I had the opportunity to visit Tosashimizu City—the birthplace of John Manjiro. Immersing myself in the story of his life and gazing out at the wild Pacific Ocean, I returned home filled with a tremendous sense of energy.

It just so happened that John Manjiro had recently been selected as the protagonist for the major NHK historical drama series (Taiga drama) airing the year after next. Consequently, the city was buzzing with excitement, with promotional banners flying everywhere.

At the same time, however, while many people recognize his name, I suspect that few actually know the details of his life or what he accomplished.

His real name was Nakahama Manjiro, and he was from the southernmost tip of Shikoku—present-day Tosashimizu City.
After his father passed away when he was nine, he took to the sea to fish and support his family, helping his sickly mother and older brother. However, at the age of fourteen, he was shipwrecked while fishing in the Pacific. He washed ashore on an uninhabited island, where he survived for 143 days while suffering from starvation. He was eventually rescued by an American whaling ship, adopted by its captain, and went on to live in the United States.

This was an era when returning to Japan—then under a policy of national isolation—was considered impossible. Facing the despair of knowing that returning might mean execution, he learned English, surveying, and navigation, all while driven by a desperate longing to see his mother again; ultimately, he risked his life to make the journey home.

During the tense diplomatic climate at the end of the Edo period—when Japan was being pressured to open its borders—John Manjiro leveraged his knowledge of the United States to serve as a bridge between the two nations.

His knowledge and experiences deeply influenced figures such as Sakamoto Ryoma—who also hailed from Tosa—and it is likely that the course of Japanese history would have been vastly different had John Manjiro not existed. Surviving on an uninhabited island at the tender age of fourteen, living in a foreign land where he faced discrimination due to the language barrier, and then making a life-or-death journey back to Japan—his story can only be described as a miracle.

Yet, I believe he was able to carve out his own destiny thanks to his mother’s teaching—”Never give up; if you don’t give up, a chance will surely come”—and his own indomitable spirit.

John Manjiro’s way of life offers courage to young people who may have lost sight of their dreams and hopes, and it surely casts a bright light on the uncertain future of Japan.

Kento Yamazaki will star as the protagonist in the *Taiga* drama airing the year after next; I am eagerly looking forward to seeing what the script will be like.