WAC Leaders Visit Temple and Grave in Yokosuka Linked to William Adams

From left: Jodoji Temple's Hideko Hemi and Chief Priest Michio Hemi; WAC Committee Member Simon Farrell; Vice President and Treasurer Yasuhisa Tokugawa; President Emeritus Robin James Maynard MBE; Patron Tim Minton KCVO OBE; Committee Member Thomas Lockley and Secretary Michael Brooke

By Simon Farrell

On December 9, 2025, six leaders of The William Adams Club (WAC) were invited by Chief Priest Michio Hemmi and his family to visit Jodoji Temple in Hemi, Yokosuka, about 60kms south of Tokyo.

We gathered at the well-preserved Kashima Shrine (right), which co-hosts the annual Anjin Festival in September. Established in 1410, it was rebuilt by Adams’ son in 1636 before being moved to the current site in 1895.

The Hemi family then warmly welcomed us to their nearby timber and gold-coloured temple and home. Jodoji Temple was built and dedicated to Adams on land granted by Tokugawa Iyeyasu during Adams’ tenure as lord, and later generously endowed to Hemi by Adams’ business network in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. The one-storey main hall of the temple has been used for memorials and annual festivals since being rebuilt in 1712 after a fire destroyed it in 1688.

WAC President Emeritus Robin James Maynard MBE formally presented to the delighted Hemi family a painting of Adams donated by Somerset artist Nicky Farrell, along with a provenance letter in Japanese translated by Vice President and Treasurer Yasuhisa Tokugawa from the WAC website explaining the background of the official portrait. Committee Member Simon Farrell then handed Chief Priest Hemi a symbolic offering of British beer.

Chief Priest Hemi then gave us a fascinating presentation about Adams and his Hemi fiefdom as we enjoyed colourful snacks and green tea in a formal room overlooking the stunning garden with birds bathing in a small pond.

The Hemi family see it as their divine duty to spread the great name of Adams, so the portrait was gratefully received and placed beside the posthumous tablets of Adams and his wife, which have a place of honor in the temple.

The Hemi family then proudly showed us the treasures of the temple including a Buddhist statue of the Boddhisatva Kannon, often revered by seafarers; palm-leaf scriptures; relics brought from South-east Asia by Adams, and other National and Municipal Important Cultural Properties.

Chief Priest Hemi told the WAC group: “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to you. The gift of Adams' portrait is a great pleasure not only for us, but for the people of Hemi. The achievements of William Adams continue to connect Japan and Britain, even now, more than 400 years later. We would like to continue to convey how much Adams was revered by so many people in Japan. Thank you very much. We look forward to the opportunity to meet you all again.”

Chief Priest Hemi and his wife then escorted us in the steps of Adams up a steep hill to the National Historic Site of Adams' grave, located in a park. Covered in cherry blossoms during the Anjin Festival each Spring, Anjinzuka and the park enjoy dramatic views of busy Yokosuka Harbor. More significantly, though, Anjinzuka holds the grave of Adams and his Japanese wife Oyuki.

In a sombre moment of silence, Chief Priest Hemi prayed for the soul of Adams and his family as we respectfully bowed our heads. After having a good look around, we thanked the two-man maintenance crew before they securely locked the grave compound, and everyone headed home.