Nakahama Manjiro (AKA John Mung) Was shipwrecked on the island when he was 14 after his fishing boat got caught in a savage storm.
He was rescued by a passing American fishing vessel which took him and his friends to the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Manjiro decided he wished to stay on with the ship, and the captain took him back to America. There the boy was given the name John Mung, and he studied English, navigation, and was apprenticed to be a cooper.
He later joined the California Gold Rush, and after making 600 pieces of silver, decided to find his way back to Japan.
Due to Japan’s isolationist policies, it was a risky endeavor, but Manjiro bought his own ship and made the journey.
After returning, he was questioned by the government, and eventually was summoned to the Shogun, and made a samurai.
He was instrumental in helping translate with negotiations when Commodore Perry showed up in order to open the country to trade.
