{"id":329687,"date":"2025-10-15T10:00:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T14:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=329687"},"modified":"2025-10-14T16:28:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T20:28:55","slug":"hasekura-tsunenaga-a-samurai-in-havana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/hasekura-tsunenaga-a-samurai-in-havana\/","title":{"rendered":"Hasekura Tsunenaga, a samurai in Havana"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Four centuries ago, the first samurai known to have visited Cuba arrived in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/tag\/la-habana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Havana<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">: Hasekura Tsunenaga.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The warrior and navigator landed in what was by then the capital of the island on July 23, 1614. He was en route to Spain, leading a diplomatic embassy from Japan sent by the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada to establish relations with the Spanish crown and the Holy See in Rome.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenaga-cuadro.jpg\" alt=\"Fragment of a portrait of the samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga, painted by the French painter Claude Deruet in 1615.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fragment of a portrait of the samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga, painted by the French painter Claude Deruet in 1615.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The story of Tsunenaga, and in particular his diplomatic mission, is legendary. He arrived in Cuba months after setting sail from Tsukinoura Bay, sailing across the Pacific Ocean and crossing Mexico. His stay in Havana would be brief, but at the same time historic.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Chronicles of that event speak of the surprise the presence of the Japanese samurai and his entourage aroused among the colonial authorities and the people of Havana at the time. Their physical features, their unusual clothing and footwear, and their distinctive swords left no one indifferent.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_15.jpg\" alt=\"Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Havana. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">From Cuba, Tsunenaga continued on to Spain, where he was received by King Philip III and converted to Christianity, although he was unable to secure the trade agreements he had hoped for. During his time in Europe, he also reached the Vatican, where he spent three months as a guest of Pope Paul V.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The samurai began his return to Japan in 1616, after passing through Spain again, and arrived in his country in 1620, seven years after his departure. His mission, known as the Keich\u014d Embassy, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u200b\u200b<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">yielded few practical results at a time when Japan changed course and outlawed Christianity. Tsunenaga\u2019s own end, in 1622, is shrouded in mystery.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_4.jpg\" alt=\"Monument and park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Monument and park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In 2001, almost 400 years after Hasekura Tsunenaga\u2019s arrival in Havana, his presence was immortalized with the erection of a statue in his honor. The monument, located on Avenida del Puerto, is the work of sculptor Tsuchiya Mizuho and is situated in a Japanese-style park near the entrance to the bay.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The sculpture, cast in bronze on a granite pedestal, depicts the samurai in a ceremonial pose, his arm extended holding a fan. The floor points toward Rome, where Tsunenaga traveled on his diplomatic mission, and toward Sendai, his hometown.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Donated by the Sendai Ikue Gakuen School, the work is a symbol of the historical and cultural ties between Cuba and Japan. Photojournalist <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/author\/otmarorodriguez1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> brings it to us in his regular Sunday gallery.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_2.jpg\" alt=\"Monument in Havana to Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Monument in Havana to Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_10.jpg\" alt=\"Monument and park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Monument and park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenaga_otm_13.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_16.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_3.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_17.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_12.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_11.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_14.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_5.jpg\" alt=\"Parque en La Habana en honor a Hasekura Tsunenaga, primer samur\u00e1i en visitar Cuba. Foto: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\" \/><\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_6.jpg\" alt=\"Fragments of the Sendai Castle wall, in the park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fragments of the Sendai Castle wall, in the park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_7.jpg\" alt=\"Fragments of the Sendai Castle wall, in the park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fragments of the Sendai Castle wall, in the park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_8.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 1140px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Hasekura-Tsunenega_otm_9.jpg\" alt=\"Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.\u00a0\" width=\"1140\" height=\"815\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Park in Havana in honor of Hasekura Tsunenaga, the first samurai to visit Cuba. Photo: Otmaro Rodr\u00edguez.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"gtx-trans\" style=\"position: absolute; left: 703px; top: 48.5455px;\">\n<div class=\"gtx-trans-icon\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Japanese warrior landed in the island\u2019s capital in 1614. A statue and a park on Avenida del Puerto commemorate his arrival more than 400 years ago. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3134,"featured_media":329691,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13902,13912],"tags":[22988,19256,35051],"ppma_author":[33546],"class_list":["post-329687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba","category-cuban-history","tag-cuban-history","tag-featured","tag-samurai-in-havana"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Hasekura Tsunenaga, a samurai in Havana | OnCubaNews English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Four centuries ago, the first samurai known to have visited Cuba arrived in Havana: Hasekura Tsunenaga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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