Tenjiku Tokubei

Tenjiku Tokubei (Japanese天竺 徳 兵卫, * 1612 in Sendo (船头; Today: Sendo -machi, Takasago -chō, Takasago, Hyōgo Prefecture ); † around 1692 ) was a Japanese adventurer and writer of the early 17th century.

He traveled to Southeast Asia and India, hence his nickname " Tenjiku " (天竺, dt "India "). His father was a salt wholesalers.

At the age of 15 years Tokubei was hired in 1626 by a trading company in Kyoto. He pursued commercial activities in Siam (Thailand) and Magadha (India) on board Japanese Rotsiegelschiffe. It is also narrated that he was with the Dutch adventurer January Joosten in India and there engaged in trade.

After his return to Japan and the beginning of the isolation policy ( Sakoku ) Tokubei wrote an essay titled Tenjiku Tōkai Monogatari (German tales of trips to India ) about his adventures in foreign countries, which was very popular in Japan. It is sometimes referred to as the Marco Polo Japan. He died at the age of 80 in his hometown.

The Kabuki - figure

Tenjiku Tokubei was a well-known figure of Kabuki and Bunraku by Jōruri in, where he held the role of a magician. He was a popular topic of woodcuts of the 18th and 19th centuries. In September 1795 Sawamura Kunitaro I played the role of Tokubeis woman in the Kabuki play Tenjiku Tokubei Kikigaki Orai, the role of Tenjiku Tokubei was Arashi Koroku III. embodies. Today is " Tokubei " also the name of a chain of Kaiten Zushi - restaurants, which operates 49 pubs in Japan ( June 2005).