Kumano no Denkichi

• Died: 1860/1/7
• Japanese: 熊野伝吉 (Kumano no Denkichi)

Denkichi was a Bakumatsu era castaway who later became a Japanese-English interpreter in the service of the British legation in Japan.

Denkichi was a member of the crew of the merchant ship Eirikimaru when the ship became caught in a storm and thrown adrift on 1850/10/29. After 53 days adrift, the crew were rescued by the American merchant ship Aukland; on 1851/2/3 (March 5), the rescued castaways came ashore at San Francisco.

By 1859, Denkichi had become an interpreter in service to British consul Rutherford Alcock. He was killed by anti-foreign rebels on 1860/1/7.

References

• Ishin Shiryô Kôyô 維新史料綱要, vol 3, (1937), 256.