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==Biography==

==Biography==

Born the son of a knife-maker in [[Sunpu]] in [[1590]], Yamada was not of [[samurai]] status. He lost his father while still a child, and after studying at the Meisetsu [[Rinzai]] [[Zen]] temple for a time, he earned a position at age 16 as [[palanquin]]-bearer for Lord Ôkubo Jiemon of [[Numazu castle]]. When Lord Ôkubo passed away with no male heirs, however, the [[han|domain]] was confiscated by the [[Tokugawa shogunate|shogunate]], and Yamada was forced to return home; there, he found that his mother had died as well, and that the family had sold the house and moved to somewhere in the North.

Born the son of a knife-maker in [[Sunpu]] in [[1590]], Yamada was not of [[samurai]] status. According to some sources, his mother may have been from a village called Warashina, near Sunpu, the daughter of Terao Sodaiyu; Nagamasa's father may have been Koya Kyuheiji, Nizaemon, or Kyuzaemon, a man associated in some way with [[Ise Shrine]].

 

Yamada, originally known as Nizaemon, lost his father while still a child, and after studying at the Meisetsu [[Rinzai]] [[Zen]] temple for a time, he earned a position at age 16 as [[palanquin]]-bearer for Lord Ôkubo Jiemon of [[Numazu castle]]. When Lord Ôkubo passed away with no male heirs, however, the [[han|domain]] was confiscated by the [[Tokugawa shogunate|shogunate]], and Yamada was forced to return home; there, he found that his mother had died as well, and that the family had sold the house and moved to somewhere in the North.

Yamada then found a job as a dockworker in [[Sakai]], and in [[1612]] joined the crew of a [[shuinsen|red seal ship]] bound for Siam. Ten weeks later, after stopping at a number of other ports, they arrived at Ayutthaya. [[Kiya Kyuemon|Kiya Kyûemon]], head of the Japantown, took Yamada under his wing. He also began studying Siamese and at least one European language, and soon found a job working as a middleman in the lucrative deerskin trade. At some point while in Siam, or perhaps during his time in Sakai, Yamada Nizaemon took on the name Nagamasa.

Yamada then found a job as a dockworker in [[Sakai]], and in [[1612]] joined the crew of a [[shuinsen|red seal ship]] bound for Siam. Ten weeks later, after stopping at a number of other ports, they arrived at Ayutthaya. [[Kiya Kyuemon|Kiya Kyûemon]], head of the Japantown, took Yamada under his wing. He also began studying Siamese and at least one European language, and soon found a job working as a middleman in the lucrative deerskin trade. At some point while in Siam, or perhaps during his time in Sakai, Yamada Nizaemon took on the name Nagamasa.