Tanaka Shosuke (田中勝介)
Shosuke(勝介)TANAKA (dates of birth and death unknown) was a trading merchant of Kyoto in the early Edo period.
The first Japanese in the history who landed on the American Continent, and crossed over the Pacific Ocean and returned. Also referred to Shosuke (勝助).
In 1610 receiving a command of Ieyasu TOKUGAWA (the first shogun), he took the same ship as Rodrigo de VIVERO, the governor-general of the Philippines, the former dominion of Spain, on his returning home, and headed for Nueva España (New Spain, present Mexico). The next year he returned home with toreishi (an envoy returning courtesies) Sebastian VIZCAINO who had been sent by Louis de BELASCO, Viceroyalty of New Spain.
It was a voyage to open up commerce with Spain, but he could not reach any specific agreements on the commerce. He presented Hidetada TOKUGAWA (the second shogun) woolen cloth of many colors and wine.