Sebastián Vizcaíno

Sebastián Vizcaíno was a Spanish merchant who became Spain’s first Ambassador to Japan.

Vizcaíno belonged to the successful mercantile family from Extremadura, Spain. Already close to his 40's, Vizcaíno decided to move to the New World where he made a fortune through shrewd business dealings. He participated in several lucrative trips on ships known as Manila galleons, between New Spain and Manila on Philippines, to trade silver and gold for luxury goods from Orient. In 1593 he also tried to establish a pearl fishery and a settlement in California but he abandoned that project because of severe weather, loss of equipment and supplies, low morale among the settlers, and other difficulties.

Several years later, in 1601, Vizcaíno was appointed in charge of expedition whose aim was to map the Californian coastline and to find a suitable location for establishment of port for Spanish ships on their return voyage from Manilla to Acapulco. The mission ended successfully, and for his merits Vizcaíno was named General of the Manilla Galleons and was given considerable monetary rewards.

His career reached its peak in 1610 when he was appointed Spain’s first Ambassador to Japan. He arrived in Japan in 1611 where he met the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and convinced him to send his ambassadors to Spain. However, this Japan’s first embassy in Europe ended tragically since all five ambassadors were executed on their return to Japan because they converted to Christianity. During his stay in Japan, Vizcaíno tried to find the Islas Ricas, the mythical islands according to the orders he received, but all these efforts were in vain.

He died in Mexico City in 1627 at the age of eighty.