Yamada Torajirō
Japanese merchant and tea master / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Yamada Torajirō (Japanese: 山田寅次郎, Hiragana: やまだ とらじろう; August 23, 1866 – February 13, 1957) was a Japanese businessman and tea master who is considered to have laid the foundation of Japanese-Turkish relations.[1] He was one of the first Japanese people to convert to Islam and make the Hajj to Mecca, and he changed his name to Abdülhalil, later changing it to Yamada Sōyū (Japanese: 山田宗有) after 1923.
Yamada Torajirō 山田 寅次郎 | |
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Born | August 23, 1866 |
Died | February 13, 1957 (Aged 90) |
Other names | Yamada Sōyū (山田 宗有) |
Occupation(s) | Tea master, Businessman |
He arrived in Istanbul in 1892, where he donated to the families of the victims of the sinking of the Turkish frigate Ertuğrul. He remained there for 13 years, finally going back to Japan in 1905.[2] Although he was not able to ensure Japanese political or economic interests in Istanbul, his activity was the beginning of a period of intensification of contact between the two countries. He acted as a Honorary Consul, helped introduce the Turks to Japanese culture and wrote many books about Turkey after returning to Japan. His work is considered a fundamental basis of amicable Japan–Turkey relations.