This template doesn't support hiding the navigation bar.

  • *** NOTE: Speakers are needed for 2026.

    Please contact Patricia Yarrow at: yarrowp@gmail.com

    NEXT INFORMASIA LECTURE

    Informasia #10, October 20, 2025

    Thomas Lockley

    "A Gentleman from Japan"

    Vimeo video: posted October 21, 2025


    Audio link still on my Google Drive: posted October 21, 2025

    Informasia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/307236340460985

    Abstract

    “A Gentleman from Japan” is the first book to focus on thebeginning of relations between Japan and the English-speaking world between 1587 and 1592. It follows the life of 'Christopher' (as the English named him), an enslaved Japanese man in service to the Spanish who was captured by English pirates off California and taken to London.

    The pirate commander, Thomas Cavendish, cleverly presented Christopher and his four colleagues as noblemen, introducing them to the elite of England. When this deception was uncovered, the narrative took a dramatic turn, and Christopher's role transformed into that of a 'naturalist,' a term we would now equate to a scholar or scientist. Christopher's contributions to the emerging English scientific community included advice on Chinese compass
    construction, translating groundbreaking sea charts, and the first recorded writing of Japanese script in England.

    The tale of Christopher, largely forgotten and never fullyrecounted until now, is a testament to the enduring impact of a Japanese visitor to the English-speaking world. A Gentleman from Japan delves into the early-modern cross-cultural endeavour, intellectual exchange, perseverance, espionage, enslavement, and the challenges and hardships of Elizabethan seafaring. It presents an extraordinary sea story that upends the narrative of
    the Age of Exploration.

    Our Speaker

    Thomas Lockley is an Associate Professor at NihonUniversity, where he researches and teaches themes related to the international
    history of Japan, especially those stories that have slipped between the cracks of recorded history. He has published numerous papers, contributed to Ministry of Education (MEXT) approved textbooks, and written several books.

    E-mail: lockleyta@gmail.com

    “A Gentleman from Japan: The Untold Story of an Incredible Journey from Asia to Queen Elizabeth's Court (2024)”

    Available in hardback and e-copy:

    Hardcover

    ISBN-10 1335016716

    ISBN-13 978-1335016713

    423 pages

    Published May 21, 2024 by Hanover Square Press

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  • NEWS

    The news is that I am focused this summer 2025 on mastering this Informasia website.

    Right now, I am combing through the current layout and updating it.

    Once everything is order in a few days, I have arranged to contact the fine Support team at Strikingly, Informasia's web host.

    We will discuss the correct template going forward. A reasonable fee is involved.

    The current template is a long page with sections.

    That must change to individual pages. No more endless scrolling!

    Actually, I am excited to have reached this stage after four years.

    Looks like Informasia has a community and continuity!

    August 4, 2025 /Patricia Yarrow

  • BOOKS

    Books by former Informasia lecturers. Updating goal: Display books in order of Informasia presentations, and information on the publication source. In progress as of August 2025/PY

    Charles De Wolf
    Andrew Fitzsimons - February
    Pierre-Emmanuel Bachelet
    Robert Morton

  • ARTICLES

    George Sioris, "The Silk and the Gold: Correcting the Course of Asian Studies", 2024

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GohZo59InVYEU3E5cPgSw4dg1WU5LxmU/view?usp=sharing

    George Sioris, "The Creation of the World, Martyrdom et.al." 2025

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uzoYGXRpzM5xYEUkhcyKzdrld3EvnCiv/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105775447281122203523&rtpof=true&sd=true

    *Both articles are temporarily stored on Patricia Yarrow's Shared Google Drive.

    There is a way to add the document, which I will attend to soon. August 2025/PY

    *

  • Contact Us

    Would you like to join Informasia's e-mail list? It is easy and there are just a few notices.

    Every month, there are three short Reminders of the approaching lecture of the month, and a longer follow-up Report shortly after the meeting.

    Any comments and questions are most welcome. This website is very much in progress as of August 2025. /Patricia Yarrow

  • Support Informasia by inviting friends to join our Zoom meetings, always on the third Monday of every month.

    Check us out on Facebook for announcements of the next meeting, as an "Event".

    Informasia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/307236340460985

    Other Social Media (SMS) under developement. We do have a bluesky account, which is not active yet.

    More thoughts on this soon.

    Any suggestions, most welcome. Please send them to Patricia Yarrow at yarrowp@gmail.com

  • *

    *

    *

    *

  • ABOUT INFORMASIA

    Informasia launch

    May 2020

    Chaos ruled and all compass points were lost in the onslaught of the newly arrived worldwide COVID pandemic. In April, as all university classes moved to Zoom, Patricia Yarrow was gazing blankly from her Ryogoku (Tokyo) veranda. Bereft of meeting companions, academically informative monthly lectures, and friendly discussions, inspiration struck on that spring day. “We could do this on Zoom!”

    A flurry of messaging later, a core group of eight castaways met (safely on Zoom) on 25 May 2020 to toss ideas around. Alex Byrne dreamed up the name “Informasia”, and the vision began coming into focus. Our Informasia ship cast off with an stalwart crew for shores unknown. Since then, our mailing list has grown from 10 to nearly 400. Our Facebook page counts some 280 friends.

    Informasia community

    Thanks to all the friends and colleagues of Informasia in Japan, Asia, Singapore, Maylasia, Australia, New Zealand, throughout the UK and Europe, and the hardy east coast of the USA, our Zoom community, launched June 2020. It has grown steadily ever since. Presentations in 2022 ranged from deeply academic translations of Korea, Japan, China, to research in progress, alarming lockdowns in Shanghai, to tranquil musings on cherry blossoms and ethereal meditations on life between death, with a helping of the foreign politics between China and Japan. If lectures were flowers, our Informasia bouquet would create quite the splashy ikebana display.

    The Informasia logo comes to us from designer Ritsuko Lynch, upon the recommendation of Alex Byrne. She is based in Santa Monica, California, and can be reached at: https://en.99designs.jp/profiles/2313262

    Cookie Use
    We use cookies to ensure a smooth browsing experience. By continuing we assume you accept the use of cookies.
    Learn More