1. Yamada Nagamasa was a Japanese adventurer who gained considerable influence in the Ayutthaya Kingdom at the beginning of the 17th century and became the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, which is on the Malay Peninsula in present-day Southern Thailand.
From 1617 until his death in 1630, Yamada Nagamasa was head of the Thai village referred to as Ban Yipun in the Thai language.
Yamada Nagamasa is said to have been a palanquin bearer for the lord of Numazu.
Yamada Nagamasa became involved in Japanese trade activities with Southeast Asia during the period of the red seal ships and settled in the Ayutthaya Kingdom around 1612.
Yamada Nagamasa is alleged to have carried on the business of a privateer from the period of 1620, attacking and plundering Dutch ships in and around Batavia.
Stories of Yamada burying his treasure on the east coast of Australia persist but it is highly unlikely that Yamada would have ventured into that area as there were no trade routes in this region and the only ships to venture to this region were the ones blown off course during the summer storms.
Furthermore, Yamada Nagamasa would have passed thousands of islands in the Torres Strait and Coral Sea and these would have provided safekeeping for any treasure and avoided a very long recovery voyage in the future.
Yamada Nagamasa became the head of the Japanese colony, and in this position supported the military campaigns of King Songtham, at the head of a Japanese army flying the Japanese flag.
Yamada Nagamasa fought successfully, and was finally nominated Ligor, in the southern peninsula in 1630, accompanied by 300 samurai.
Yamada Nagamasa stayed in Japan for three years, trying to obtain a Red Seal permit, but finally left in 1627, with the simple status of a foreign ship.
In 1626, Yamada Nagamasa offered a painting of one of his warship to a temple of his hometown in Shizuoka.
The ship was released once the identity of the owner became clear, since the Dutch knew that Yamada Nagamasa was held in great respect by the King of Siam, and they did not wish to enter into a diplomatic conflict.
Yamada Nagamasa was valued by the Dutch as a supplier of deer hide, and they invited him to trade more with Batavia.
In 1629, Yamada Nagamasa visited Japan with a delegation from King Songtham.
Yamada Nagamasa soon travelled back to Siam, but became involved in a succession war following the death of the King Songtham by Prasat Thong.
Yamada Nagamasa now rests in his hometown in the area of Otani.