Rodrigo de Vivero, 1st Count of Valle de Orizaba facts for kids

Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia (born 1564, died 1636) was an important Spanish noble. He was known for being the 13th governor of the Philippines. He held this role from 1608 to 1609. Rodrigo was born in Tecamachalco, which was part of New Spain (now Mexico). His father was also a Spanish officer, and his mother was the widow of a conquistador, a Spanish explorer and soldier.

Governing the Philippines

Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia became the temporary governor of the Philippines on June 15, 1608. He served until April 1609.

Dealing with Challenges

While he was in Manila, Rodrigo faced a big challenge. There were some Japanese communities in the Philippines, especially in an area called Dilao, that were causing trouble. He decided to send some of the Japanese people back to Japan. He also put rules in place to control trade.

Soon after, Rodrigo received messages from William Adams. Adams was working for Tokugawa Ieyasu, a powerful leader in Japan. Ieyasu wanted to start direct trade with New Spain. Rodrigo and Ieyasu exchanged friendly letters. This was the official start of relations between Japan and New Spain.

End of His Term

Rodrigo's time as governor of the Philippines ended in April 1609. After this, he was given the title of Count of Valle. He also became the governor and captain-general of Panama.

Journey to Japan

On September 30, 1609, Rodrigo was on his way back to New Spain. His ship, the San Francisco, was caught in a storm and shipwrecked in Japan. This happened near Iwawada in Kazusa Province (which is now Onjuku, Chiba). There were 373 people on board.

Rodrigo had been traveling with two other ships. One ship, the Santa Ana, made it safely to another Japanese harbor. But the other ship, the San Antonio, disappeared. Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia stayed in Japan for nine months. He met with many important Japanese officials. A person named Luis Sotelo helped him communicate.

Leaving Japan

Rodrigo left Japan in August 1610. He sailed on a ship called the San Buena Ventura, which was built by William Adams. He could have left on the Santa Ana, but he wanted to travel with the Japanese people. He hoped this would help them be welcomed in New Spain.

Twenty-three Japanese representatives traveled with him. They were led by a trader from Kyoto named Tanaka Shōsuke. These Japanese travelers were the first recorded Japanese people to cross the Pacific Ocean. A Franciscan priest named Alonso Muños also joined them. He was the official messenger from Tokugawa Ieyasu. His job was to talk about trade with the Spanish leaders. The Japanese leader also gave them money for the trip.

Treaty with Japan

During his stay, Rodrigo made an agreement with the Japanese. He offered special rights for a Spanish shipyard and a naval base in eastern Japan. In return, Spain would get to trade across the Pacific. Japan would also get help with silver mining technology from Mexico. Rodrigo also asked for maps of the Japanese coasts. He wanted Catholic priests to be free to do their work. He also asked for the Dutch to be sent away from Japan.

Luis de Velasco, who was the viceroy of New Spain, welcomed the 23 Japanese travelers. He was very happy with how the Spanish sailors had been treated in Japan. He decided to send an official group to Japan. This group was led by the famous explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno.

Vizcaíno also had two other tasks. He needed to return the money that the Japanese leader had lent them. He also had to look for "gold and silver islands" that were thought to be east of Japan. He left for Japan on March 22, 1611. After another shipwreck, he eventually returned in 1613. He came back on a Japanese-built ship called the San Juan Bautista. On this ship was the first official Japanese group to visit the Americas and Europe. This group was led by Hasekura Tsunenaga.

See also

In Spanish: Rodrigo de Vivero para niños