In 1841, a fisherman from Tosa Province by the name of Manjiro (later John Manjiro NAKAHAMA), lost in the middle of the ocean while fishing was rescued by an American whale ship at Torishima Island (Hachijo Division) and safely continued on to Hawaii, arriving in Massachusetts in 1843 and returning to Japan via California in 1851.
1841年土佐国の漁師万次郎（後のジョン万次郎中浜万次郎）が漁の最中に遭難、漂着した鳥島(八丈支庁)でアメリカの捕鯨船に救助されハワイに渡航、1843年にマサチューセッツ州に渡り、カリフォルニア州を経由し、1851年、琉球経由で日本に帰国。