At first Ingen sent his disciple YARAN Shokei (也嬾性圭) off, but he was killed in a shipwreck on his way to Japan, so Ingen had to bring himself to Japan aboard a ship Seiko TEI (鄭成功) prepared with many disciples in tow in 1654.
当初、隠元は弟子の也嬾性圭を派遣したが、途中船が座礁して客死したことから、やむなく承応3年(1654年)に、隠元自ら、鄭成功が仕立てた船に乗り、多くの弟子を率いて来日した。