The Untold Story Of Yasuke: From Slave To History’s First Black Samurai

The first foreigner to achieve samurai status was a mysterious black man who went by the name Yasuke. He befriended and served Oda Nobunaga, a fearsome feudal lord and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. The fascinating story of Yasuke is the highlight of some of the most iconic events in war-torn Japan. His skills as a warrior, his precision, and his strength made this black samurai a deadly opponent. Here's a quick look at the legendary tale of the first black man to become a samurai. In 1579, an African man arrived in Japan, catching Oda Nobunaga's attention and rising through the warrior class's ranks to become the first foreign samurai in its history. A famous figure in samurai history that is also somewhat of a legend. This is the story of Yasuke, the first black samurai. In 1579, a mysterious black man arrived at the shores of Japan. He was a sensation. People would climb over one another to catch a glimpse of him, even crushing other people to death. This reaction was normal, considering most people in Japan had never seen a black man. A samurai called Matsudaira Latada described the man in his diary. His height was six shaku, two sun. He was black and his skin was like charcoal. Historians believe that Yasuke was 1.82 meters tall, which was overwhelming for most Japanese. That's because the average samurai was very slim and about 1.6 to 1.65 meters in height. Here's a fun fact. Because Buddhist statues during the Sengoku period were typically black, many Japanese believed that Yasuke was a divine visitor, so they would swarm him by the dozens. There's a lot of speculation as to how Yasuke avoided the crowds. Some say he rode a horse after the town broke out in a riot, so he decided to hide in a Jesuit church. But where did this man come from? Not much about Yasuke is known before he arrived in Japan. His birth name, date of birth, and country of origin remain a mystery, but based on the trade relationships between Japan, Africa, and Europe, historians speculate that Yasuke left Africa as a mercenary. He might have been born in what today are known as South Sudan, Mozambique, or Ethiopia. Some believe that he might have come to Japan as a slave and managed to free himself, but experts claim this is highly unlikely. Considering he earned a rank of samurai in less than a year, he must have had some kind of warrior background. Besides, samurais often started training in their early childhood, so Yasuke must have been through a lot to be able to hone his skills. What we do know for sure is that Yasuke came to Japan with Alessandro Valignano, an Italian Jesuit missionary. Valignano came here to propagate Christianity and establish highly profitable trade routes. Yasuke was probably one of Valignano's bodyguards. During one of his ventures, Yasuke met Oda Nobunaga. Nobunaga was an esteemed feudal lord, also known as Daimyo, who wanted to unify Japan under one flag. Oda Nobunaga was completely shocked by Yasuke's body, both his skin color and height. Upon meeting him, Nobunaga ordered his servants to strip and scrub him, believing that his skin was merely dirty, but he soon found out that the color of the skin was not the only thing that separated Yasuke from the other men. Historians believe that Yasuke learned Japanese well enough to communicate with Nobunaga. The black man was not like the other Jesuits who came here to spread a religious agenda. He entertained the lord with tales from India and Africa. He may have also talked about his endeavors and different encounters. Nobunaga was a huge fan of martial arts, but he was also an eccentric who liked to dress in western style clothing and surround himself with intelligent people. Having someone spike his interest, especially someone with a different culture, language, and view of the world was what drew Nobunaga to build a friendship with this black man. Yasuke had this warrior spirit. He understood the language and cultural aspects of Japan. He also performed atezuni, which is a form of narrative poetry in Swahili. He quickly proved himself to be a skilled warrior and gained the lord's favor. Soon after meeting, Nobunaga handed Yasuke his Japanese name and accepted him into his ranks. After numerous encounters with enemies and successfully defeating them, Yasuke was granted the title of samurai. But that was not all. Nobunaga treated Yasuke like family. In fact, Yasuke was one of the very few people to dine with Nobunaga. It might sound simple to us now, but dinner with a daimyo was a rare honor and huge privilege. While serving the feudal lord, the black samurai met some of the most influential figures of the Sengoku period. He met Tokugawa of Japan. He might have also crossed paths with Toyotomi Hideyoshi, another prominent Japanese military leader who was acknowledged for unifying Japan. The thing is, life during the Sengoku period wasn't easy. It was a lawless era of civil war and a time when the feudal lords were constantly fighting each other for power and land. This made it difficult to find trustworthy people. Much of Odo Nobunaga's military and political success came from his open mind. He was intrigued by foreign ideas and worked to integrate them into his battle strategies. This made Yasuke an important aspect of his life and someone he can trust. As a black samurai, Yasuke fought in plenty of battles for Nobunaga. Although the exact number remains unknown, they are highly likely to have inspired some artwork during that period. As warlords like Nobunaga were fighting to unify Japan, many painters created talented works of art that would document these men and their rise to power. They painted battlefields, training grounds, and other aspects of life. In some of these paintings, experts believe we can see Yasuke. Although we can't know for sure, the depiction of a black warrior was indeed unheard of before the 1600s, let alone the presence of a dark-skinned samurai. Even though Yasuke fought many battles for Odo Nobunaga, his service was cut short only half a year after they met. After the battle of Nagashino, Nobunaga consolidated his power by ordering a major castle to be built. On his way to a castle siege in the west, the feudal lord stopped at a temple in Kyoto to rest. But he never expected that one of his most trusted generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, would betray him. He came to serve Nobunaga after the lord's conquest of Mino in 1566. Odo Nobunaga rarely placed his trust in his followers, but he highly valued Akechi Mitsuhide, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Shibata Katsui. Mitsuhide set fire to the temple and cornered Nobunaga, who was said to be guarded by only a few bodyguards. This was known as the Hono-ji incident. Nobunaga had just 30 men, and Mitsuhide had 13,000 at his disposal. Although Mitsuhide was supposed to head for the same battlefield as Nobunaga, he turned around when the feudal lord was at his weakest in one of the most well-known acts of betrayal. This was the perfect ambush to eliminate Nobunaga. As flames consumed the temple, Nobunaga decided to deny his enemy the pleasure of killing him. So, he committed seppuku, a ritual suicide. This gave him complete control over his death and a way to protect his honor. The black samurai was there when Nobunaga committed the seppuku. There is no actual historic evidence, but tradition says that Yasuke took the head of the feudal lord to save it from his enemies. If Mitsuhide were to take the severed head and hold it up, he would have held a powerful symbol of legitimacy. It would give him credibility as a new ruler. So, by escaping with the head, Yasuke's actions are seen as a turning point in Japanese history. The black samurai joined the son of Nobunaga, Oda Nobutada. This is when he fights a second battle against the usurper. Nobutada had 200, and Mitsuhide had 13,000 warriors, which meant he didn't stand a chance. After his defeat, the son of Oda Nobunaga also carried out seppuku. Stories say that the black samurai was very likely wounded in battle. The last record of the black samurai is when he is escorted by Mitsuhide's troops to a Jesuit mission house. After the betrayal of Nobunaga, Mitsuhide didn't have much support. He is known as the 13-day shogun because he only lasted for 13 days. While escaping from the ruins of the battle of Yamasaki, the self-proclaimed shogun was murdered by a group of peasants. Much of what happened to the black samurai after the fall of Oda Nobunaga remains shrouded in mystery. Many powerful legends endure the test of time. Yasuke's story is one such legend that resonates today. As the first black man to earn the title of samurai, Yasuke's tales live on in anime series and books like the Yasuke Netflix live-action series and the book by Jeffrey Gerard and Thomas Lockley titled African Samurai. The true story of Yasuke, a legendary black warrior in feudal Japan, we've been lied to about who we truly are and our history all of our lives, which is how they keep us stuck and confused. But it's time to change the narrative and tell our own stories and history. That's exactly why we made our new ebook called The Root. It breaks down our real history, the traps that keep us stuck in the system, and how to become the best version of yourself. Click the link in our description to grab yours now for 75% off.