hear the word “Samurai” Surely the image of a swordsman from ancient Japan. However, about 500 years ago, an African came to Japanese territory to break all stereotypes. The foreigner named Yasuke was the first foreigner to become a samurai warrior.
A memorable story in the Japanese tradition
Although Yasuke’s story took place many years ago, it is still very important today. In fact, the story came to life in some books and was recently released on Netflix the film based on the biography of the African samurai.
But these are not the only stories that have been inspired by Yasuke, there are also several manga and anime. One of them is called “Afro Samurai”, released in 2007and many actors attempted to recreate the warrior-specific chronicle, but had a few hiccups.
How did Yasuke’s life as a samurai begin?
As the year 1579 passed, a missionary named Alessandro Valignano reached the Japanese shores and accompanied by his bodyguard went to visit Oda Nobunaga. According to Japanese history, this man was an extremely important feudal lord, still today he is remembered for his ardent desire to unify the country.
He was a respected military strategist, very famous for the bloody battles he always played in, he was drawn to learning Western customs and culture in general. He loved modernityso much so that it allowed the incursions of Catholic evangelists into the territory, which greatly offended traditionalists.
Yasuke surprises the whole Japanese population
Yasuke fighting alongside Oda Nobunaga on the battlefield. Credit: Iwasaki Shoten.
When Valignano came to meet Oda, everyone was puzzled because they had never seen a person like him. An account written by a very astonished chronicler says that Yasuke’s whole body is black “like an ox”.
Nobody believed their eyes, to the point that they forced him to undress completely and take a bath. After verifying that it was his skin color, they were stunned.
The man is said to have the strength of more than 10 men, in addition to being tall and stocky. Yasuke was almost 1.90 meters tall, much taller than the average Japanese male height at the time, which was 1.60 meters.
The life of the famous “Yasuke” begins
Yasuke sculpture by South African artist Nicola Roos Significado de los nombres
As a sign of gratitude, the missionary gave Oda his bodyguard, he took it for his personal service and it was then that he gave him the name “Yasuke”. According to the story, the young man quickly adapted, in addition, his physical conditions favored him a lot.
Yasuke most likely trained to be a skilled warrior from an early age in his homeland, possibly Mozambique. That’s the only way to explain his amazing fighting ability. He had the qualities of a fighter and the makings of an athlete, so when a year passed they named him samurai.
Yasuke accompanied his shogun in many battles and contributed significantly to the victory of his army. Besides, Nobunaga greatly enjoyed the company of African samuraiwho told him stories of distant lands.
In fact, Yasuke was a literature enthusiast and had a natural talent for interesting conversations. He always had a great relationship with Oda, so it was referred to as his right handHe even had the honor of eating at the table with the chef and his family.
A turbulent time begins for Yasuke
Japan was in a very turbulent era due to the changes Oda had put in place, many people were unhappy with his decisions. Among them, a general named Akechi Mitsuhide, who eventually betrayed him in 1582.
The traitor took advantage of the moment when the army was scattered all over the country, and entered the palace with 13,000 men. Yasuke faced him with a group of 30 warriorsa big difference in strength, so Oda decided to end his life.
Artistic illustration of Yasuke.
Oda did seppuku while completely stuck, it was a suicide ritual performed by warriors, to preserve honor even in defeat. He also asked Yasuke to cut off his head and take it with him, to prevent his enemies from using it as a victory trophy.
Yasuke plots a rebellion against Akechi.
After Oda’s suicide, the African samurai looked for his son Nobutada to avenge his death. And so he could regain the power his father had lost. But Akachi he stepped forward and charged at Nobutada, who ended up committing suicide by seppuku.
You might also be interested in: Women samurai: the fearless warriors that Japan has hidden from its history.
Ultimately, Yasuke was capturedbut strangely Akechi spared his life as he looked at him with contempt.
The last known of the African samurai is that he was escorted by Akechi warriors to his old missionary post. From that moment, his life has become a complete mystery which today leaves us completely intrigued.
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Yasuke, the African turned samurai – Mystery Science
A memorable story in the Japanese traditionHow did Yasuke’s life as a samurai begin?A turbulent time begins for YasukeYasuke plots a rebellion against Akechi
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2025-01-13
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