How a dark-skinned warrior from Africa became samurai Yasuke

Almost 500 years ago, an African warrior came to Japan and became the first foreigner to become a samurai. Great height, physical strength, courage and loyalty helped the dark-skinned stranger enter the military elite and turned him into a legend. How did the “black man,” who was nicknamed Yasuke, get to the Land of the Rising Sun and what actions did he become famous for?

Unfortunately, it is unknown what country this dark-skinned guy came from and what he did in his homeland. Some sources say he was born in Mozambique, while others say he was born in Nigeria. Yasuke arrived in Japan with the Jesuit Alessandro Valignano, a missionary. This happened in 1579.

Some claim that he was a slave, but there is no evidence of this. Historians believe that Yasuke had considerable combat experience. It is simply impossible to explain his meteoric rise among the Japanese military elite otherwise. The African's appearance was outstanding. Samurai Matsudara Yetada, who was one of the first to see Yasuke, described him as follows:

It seems that this growth cannot be called gigantic, but this is how we can argue now. In the 16th century, when the events took place, the average height of a Japanese man was 157 cm. Therefore, a stranger was perceived as a giant. Soon after his arrival, Yasuke met with Oda Nobunaga in Kyoto. He was a major feudal lord, one of the first three daimyo warlords who took up the task of unifying Japan.

The daimyo was impressed by the appearance of the overseas guest. First of all, he ordered those close to him to immediately wipe the visiting guy off the black paint. Convinced that this was impossible, Nobunaga was in a great mood and invited Yasuke to his castle.

The guest amazed the host with his excellent knowledge of the Japanese language and stories about distant countries and people living in Africa, Arabia and India. The feudal lord was pleased with the meeting and ordered his nephew to generously reward the stranger. Soon Yasuke was again invited to a conversation. Thus, a strong friendship began between Oda Nobunaga and Yasuke.

The daimyo himself was far from an ordinary person for his time. He seemed to his compatriots an eccentric person, as he often dressed in European dress. A passionate fan of martial arts, Nobunaga was interested in military affairs and weapons of other countries. He also gravitated toward science, never missing the opportunity to learn something new from foreigners.

The French-Ivorian writer Serge Bilet, who wrote a novel about Yasuke, is considered one of the most knowledgeable specialists on issues of his life. About the dark-skinned warrior he said this:

Two progressive representatives of different nations found each other. Oda Nobunaga fell in love with the dark-skinned warrior and considered him a member of his family. The African was among the few who could dine with the powerful ruler.

Less than a year had passed before Nobunaga made Yasuke a samurai. This was unheard of - no foreigner had ever received such an honor before. Later this became the norm, and the English and Dutch were accepted as samurai. Yasuke participated in many battles with the daimyo. Contemporaries noted that the African had the strength of 10 people and knew absolutely no fear.

Yasuke was with his friend and master until the very end. In 1582, the daimyo was betrayed by one of his closest associates, Akechi Mitsuhide. His warriors surrounded Nobunaga's chambers and set them on fire, wanting to capture the feudal lord alive. Yasuke and the daimyo found themselves trapped in a fire in one of the rooms. The daimyo committed seppuku suicide, entrusting his friend with the most important part of it - cutting off his head.

Before his death, Oda Nobunaga asked Yasuke to take his head and sword to his son. Such an assignment was a manifestation of the highest trust and was usually carried out by close relatives. The dark-skinned samurai was able to leave the burning chambers and fulfilled the last wish of the daimyo. Unfortunately, this is where Yasuke's story ends. What happened next to the samurai from Africa is unknown.

The life of Yasuke known to historians covers only three years, from 1579 to 1582. Despite this, the dark-skinned samurai is loved and respected in Japan. They write books about him, make anime and draw comics. Several generations of Japanese have grown up reading the children's book Kurosuke ("kuro" is Japanese for "black"), written by Kurusu Yoshio. And not so long ago, the story of a black warrior touched Hollywood directors. A film dedicated to this hero should be released soon.