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The Sengoku Jidai: The warring states of Feudal Japan. This era invokes many romantic images
of great castles, spectacular battles, and stoic Samurai adorned in their elegant kimonos
and top-knotted hair, wielding their iconic Katanas. What if we told you that among the
ranks of this ancient warrior-order was a black man from East Africa? This is the tale
of Yasuke, the first man from outside Japan to don the dual Katanas, and the only African
to do so.
To begin the tale of the African Samurai, we must first establish the context: in the
early 15th century, the Portuguese Empire had a scattering of trade outposts across
the Asian Pacific. In the year 1543, they reached southern Japan. The Japanese relied
heavily on the import of silk from Ming China, and as the relations between two states were
icy, and trade between the two was forbidden by the Ming Emperor, the Portuguese established
a niche trade by buying silks in China and bringing them to Japan. These European merchants
grew very rich as intermediaries between the two Asian heavyweights.
The Portuguese were allowed to build a trading port at Nagasaki, which quickly became a large
hub for commerce. And where the Europeans went, their priests would soon follow. The
Catholic society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, established a significant presence
in southern Japan. Their mission was to convert all Japan to Christianity, spearheaded by
Priests like Francis Xavier. At the height of their influence, several Daimyo lords,
and over 200,000 Japanese were Christian, mostly in the Kyushu region.
Of course, the Portuguese and their Jesuit compatriots were spreading their influence
on other continents as well. By the 1500s they had established a foothold in Africa,
in what is now Mozambique. Here they became enthusiastic participants in the local slave
trade, acquiring many poor souls from local chiefs, who they would in turn ship out for
labour across their Maritime Empire. That a dark-skinned man from Africa became
a Samurai in feudal Japan is considered a fact. However, we know very little about him.
Details on his country of origin, early life, and even his original name are muddy at best.
We know only the name given to him by the Japanese: Yasuke. The story we’ve chosen
to depict here is our personal interpretation of the few pieces of information we have about
his life. We have only theories for the origins of this
mysterious man. Some say he was born around the year 1555 in Mozambique, which at the
time was being colonized by the Portuguese. He was most likely of the Makua peoples, a
Bantu tribe. Although some claim that he was from Ethiopia, and belonged to the Habshi
people. Either way, the saga of this East African
man began in his childhood, where he was most likely enslaved and given to the local Jesuits.
He was taught the Christian religion, and the Catholic lifestyle, and brought up to
believe in the proselytizing ways of the Jesuit order. After some time, Yasuke was given to
the Jesuit inspector Alessandro Valignano. Valignano’s mission was to audit Jesuit
activity in Japan, so he sailed east with his servants and slaves in tow. Thus, in the
year 1579, the as yet unnamed man of East Africa first step foot on Japanese soil, behind
the coat-tails of his Jesuit master. It is here we should briefly explain the Japan
that he stepped into. The warring states period, known as the Sengoku Jidai, was nearing its
climax. Japan had been divided into many independent little fiefdoms in 1467. By 1579 however,
most of these fiefdoms had been conquered by the ambitious Daimyo Oda Nobunaga of the
Oda clan, and his vassal Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1581, Valignano brought his African servant
into Kyoto, the beating heart of Japanese civilization and seat of Oda Nobunaga. The
Bantu man had likely never seen a metropolis of such size and bustle, nor had the people
of Kyoto ever seen anyone like him. When rumours spread of a giant man with skin like charcoal,
the local Kyotans grew so curious that they broke down the door of the Jesuit Church just
to get a look at him. The African quickly achieved status as a local celebrity, for
the common folk were astonished not only by his dark skin, but his size and height, as
he stood a solid foot taller than the average Japanese man.
The growing fame of this enigmatic foreigner eventually piqued the curiosity of Lord Nobunaga,
who ordered the Jesuits to present the African to him. When they came face to face, Nobunaga
was astonished. The warlord did not believe such a man could exist, and was convinced
he was actually a Portuguese man who had his skin dyed with black ink. He had the African
strip from the waist up, and be thoroughly scrubbed. This of course proved that his skin
was naturally dark. Upon realizing this, Nobunaga took a genuine interest in the man, and it
was at around then that he finally received his Japanese name: Yasuke.
Yasuke soon became more than just a novelty to Lord Nobunaga. The Daimyo came to appreciate
the man’s personal integrity, and his physical prowess. He declared that Yasuke possessed
the strength of ten men. In the summer of 1581, Nobunaga’s admiration of this strange
foreigner had become undeniable, and thus he formally requested that Yasuke enter his
service. It was official now: the man of humble Bantu origins was a Samurai.
Yasuke was afforded all the privileges any other Samurai would receive. He was granted
a piece of land and a household upon it, Japanese garments, and a ceremonial Short Katana. It
can be assumed that he was taught the Bushido code, and how to fight as a Samurai. Yasuke
became one of Nobunaga’s favourite servants, and was one of the few people afforded the
privilege of dining with the great Daimyo. Yasuke soon joined his new lord in his mission
to conquer all Japan. He likely saw combat at the Battle of Tenmokuzan, fighting fiercely
alongside Nobunaga forces to destroy the Takeda clan. It was the first time any Japanese warrior
had encountered an African in combat, and the strength and ferocity of Nobunaga’s
newest soldier was a thing to behold. After the engagement, Yasuke rode at Nobunaga’s
side as the lord surveyed his newly conquered lands, and one can only imagine the wonder
that many would have felt, seeing such a giant of a foreigner riding in such a position of
prestige at their liege lord’s side. On their way back to Kyoto, he rubbed shoulders
with many of Nobunaga’s powerful allies, names we consider larger than life. One such
man was Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who, in time, would conquer all Japan.
In June of 1582, Yasuke and Nobunaga arrived back in Kyoto. Nobunaga split his army and
sent them forth to conquer the lands of the Mori, Uesegi and Hojo clans. He retired to
the Buddhist temple of Honno-Ji, where he intended to rest. Surrounded only by artists,
merchants, poets and servants, Nobunaga was largely unprotected. Yasuke, however, was
by his side. Disaster was soon to come. An enemy host surrounded
the temple. This was a complete shock, for none of Nobunaga’s foes were supposed to
know he was there. One of Nobunaga’s most trusted generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, had betrayed
him. He took advantage of his knowledge that Nobunaga was vulnerable, and laid siege to
the temple where his liege lord stayed. The treacherous Mitsuhide stormed the temple
with overwhelming numbers. Yasuke charged out, mounting a desperate battle against the
odds, with only a few bodyguards and servants fighting by his side. He fought bravely, but
to no avail. Amidst the chaos and fire, Nobunaga had to commit Seppuku, honourable suicide,
so as to avoid capture. Somehow, Yasuke was able to escape Akechi’s
clutches. He found a horse and rode hard for Nijo castle, where Nobunaga’s son, Oda Nobutada,
had mustered his forces. Where he had failed to protect his lord, Yasuke was now determined
to protect his son. He arrived just in time, joining the young lord’s army just as the
traitor Mitsuhide attacked them. Yasuke fought hard in the battle that ensued, once more
engaging Mitsuhide’s Samurai and slaying many in the defense of young Nobutada, but
once again, it was for naught. The Oda forces were routed, and Oda Nobutada
was captured, and forced to commit seppuku. Yasuke too was captured, and presented before
Mitsuhide. The traitorous general had nothing but contempt for the black man, declaring
him to be nonhuman, little more than an animal. Because he was not Japanese, Mitsuhide declared
that Yasuke was not to be killed, and instead sent to the Christian Church in Kyoto.
And thus, after serving as a noble Samurai for over a year, Yasuke was returned to his
Jesuit masters. Reportedly, the Christians eagerly praised god when reunited with the
man. It would be a nice thing to believe that Yasuke’s tale had something of a happy ending.
Unfortunately, we don’t know. All record of his existence fade away after this point,
and we do not know what his ultimate fate was, whether he left Japan with the Jesuits,
or died on the islands. From humble beginnings on the East Coast of
Africa, to the grandeur of the palaces of Kyoto, the rise of Yasuke from slave to Samurai
is a unique one to say the least. He may not have been a Samurai for long, and his influence
upon the Island nation may not have been as great as other foreigners who followed him,
but his story serves as the inspiration of various pieces of media, such as anime like
Afro Samurai and games like Nioh. Whether it be the man himself, or what he represented,
Yasuke enjoys a special place in the hearts of many Japanese people today, and is a wonderful
story of what strange fates can be thrust upon the humblest of men.
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We will continue this two-part series with the story of William Adams, the English Samurai,
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