Black History Fact #3

- Yasuke -

Almost 500 years ago, an African man arrived in Japan. He would go on to become the first foreign-born man to achieve the status of a samurai warrior

Yasuke was a 6’2 enslaved African who landed in Japan on a trip with his master in the late 1500s. 
He was a human spectacle to the locals who had likely never seen a Black man before. His presence caused such a commotion that people were trampled trying to get a glimpse of him

Known as Yasuke, he was a warrior who reached the rank of samurai under the rule of Oda Nobunaga - a powerful 16th Century Japanese feudal lord who was the first of the three unifiers of Japan. Yasuke also learned how to speak Japanese fluently

Nobunaga was fascinated by Yasuke’s black skin and instructed him to strip. He had to see for himself if Yasuke's black skin was real. He made sure that Yasuke's body was scrubbed to see if the black would wash away. Astonished to discover that Yasuke was a real black man

Nobunaga praised Yasuke’s strength and stature, describing “his might as that of 10 men,” and brought him on as his feudal bodyguard. The African’s original name is unknown, but Nobunaga called him Yasuke

Samurai is considered one of the most enduring symbols of Japanese culture, and Yasuke is the only recorded Black person ever bestowed this honor. He was given a place of residence and his own Katana blade, invited to eat with Nobunaga, as well as fought and won many battles