The African Samurrai

1:00:00 PM Tkd kwan 0 Comments

The salves trade was the reason that brought a man from Mozambique to Japan  in the 16th century.

This skinned African became a samurai in the federal Japan and they called hum Yasuke.

Yasuke was born in the Portuguese colony Mozambique around 1555.

Some say that he is originated from Makua people (Bantu tribe) while others say that he is from Habshi people of Ethiopia.

They taught Yasuke the christian religion and follow the catholic life style.

Yasuke as a slave was given to the Jesuit inspector Alessandro Valignano and they went to Japan in 1579.

The Japanese never seen a dark person like him before and they were curious about him. 

When there were rumors about a giant with a black skin man, people were so curious to see them, they went to the Jesuit Church and even broke the door just to look at him, so soon the African man became a local celebrity.

The Japanese were amazed not only by his skin, but also his big size and height.

The lord nobunaga was interested to see the man when he heard about him, and asked to be brought to him.

The lord Nobonaga was astonished when he saw him, and he thought that he was a Portuguese man with black ink on his skin, so they scrubbed his skin to prove it is his natural skin and of course it was.

Nobonaga became interested in the African man, and the life plans of this African slave are on the way to be changed.

In 1581, It was said that the man named Yosuke possessed the strength of 10 men, and the lord Nobonaga hired him for his service, which makes him officially Samurai.

Yasuke was offered all benefits that other samurai would receive, which is great to know that they did not treat him less for his skin (No racism at least).

They offered him a land, a house, Japanese cloths and a ceremonial Katana (samurai sword).

Yasuku was taught the art of samurai, and he joined his lord to conquer all Japan, and at that time a Giant samurai like him would make a big difference in wars, where the sword is the main weapon.

1582 Mobonaga retired and went to Kyoto with Yusoke and stayed in a temple to have a quite calm life, but after a while a disaster happened when some enemies attacked them and Nobonaga had to commit suicide to avid capture while Yusuke was captured and was treated as a non human, and instead of killing him they sent him to the Church back to his his first master who was happy to see him again.

It is not known if Yusuke left japan with his master or if he lived in there.