Black Historical Figures - Yasuke, the Black Samurai

Samurai are cool. I'm pretty sure that's a scientific fact.

I shouldn't need to tell you that Samurai were Japanese warriors, who lived to serve their local lords. The most relevant time of the Samurai, and the time period that most people think about when they think of samurai is the Sengoku period. Japan was not a unified nation at that point, but was split into many different territories governed by these local lords, all fighting to be the Shogun, Japan's military leader. There was an emperor, but he really didn't have any power. He was allowed to have nice things, though.

Here's a statue of him. It's a nice thing.

 

Another important detail is that the island nation was basically sealed off from the world. Nobody was allowed in or out. The only ones who were allowed to trade with Japan were the Portuguese. The final important detail of this story is that the Portuguese had slaves, and owned parts of Africa. This is where our story begins. 

 

Yasuke, who was likely from Mozambique, was in the service of some Italian Jesuits, and they did what Jesuits do, going places and talkin' about Jebus. Eventually, through the Portuguese, made his way to Japan. He was very popular, as he was the first black man to set foot on the island. Also, he was 6'2". People all around wanted to see him, and some were trampled to death. Good times. 

 

Oda Nobunaga, a warlord, was in town, and he heard the commotion from where he was. He went over to see what the commotion was about. Upon seeing Yasuke, he ordered him to scrub the ink off his face.

I repeat, nobody on the island had ever seen a black man. Not even him.

 

For some reason, Nobunaga really liked the fact that he was 6'2" and black. He was ordered to stay with the warlord, and he received samurai training. Neat. He even received a ceremonial katana. Double neat. He was given the task of bearing Oda's weapons, and the two became friends, I guess.

This wouldn't really last, however. Nobunaga's castle was attacked in 1582, Nobunaga was forced to commit seppuku, after losing to the army of Akechi Mitsuhide. Yasuke was there at the time and fought the Akechi forces alongside his fellow samurai. Immediately after Nobunaga's death, Yasuke went to join Nobunaga's heir, Nobutada. However, the fight didn't last long, and Yasuke was forced to surrender. Akechi said "The black man is a beast and does not know anything, and he's not even Japanese!"

What an asshole.

 

They did, however, take pity on him, and sent him back to the Jesuit temple.

 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of Yasuke, the Black Samurai. His ultimate fate is unknown, since nothing else was written about him after he went back to the temple. The Jesuits said that God was watching over him, as his life was spared. Maybe he was. Arguably, he was the first non-Japanese samurai. That, ladies and germs, is badass.