Yasuke: The Black Samurai (African History Explained)

I got a idea brewing in my head, A Metroidvania set in feudal Japan with Yasuke as the Protagonist, the main villain is a Demon Lord known only as Saldaras.
The title is called 'Yasuke: Unleashed'

Is anyone here after seeing the Anime trailer?

He lives 😎 LOL

This is AMAZING. 😳❤

Yasuke deserves either a movie, a Netflix Series (Anime is already there) AND a Videogame of his own! Yasuke rules!

What if CoryxKenshin saw this.

Never heard of him, then saw Netflix has a anime about him which is pretty good but thought it was made up. Came here to just watch some history and see he is actually real☺️. Really dope and glad his story is being told.

VERY GOOD STORY YASUKE SAMURAI

Hello am Yasuke’s grandson 💪🏾

He became playable in Samurai Warriors 5 as Oda Nobunaga's Retainer

Kinda sounds like Samson from the Bible

So where is the evidence he was actually samurai? Samurai is a title of nobility, being a retainer doesn't make you samurai.

I ben trying to say this for da longest uchiha are black people wake up

Definitely an interesting tale! A black samurai was certainly out of the ordinary.

What happened to your Shaka Zulu video?

Well-Done!

Shaq suke

Looks like Francis ngannou

I want The biopic movie of YASUKE

He was a retainer.
He wasn't afro-samurai.

They need to do a biopic on this man he was the inspiration for star wars's Mace Windu

This whole story not true, mankind made up alot to the story, so this brotha really fought and was tune into nature, he was around his own fighting these 'Orientals' these pale skins claim to be Asians they are not but are 'Orientals'

Yasuke the Hebrew Samurai.

Did you ever find out what happened to him?😊

Hahaha! More delusional bullshit

Sitting on your hands chewing leaves or smokin sutin for centuries does not count as "History" 🤣

It’s r Kelly

There isn't any evidence that he even was a samurai. Probably wasn't because it was never mentioned he was a samurai or was granted as a samurai. Also he didn't have or atleast it isn't mentioned anywhere that he had a surname (every samurai was granted a surname and needs to have one) AND he didn't commit seppuku when Nobunaga died, like all the other Nobunaga's samurai who did. Doesn't make him and his story any less awesome though.

I don't know about his history but I know that he definitely was banging some of that sushi.

Ok all you Wakanda fans, in this post we are dealing with history only, no racial bias, no fantasy "wokeness", or revisionist nonsense... just the facts.

Yasuke
We will begin with the fact that Yasuke was a real person, he did exist, he was of African descent and he was put into the service of Oda Nobunaga. This is fact, and is not disputed.
What is disputed are all the revisionist stories of Yasuke as a great warrior, as having been awarded Samurai status, and earning respect of the Japanese people and other Damiyo that he encountered in the service of the Oda... THIS IS NOT FACT.
Romantic stories of the famed Black Samurai are nothing more than fables no more real than the futuristic comic book land of Wakanda.
Recent books by authors such as Thomas Lockley provide a plethora of speculation portrayed as fact, typically referencing historical documents and then interpreting them in a way to fit the narrative that sells books.
However we won’t go to far into the motivations of authors and commercialization of romantic stories, these have their purpose and remaining true to the historical records is rarely one of them.
Here is a high level overview based upon known recorded facts...
Yasuke arrived in Japan in 1579 in service of the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano, who had been appointed the Visitor (inspector) of the Jesuit missions in the Indies (East Africa, South and East Asia). He accompanied Valignano when the latter came to the Kyoto area in March 1581 and his appearance caused a lot of interest with the local people.
According to Histoire ecclésiastique des isles et royaumes du Japon, written by François Solier of the Society of Jesus in 1627, Yasuke was likely from Mozambique however this is not confirmed.
When Yasuke was presented to Oda Nobunaga, the Japanese Daimyō thought that his skin must have been coloured with black ink. Nobunaga had him strip from the waist up and made him scrub his skin. These events are recorded in a 1581 letter of the Jesuit Luís Fróis to Lourenço Mexia, and in the 1582 Annual Report of the Jesuit Mission in Japan, also by Fróis.
These accounts were also published in Cartas que os padres e irmãos da Companhia de Jesus escreverão dos reynos de Japão e China II (1598), normally known simply as Cartas.
"When Nobunaga realized that the African's skin was indeed black, he took an interest in him."
According to a Japanese accounting of Yaskue states: "On the 23rd of the 2nd month [23 March 1581], a black page came from the Christian countries. The man was healthy with a good demeanour and Nobunaga praised Yasuke's strength.
Some say that Yasuke could speak or was taught Japanese, and it is stated Nobunaga enjoyed talking with him. However, it is more likely that a Jesuit missionary translated for them, in order to control the dialogue as they were not ones to miss an opportunity to interact with Nobunaga in order to advance their mission.
Reportedly, Nobunaga's nephew gave him a sum of money at this first meeting, for his travels, and on 14 May, Yasuke departed for Echizen Province with Fróis and the other Christians.
During this trip, they met local warlords such as Shibata Katsutoyo, Hashiba Hidekatsu, and Shibata Katsuie, They returned to Kyoto on 30 May.
At some point, although when is not exactly clear, Yasuke entered Nobunaga's service.
Yasuke was also mentioned in the prototype of Shinchō ki owned by Sonkeikaku Bunko , the archives of the Maeda clan.
According to this, the black man named Yasuke was given his own residence and a short, ceremonial katana by Nobunaga. Nobunaga also assigned him the duty of weapon bearer (much to the annoyance of actual samurai)
Here is where the facts morph from what is known, to what is "wished for"...
Nobunaga had a propensity for the unique, and he was particularly interested in all things foreign. Clearly he was fascinated by Yasuke, and this was documented to be to the chagrin of many of his top generals such as Akechi Mitsuhide, who is reported to have been disgusted by the site of Yasuke, and saw him as nothing more than a wild beast.
After the Battle of Tenmokuzan, Nobunaga led his force, including Yasuke, and inspected the former territory of the Takeda clan. So people make the assumption that Yasuke actually fought in this battle, and that he donned Samurai armor and fought valiantly as a samurai hero.
Fact check: A sword bearer stays behind with the general camp, near to the lord, they don't go out on the battlefield, and there is ABSOLUTELY POSITVELY NO RECORD OF YASUKE FIGHTING IN ANY BATTLE!
There is also NO RECORD of Yasuke receiving martial arts training, or use of the Japanese sword, either when in the service of Nobunaga or the years prior.
The truth is that his time with Nobunaga was limited, as they first met in 1581 and Oda Nobunaga was dead a year later. This is hardly enough time for Yasuke to be trained to be the great warrior all the Waukanda dreamers want him to be.
Yasuke as a Samurai?
Sadly, for either commercial purpose, or some social equity rationale, some people attempt to equate Yasuke as a non Japanese Samurai in the same way the English sailor William Adams (Pilot) was later viewed.
However Adams was actually presented Samurai status, and there is no record of Yasuke being bestowed similar Samurai status. The FACTs are that Oda Nobunaga made him a servant for few months.
A few months... not a lifetime of service dedicated to serving his lord, ready to give his life in the service of the Oda.
Another fact that is clear; Yasuke was kept around as talking piece, an oddity for Nobunaga to show off, much in the same way he enjoyed irking other Daimyo by showing them Azai
Nagamasa's gold plated skull.
Fate of Yasuke
They say that Yasuke was present at Honnoji and took part in the fighting that lead to Nobunagas death.
However it is recorded that perhaps only a single individual from the Oda survived the Honnoji incident and it wasn't Yaskuke.
Yasuke was alleged to have been taken by Mitsuhide troops soon after the Honnoji incident, but Akechi had his men return him to the Christian missionaries stating that you don't kill the beast, for the fault of his master.
Was he an Honorable Samurai?
Despite modern romanticized versions of Yasuke, if he was this great Samurai some would have you believe, then it stands to reason that he would have either fought to the death at Honnoji, or at the very least he would have committed Seppuku.
Nope.... didn't happen.
Or if he was an honorable Samurai like the 47 Ronin, at the very least he would have begged to join Hideyoshi in the fight against Mitsuhide and gotten revenge.... don't you think?
Nope, didn't happen
All that is known about the fate of Yaskue , is that he was seen with the Christian Missionaries after Nobunagas death and reportedly fled the country soon after.
So while people may attempt to romanticize the story of Yasuke to suit their agenda, the truth is that such blatantly false attempts to rewrite history are pure revisionism and nothing more.
Faking history because it makes you "feel good" does nothing but a disservice to all students of the culture, the Japanese nation and the historical record.
There was no black samurai, no great Yasuke, no hero.... just a man who was a victim of circumstance and the times he lived in,
In conclusion

The last decade brought us the phenomenon of Fake News, the last thing the world needs now is Fake History!

Do a video on Shaka Zulu

So hes the real deal afro samurai thats tuff💪🏾

His lord was not killed by the trader but committed suicide and was beheaded by Yasuke.

Yasuke wasn't even a Samurai. He was just given a house and a short sword. He was assigned as weapon bearer and fought alongside the Nobutada but was apprehended. After that he was either killed or sent away since Akechi the warlord claimed Yasuke was an animal and not japanese. Still, amazing I hope he lived

They actually found a picture of yaskue

If a movie is made about Yasuke, I hope it respect the real story about him... not like the movie "last samourai" (Tom Cruise) who replace a french guy by an american... 😊

“The indomitable fortress” Yasuke -tenkaichi

弥助は侍じゃねーよ
本当こういう輩が日本の歴史に寄生しようとしてくんのうぜぇな
お前らの歴史が悲惨なのは俺ら日本人のせいじゃない

This is one of historys many mysteries that throws me everytime, some say he was a retainer not a warrior, and other accounts decribed him as fierce samurai, but with each story, it contradicts the tale everytime, dont know what to believe.

Im mad about this. For centuries, the Japanese people knew full well about this but kept their mouths shut and hind this secret away from the entire world and what they did to his name they gave it to their criminal organization mobsters, Japanese people tainted his name & his history for centuries and when a Black professor found out about a Black Samurai and brought his legacy to life again, years later the Japanese people are welcoming acknowledging the Black Samurai to the public and all of you Anime fans are ignoring this obvious insult to our culture. So not only I’m Mad at the Japanese people but I’m Mad & sick over my own people. You refuse to held the Japanese people accountable for this racist act because you love Anime and Asian women

He was not samurai.
But he was clearly in Nobunaga's inner circle, which means more than being a samurai.
He was allowed do things even certain Samurai weren't as a Koshou（his role:sword-bearer).
Nobunaga was so intelligent and had no prejuduce to the new.
If Nobunaga was survived, Yasuke might be a Samurai within the realm of possibility.

丁寧に英語で説明できないと思う。
他の動画にてコメント欄で記載されていた詳細で正確な英語の記載を以下に引用させて頂きたいと思う。
＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋＋

NOPE... There was never a Black Samurai... Not one, not ever..
Yasuke
We will begin with the fact that Yasuke was a real person, he did exist, he was of African descent and he was put into the service of Oda Nobunaga. This is fact, and is not disputed.
What is disputed are all the revisionist stories of Yasuke as a great warrior, as having been awarded Samurai status, and earning respect of the Japanese people and other Damiyo that he encountered in the service of the Oda... THIS IS NOT FACT.

Romantic stories of the famed Black Samurai are nothing more than fables no more real than the futuristic comic book land of Wakanda.

Recent books by authors such as Thomas Lockley provide a plethora of speculation portrayed as fact, typically referencing historical documents and then interpreting them in a way to fit the narrative that sells books.

However we won’t go to far into the motivations of authors and commercialization of romantic stories, these have their purpose and remaining true to the historical records is rarely one of them.

Here is a high level overview based upon known recorded facts...

Yasuke arrived in Japan in 1579 in service of the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano, who had been appointed the Visitor (inspector) of the Jesuit missions in the Indies (East Africa, South and East Asia). He accompanied Valignano when the latter came to the Kyoto area in March 1581 and his appearance caused a lot of interest with the local people.

According to Histoire ecclésiastique des isles et royaumes du Japon, written by François Solier of the Society of Jesus in 1627, Yasuke was likely from Mozambique however this is not confirmed.

When Yasuke was presented to Oda Nobunaga, the Japanese Daimyō thought that his skin must have been coloured with black ink. Nobunaga had him strip from the waist up and made him scrub his skin. These events are recorded in a 1581 letter of the Jesuit Luís Fróis to Lourenço Mexia, and in the 1582 Annual Report of the Jesuit Mission in Japan, also by Fróis.

These accounts were also published in Cartas que os padres e irmãos da Companhia de Jesus escreverão dos reynos de Japão e China II (1598), normally known simply as Cartas.

"When Nobunaga realized that the African's skin was indeed black, he took an interest in him."

According to a Japanese accounting of Yaskue states: "On the 23rd of the 2nd month [23 March 1581], a black page came from the Christian countries. The man was healthy with a good demeanour and Nobunaga praised Yasuke's strength.

Some say that Yasuke could speak or was taught Japanese, and it is stated Nobunaga enjoyed talking with him. However, it is more likely that a Jesuit missionary translated for them, in order to control the dialogue as they were not ones to miss an opportunity to interact with Nobunaga in order to advance their mission.

Reportedly, Nobunaga's nephew gave him a sum of money at this first meeting, for his travels, and on 14 May, Yasuke departed for Echizen Province with Fróis and the other Christians.

During this trip, they met local warlords such as Shibata Katsutoyo, Hashiba Hidekatsu, and Shibata Katsuie, They returned to Kyoto on 30 May.

At some point, although when is not exactly clear, Yasuke entered Nobunaga's service.

Yasuke was also mentioned in the prototype of Shinchō ki owned by Sonkeikaku Bunko , the archives of the Maeda clan.

According to this, the black man named Yasuke was given his own residence and a short, ceremonial katana by Nobunaga. Nobunaga also assigned him the duty of weapon bearer (much to the annoyance of actual samurai)

Here is where the facts morph from what is known, to what is "wished for"...

Nobunaga had a propensity for the unique, and he was particularly interested in all things foreign. Clearly he was fascinated by Yasuke, and this was documented to be to the chagrin of many of his top generals such as Akechi Mitsuhide, who is reported to have been disgusted by the site of Yasuke, and saw him as nothing more than a wild beast.

After the Battle of Tenmokuzan, Nobunaga led his force, including Yasuke, and inspected the former territory of the Takeda clan. So people make the assumption that Yasuke actually fought in this battle, and that he donned Samurai armor and fought valiantly as a samurai hero.

Fact check: A sword bearer stays behind with the general camp, near to the lord, they don't go out on the battlefield, and there is ABSOLUTELY POSITVELY NO RECORD OF YASUKE FIGHTING IN ANY BATTLE!

There is also NO RECORD of Yasuke receiving martial arts training, or use of the Japanese sword, either when in the service of Nobunaga or the years prior.

The truth is that his time with Nobunaga was limited, as they first met in 1581 and Oda Nobunaga was dead a year later. This is hardly enough time for Yasuke to be trained to be the great warrior all the Waukanda dreamers want him to be.

Yasuke as a Samurai?

Sadly, for either commercial purpose, or some social equity rationale, some people attempt to equate Yasuke as a non Japanese Samurai in the same way the English sailor William Adams (Pilot) was later viewed.

However Adams was actually presented Samurai status, and there is no record of Yasuke being bestowed similar Samurai status. The FACTs are that Oda Nobunaga made him a servant for a few months.

A few months... not a lifetime of service dedicated to serving his lord, ready to give his life in the service of the Oda.

Another fact that is clear; Yasuke was kept around as talking piece, an oddity for Nobunaga to show off, much in the same way he enjoyed irking other Daimyo by showing them Azai Nagamasa's gold plated skull.

Fate of Yasuke

They say that Yasuke was present at Honnoji and took part in the fighting that lead to Nobunagas death.

However it is recorded that perhaps only a single individual from the Oda survived the Honnoji incident and it wasn't Yaskuke.

Yasuke was alleged to have been taken by Mitsuhide troops soon after the Honnoji incident, but Akechi had his men return him to the Christian missionaries stating that you don't kill the beast, for the fault of his master.

Was he an Honorable Samurai?

Despite modern romanticized versions of Yasuke, if he was this great Samurai some would have you believe, then it stands to reason that he would have either fought to the death at Honnoji, or at the very least he would have committed Seppuku.

Nope.... didn't happen.

Or if he was an honorable Samurai like the 47 Ronin, at the very least he would have begged to join Hideyoshi in the fight against Mitsuhide and gotten revenge.... don't you think?

Nope, didn't happen

All that is known about the fate of Yaskue , is that he was seen with the Christian Missionaries after Nobunagas death and reportedly fled the country soon after.

So while people may attempt to romanticize the story of Yasuke to suit their agenda, the truth is that such blatantly false attempts to rewrite history are pure revisionism and nothing more.

Faking history because it makes you "feel good" does nothing but a disservice to all students of the culture, the Japanese nation and the historical record.

There was no black samurai, no great Yasuke, no hero.... just a man who was a victim of circumstance and the times he lived in.

Thomas Lockley, the author of "Yasuke," published a book of lies in an attempt to use Yasuke to gain attention and make money. This book is a gag book full of lies. Any Japanese person would know it's a lie if they read it. Thomas says he "checked with an expert in Japanese history," but the expert claims that Thomas never asked for a fact check, proving that Thomas wrote a false article. By the way, he is not an expert in Japanese history. What do you think about Thomas' lies being exposed? What he is doing is discrimination and insult to Japanese history, and racism against black people.

Samurai are educated from an early age. A foreigner who is just a servant and cannot speak Japanese cannot become a samurai. It's impossible. Samurai are required to not only fight, but also to be well versed in art and culture. Stupid and ignorant black people think that samurai are just people who swing swords and go wild. That's why they mistakenly think that even stupid black people can become samurai. Because black people know nothing about samurai culture or history. In the end, black people themselves are proof that black samurai did not exist.

苗字もないし侍じゃないよ

I don't know what's worse,
Non-Japanese people mythologizing Japanese history for their own self esteem,

or (mostly) Non-Japanese people trying so hard to "un-mythologize" it to prove themselves right about a history and culture that's hundred of years old that they barely know
(with the obvious racial bias)

弥助の間違った歴史が広まっています。
弥助は侍じゃありません。
皆さん騙されないで下さい。

There is no historical fact that "Black samurai Yasuke" in Japan. Because Yasuke doesn't have family name. True samurai were the ruling class of Japan, similar to Western knights. Those without a family name were merely footman of samurai.
Having a family name is indispensable condition to be a samurai in Japan. Thus, Yasuke, who does not have a family name, cannot be considered a samurai.

Too bad the guy who wrote the history of Yasuke was samurai was caught for lying.

hows it going? you fell for one white man's con to make money off of people's fascination for this fantasy. There are no indisputable sources about Yasuke being a samurai. It is based on Thomas Lockley's imagination and business plan. He was also the one editing the wikipedia article and britannica to say Yasuke was a samurai. This was in preparation to sell his book and establish it as a source!