• Yasuke - The Forgotten African Samurai

  • Mar 21 2024
  • Length: 6 mins
  • Podcast
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Yasuke - The Forgotten African Samurai

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  • Summary

  • Samurai stand as iconic representations of Japan's cultural legacy, and it's commonly believed that they were exclusively Japanese. However, historical records reveal instances of foreigners attaining the esteemed status of samurai.

    Among the notable cases from the West is that of William Adams, an English navigator who arrived in Japan in 1600 and climbed the social ladder to become a samurai. Equally compelling is the story of Yasuke, an African man who was elevated to the rank of samurai by the esteemed Japanese lord Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582), serving as his personal guard.

    Yasuke arrived in Japan in 1579, brought over by Jesuit missionaries, and quickly caught the eye of Nobunaga, leading to his remarkable ascent within Japanese feudal society.
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