Yasuke: The First African Samurai Who Was A Shogun Bodyguard

 Yasuke was much more than a Netflix series: He was an African slave who went to Japan in the 17th century, became a samurai, and served as an elite bodyguard for a shogun. How does a man rise from slavery to such a prestigious position, especially in feudal Japan?

Records from 500 years ago are very spotty, if not non-existent, so we do not know the exact year of Yasuke's birth. In fact, we don't even know for sure what country he was born in, but historians believe that this impressive 6'2 inches tall warrior may have come from Mozambique, Nigeria, or Ethiopia.

In the first few decades of his life, Yasuke was probably captured and enslaved by an Italian Jesuit priest named Alessandro Valignano, but some historians believe that Yasuke was Valignano's paid servant, more of a bodyguard. In 1579, Valignano joined a group of missionaries departing on an inspection tour of Japan, and Yasuke received his first introduction to the country where he became a legend.

Most people in Japan had never seen a person of African descent before, so when Yasuke arrived in the country, those who took one look at him believed that he was the living embodiment of Daikokuten, a deity revered in the deep world. Was depicted as a guardian demon with brown skin. When he was presented before Oda Nobunago, Japan's most powerful warlord and shogun, Oda believed he was meeting the guardian demon in person. He tried to rub the color off Yasuke's skin, thinking it was paint, but when Yasuke proved to be an honest human being with a different skin tone, Oda threw a lavish feast for him. When residents flocked to see him, they created a ruckus on the road.

After Oda recovers from his initial shock, he and Yasuke develop a close friendship. Yasuke told the shogun stories about his travels to his native Africa and India and, unlike the missionaries with whom he came, he took no steps to convert Oda or anyone else in Japan. Oda and others couldn't help but notice the older man's natural athletic ability and strength, and within a year Yasuke had climbed the ladder to becoming a samurai, a task most people begin training for in childhood. During that year, Yasuke also became fluent in the Japanese language.

Oda trusted Yasuke even when he did not trust some of his own people, to the extent that, during an important conversation, Oda is said to have asked Yasuke for a special favor: to cut off his head and his head. And hand over the sword to his son, should he fall in battle? Of course, Oda was soon betrayed by one of his longtime generals, Akechi Mitsuhide, who trapped him in a room in his castle before setting fire to the structure. As the flames grew closer, Oda dismembered himself in ritual seppuku. True to his word, Yasuke removed the chieftain's head and brought it to his son.