Yusuke as depicted in the book 'Kurosuke.'
The titular Yasuke and the story of the anime are based on the life of the real world black samurai and ronin Yasuke. Like many Japanese historical figures from the Sengoku period, there are conflicting stories about Yasuke's origins and actions; with myths blending into his documented history. Regardless, Yasuke and his life's story influence several other pieces of pop culture beyond his own anime.
History[]
Possible Origins[]
Yasuke's birth nation, geneology, and original name points of debate, though there are five prevailing theories with varying levels of citation. The prevailing theory is that Yasuke is originally from Mozambique, which aligns with other accounts of black men of that region being the first to arrive in Japan in 1546 on Portuguese trading ships. The Japanese television show, Discovery of the World's Mysteries, theorized that Yasuke was from the Makua people and originally had the name Yasufe, though these claims are dubious at best as there was little contact between the Makua and Portuguese traders before Yasuke arrived in Japan.
Thomas Lockley, a lecturer at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo, suggests that Yasuke might have hailed from Ethiopia. Certain individuals from this region were well known for their physicality and skills in combat, and Yasufe is a surname present in the area. Yasuke could have also been a part of the Yao people from Mozambique, with his name then being derived from 'Yao' and common ending for Japanese male names 'suke.' Yasuke could also possibly come from the Dinka people of South Sudan based on his height and darker skin tone, although there aren't any accounts of him possessing the ritual face tattoos that were customary to the Dinka people.
Life in Japan[]
Yasuke arrived in Japan in 1579 while working for the Catholic missionary, Alessandro Valignano. This is in the middle of the Nanban Trade Period, a stretch of time where mostly Dutch and Portuguese explorers, traders, and missionaries visited Japan on newly formed trade routes, before Japan enacted strict isolationist policies in 1614. Yasuke was the first black person Daimyo Oda Nobunaga had ever met, and he quickly took interest in the African man. Nobunaga gave some money to Yasuke as a sign of good will, and Yasuke entered Nobunaga's service sometime shortly after their first meeting.
Yasuke and Nobunaga are noted as talking frequently, likely in either Classical Chinese or Japanese. Nobunaga also gave Yasuke his own home, a ceremonial katana, and an unclear position carrying higher social status.
Yasuke attempted to defend Nobunaga from general Akechi Mitsuhide's army, but ultimately he and Nobunaga's army failed, leading to the Daimyo's death in June of 1582. Yasuke then attempted to join the forces of Nobunaga's eldest son, Oda Nobutada, but those efforts proved fruitless. Yasuke was captured and supposedly spared from execution due to not being native to Japan as well as belittled for his race by Akechi. He was instead sent to the Christian church in Kyoto, with his rest of his life remaining ambiguous.
Influence on Media[]
- Yasuke is the main protagonist in the 2022 mobile Tactical RPG [1]Yasuke - Black Ronin.
- The 1968 children's book Kurosuke by Yoshio Kurusu is inspired by Yasuke.
- Yasuke appears in the manga Hyouge Mono.
- Yasuke is supposedly a source of inspiration for the Afro Samurai anime.
- The Man Who Killed Nobunaga manga features Yasuke.
- The Nioh and Nioh 2 games depict a fictional version of Yasuke.
- Yasuke is one of the fighters in Tenkaichi - Nihon Saikyou Mononofu Ketteisen tournament manga series.
- Yasuke is a playable character in Samurai Warriors 5.
Sources[]
- Mohamud, Naima (October 14, 2019). "The mysterious life of an African samurai". BBC.
- Jozuka, Eimiko (May 19, 2019). "African samurai: The enduring legacy of a black warrior in feudal Japan". CNN.