Yasuke, a tall African man, arrived in Japan in 1579 and made history as the first foreign-born man to become a samurai warrior.

Yasuke, a tall African man, arrived in Japan in 1579 and made history as the first foreign-born man to become a samurai warrior.



 Yasuke was originally a slave from Mozambique and was brought to Japan by Portuguese traders. The powerful Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga was fascinated by Yasuke's tall stature and dark skin, and upon seeing him, ordered his servants to try and rub the "black ink" off his skin. Despite this strange encounter, Nobunaga took Yasuke into his service, granting him a sum of money, a house, and a katana. From then on, Yasuke loyally served Nobunaga as a honored samurai, fighting alongside him in fierce battles. He went from being a piece of Portuguese property to a member of the Japanese elite.

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