Untold Story of Yasuke: The African Samurai

Bridging Time and Continents: A Mystery Unraveled

Like a whisper lost in the annals of history, the tale of Yasuke, the African samurai, has captivated imaginations for centuries. Embodied as the protagonist in the 2021 Netflix anime series bearing his name, Yasuke remains an enigma steeped in mystery.

Origins Lost in Time

From which land in Africa did Yasuke hail? The answer remains shrouded in obscurity, as does his fate beyond 1582. Yet, during the tumultuous Sengoku period of 16th-century Japan, Yasuke's presence as a Black samurai in the service of the renowned feudal lord, Oda Nobunaga, was an extraordinary anomaly.

Nobunaga, a formidable warrior known as the Great Unifier, welcomed Yasuke into his ranks. Depictions of Yasuke in Japanese art, including a renowned children's book by Kurusu Yoshio, portray him as a towering figure with a strikingly dark complexion and a fierce determination in his eyes.