Yasuke: The Forgotten Black Samurai

This episode is about the forgotten Black Samurai Yasuke. Find out who he was and how he gained the title Samurai. There is a Japanese proverb which says “For a Samurai to be brave, he must have a bit of black blood.” Yasuke first appears in history in 1579 as an attendant of the Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano coming to Japan to visit the missions that had been set up there. Yasuke was around 24 or 25 years old, towered over the Japanese at 6‑foot‑2 His celebrity status soon piqued the curiosity of Oda Nobunaga, a medieval Japanese warlord. Nobunaga apparently was sceptical that Yasuke’s black skin was genuine and had him remove his shirt and rub his skin to show that it wasn’t ink. Nobunaga was impressed by Yasuke’s height. He is recorded to have been over 6 feet (182cm) tall in an era where most Japanese men were closer to 5 feet (152 cm) tall.The Black History Buff Podcast is a fully independent project. We aren't backed by a publishing house, advertising partners or a major enterprise. For our existence, we depend on our loyal listeners – we depend on you.So, if you enjoy our content and want to support the creation of more, join our history village and support our mission to share hidden stories from Black Culture, join my free Patreon:Membership benefits include:Early access to new episodesBonus episodes and contentBe part of the creation of new episodes Guest membershipsGet featured In Episode End credits Ad Free Episodeshttps://www.patreon.com/BlackhistorybuffJoin my newsletter to be kept up to date with the latest posts https://steadyhq.com/en/blackhistoryFind me on Social Mediahttps://linktr.ee/BlackHistoryBuffBuy me a Coffeehttps://ko-fi.com/theblackhistorybuffpodcastThank you for listening, sharing, and joining us on our mission. Stay Blessed,King Kurus, The Black History BuffAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy