In a related vein, there is much chatter these days about the FIRST BLACK MAN to arrive on Japan's shores -- his name was YASUKE. Below is just a small bit of the chatter.
Yasuke (c. 1556-?) is mentioned in 1581 letters of the Jesuits Luis Frois and Lorenço Mexia and in the 1582 Annual Report of the Jesuit Mission in Japan. He arrived in Japan in 1579 as the servant of the Italian Jesuit Alessandro Valignano, who had been appointed the Visitor (inspector) of the Jesuit missions in the Indies, i.e. S. and E. Asia, so he must have been quite trust-worthy. He accompanied Valignano when the latter came to the capital area in March of 1581 and caused something of a sensation. Nobunaga heard about him and expressed a desire to see him. He thought the black color might be paint, so he had him strip from the waist up. Nobunaga's nephew gave him money. In May, Yasuke accompanied a group of Jesuits on a short trip to the province of Echizen. Yasuke could speak some Japanese, so Nobunaga enjoyed talking with him and was also impressed by his strength. At Nobunaga's request, Valignano left Yasuke with Nobunaga before Valignano left central Japan later that year. Nobunaga treated Yasuke with great favor. "People even say he will be made a 'tono' (lord)," but this certainly did not happen.
Just a little less than a year later, in July of 1582, Nobunaga was attacked and killed in Honnôji Temple by the army of Akechi Mitsuhide. Yasuke was there at the time. Immediately after Nobunaga was killed, Yasuke went to the lodging of Nobunaga's heir Oda Nobutada, apparently withdrew with him to Nijô Castle, and when that too was attacked by Akechi, fought for a long time. Finally he surrendered his "katana" (Japanese-style sword), to Akechi's men. They asked Akechi himself what to do with him. Akechi said that black man was a beast and did not know anything, and furthermore, he was not Japanese, so they should not kill him but take him to the church in Kyoto of the Visitor from India, so they did, much to the relief of the Jesuits there who had worried about him.
The "Lord Nobunaga Chronicle" (Shinchô-kô-ki) has a description of Yasuke's first meeting with Nobunaga. "On the 23rd of the 2nd month [March 23, 1581, so matches the Jesuit reports], a black page ("kuro-bôzu") came from the Christian countries. He looked about 26 [24 or 25 by Western count] or 27 years old; his entire body was black like that of an ox. The man was healthy and good-looking. Moreover, his strength was greater than that of 10 men."
ABOVE TEXT: From Susan Tsumura, which she gleaned from Jesuit letters published in the 1598 Cartas, in the translation by Matsuda Kiichi in the 十六・七世紀イエズス会日本報告集. Yasuke is also mentioned in the 1622 信長公記. For more from Susan Tsumura, see https://independent.academia.edu/SusanTsumura
Mark: FYI. ON A TANGENTIAL SUBJECT, THERE IS DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER AN AFRICAN MAN NAMED YASUKE WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST FOREIGN-BORN SAMURAI IN JAPAN. SOME SERIOUS JAPANESE RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN PICKING APART THIS ABOVE REFERENCED RESEARCH. IT LOOKS LIKE IT JUST REACHED CRITICAL MASS AND THE AUTHOR CLOSED HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ON FACEBOOK. see:https://x.com/Grummz/status/1812683820514332986
SUGGEST REVISE TO READ “..AND ACHIEVED THE RARE DISTINCTION OF BECOMING A FOEIGN SAMURAI.”
I will purchase this book on your recommendation, a subject that has fascinated me for years.
In a related vein, there is much chatter these days about the FIRST BLACK MAN to arrive on Japan's shores -- his name was YASUKE. Below is just a small bit of the chatter.
Yasuke (c. 1556-?) is mentioned in 1581 letters of the Jesuits Luis Frois and Lorenço Mexia and in the 1582 Annual Report of the Jesuit Mission in Japan. He arrived in Japan in 1579 as the servant of the Italian Jesuit Alessandro Valignano, who had been appointed the Visitor (inspector) of the Jesuit missions in the Indies, i.e. S. and E. Asia, so he must have been quite trust-worthy. He accompanied Valignano when the latter came to the capital area in March of 1581 and caused something of a sensation. Nobunaga heard about him and expressed a desire to see him. He thought the black color might be paint, so he had him strip from the waist up. Nobunaga's nephew gave him money. In May, Yasuke accompanied a group of Jesuits on a short trip to the province of Echizen. Yasuke could speak some Japanese, so Nobunaga enjoyed talking with him and was also impressed by his strength. At Nobunaga's request, Valignano left Yasuke with Nobunaga before Valignano left central Japan later that year. Nobunaga treated Yasuke with great favor. "People even say he will be made a 'tono' (lord)," but this certainly did not happen.
Just a little less than a year later, in July of 1582, Nobunaga was attacked and killed in Honnôji Temple by the army of Akechi Mitsuhide. Yasuke was there at the time. Immediately after Nobunaga was killed, Yasuke went to the lodging of Nobunaga's heir Oda Nobutada, apparently withdrew with him to Nijô Castle, and when that too was attacked by Akechi, fought for a long time. Finally he surrendered his "katana" (Japanese-style sword), to Akechi's men. They asked Akechi himself what to do with him. Akechi said that black man was a beast and did not know anything, and furthermore, he was not Japanese, so they should not kill him but take him to the church in Kyoto of the Visitor from India, so they did, much to the relief of the Jesuits there who had worried about him.
The "Lord Nobunaga Chronicle" (Shinchô-kô-ki) has a description of Yasuke's first meeting with Nobunaga. "On the 23rd of the 2nd month [March 23, 1581, so matches the Jesuit reports], a black page ("kuro-bôzu") came from the Christian countries. He looked about 26 [24 or 25 by Western count] or 27 years old; his entire body was black like that of an ox. The man was healthy and good-looking. Moreover, his strength was greater than that of 10 men."
ABOVE TEXT: From Susan Tsumura, which she gleaned from Jesuit letters published in the 1598 Cartas, in the translation by Matsuda Kiichi in the 十六・七世紀イエズス会日本報告集. Yasuke is also mentioned in the 1622 信長公記. For more from Susan Tsumura, see https://independent.academia.edu/SusanTsumura
Mark: FYI. ON A TANGENTIAL SUBJECT, THERE IS DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER AN AFRICAN MAN NAMED YASUKE WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST FOREIGN-BORN SAMURAI IN JAPAN. SOME SERIOUS JAPANESE RESEARCHERS HAVE BEEN PICKING APART THIS ABOVE REFERENCED RESEARCH. IT LOOKS LIKE IT JUST REACHED CRITICAL MASS AND THE AUTHOR CLOSED HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ON FACEBOOK. see:https://x.com/Grummz/status/1812683820514332986
SUGGEST REVISE TO READ “..AND ACHIEVED THE RARE DISTINCTION OF BECOMING A FOEIGN SAMURAI.”
> >>>> https://japanese-with-naoto.com/2024/05/29/disappointment-in-thomas-lockley/
Really good review. If I weren’t already swamped with books to read I’d pick this one up based on your endorsement.