Yasuke
Encyclopedia
Yasuke (c. 1556-?) is a Japanese name
used to refer to a black slave who for a short time was in the service of the Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga
. He is unnamed in contemporary accounts and is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Kurusan".
and Lorenço Mexia and in the 1582 Annual Report of the Jesuit Mission in Japan. These were published in Cartas in 1598. They are translated in full in Vols. 3-5 and 3-6 of Juuroku... and there is no reference to him in Frois's History.
Yasuke 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, an extremely high position, so Yasuke must have been quite trustworthy. 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 such great favor that people in Azuchi even said he would probably be made a 'tono' (lord). This did not happen, however.
In June 1582, Nobunaga was attacked
and killed in Honnō-ji
in Kyoto
by the army of Akechi Mitsuhide
. Yasuke was also there at the time. Immediately after Nobunaga's death, Yasuke went to the lodging of Nobunaga's heir Oda Nobutada
and withdrew with him to Nijô Castle. When that too was attacked by Akechi, Yasuke fought alongside the Nobutada forces for a long time. Finally he surrendered his sword to Akechi's men. They asked Akechi himself what to do with him. Akechi said that the 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. There is no information about him after that.
The "Lord Nobunaga Chronicle" (信長公記 Shinchōkōki) has a description of Yasuke's first meeting with Nobunaga. "On the 23rd of the 2nd month [March 23, 1581], a black page (黒坊主 "kuro-bōzu") 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."
This seems to be all that contemporary records say about him.
novel, Kuro-suke (くろ助) by Yoshio Kurusu with illustrations by Genjirou Minoda, published in 1943. It features a highly fictionalized and sympathetic account of Yasuke's life in Japan under Nobunaga. It received the Children's Prize of the Japanese Association of Writers in 1969.
, Bakongo, or Italy
. Bakongo was located in the region of the modern Democratic Republic of Congo and had extensive trade with the Portuguese
.
Sometimes it is said that at his first meeting with Nobunaga, Nobunaga tried to have the color scrubbed off. His height is said to have been 6 shaku 2 sun (6 ft. 2 in., or 188 cm.); if so, his tall stature would have been very imposing to the Japanese of the day.
What he did during his year of service with Nobunaga in not known. It has been suggested that he may have been a bodyguard or simply a curiosity.
Some accounts say he was killed in Honnō-ji, but this is clearly incorrect, since it contradicts the only source associating him with the Honnō-ji incident at all. Statements that he was sent to a monastery are likely based on Akechi's sending him to the Jesuit church.
Although popular unsubstantiated internet sources state that the nickname most commonly given to the African was "kuru-san" (erroneously explaining that "kuru" is Japanese for "black" and Kuru-san roughly translates as "Mr. Black-man"), this is impossible. The Japanese word for "black" is "kuro" rather than "kuru", and the suffix "~san" was not used during the sengoku period
of Japanese history
.
Japanese name
in modern times usually consist of a family name , followed by a given name. "Middle names" are not generally used.Japanese names are usually written in kanji, which are characters of usually Chinese origin in Japanese pronunciation...
used to refer to a black slave who for a short time was in the service of the Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga
was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
. He is unnamed in contemporary accounts and is sometimes erroneously referred to as "Kurusan".
Contemporary Accounts
Yasuke is mentioned in some of the 1581 letters of the Jesuits Luis FroisLuís Fróis
Luís Fróis was a Portuguese missionary.He was born in Lisbon and in 1548 joined the Society of Jesus . In 1563, he came to Japan to engage in missionary work, and in the following year arrived in Kyoto, meeting Ashikaga Yoshiteru who was then Shogun...
and Lorenço Mexia and in the 1582 Annual Report of the Jesuit Mission in Japan. These were published in Cartas in 1598. They are translated in full in Vols. 3-5 and 3-6 of Juuroku... and there is no reference to him in Frois's History.
Yasuke arrived in Japan in 1579 as the servant of the Italian Jesuit Alessandro Valignano
Alessandro Valignano
Alessandro Valignano, , was a Jesuit missionary born in Chieti, back then part of the Kingdom of Naples, who helped supervise the introduction of Catholicism to the Far East, and especially to Japan....
, who had been appointed the Visitor (inspector) of the Jesuit missions in the Indies, i.e. S. and E. Asia, an extremely high position, so Yasuke must have been quite trustworthy. 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
Echizen Province
was an old province of Japan, which is today the northern part of Fukui Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Etchū and Echigo Provinces.Echizen is famous for washi . A text dated AD 774 mentions the washi made in this area. Echizen-produced Washi is still the most commonly sold traditional...
. 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 such great favor that people in Azuchi even said he would probably be made a 'tono' (lord). This did not happen, however.
In June 1582, Nobunaga was attacked
Incident at Honnoji
The ' refers to the forced suicide on June 21, 1582 of Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga at the hands of his samurai general Akechi Mitsuhide. This occurred in Honnō-ji, a temple in Kyoto, ending Nobunaga's quest to consolidate centralized power in Japan under his authority.-Context:Oda Nobunaga was at...
and killed in Honnō-ji
Honno-ji
is a temple of the Nichiren branch of Buddhism located in Kyoto, Japan. Its honzon is mandara-honzon from Nam Myoho Renge Kyo.-History:...
in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
by the army of Akechi Mitsuhide
Akechi Mitsuhide
, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...
. Yasuke was also there at the time. Immediately after Nobunaga's death, Yasuke went to the lodging of Nobunaga's heir Oda Nobutada
Oda Nobutada
was the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga, and a samurai who fought in many battles during the Sengoku period. He commanded armies under his father in battles against Matsunaga Hisahide and against the Takeda clan....
and withdrew with him to Nijô Castle. When that too was attacked by Akechi, Yasuke fought alongside the Nobutada forces for a long time. Finally he surrendered his sword to Akechi's men. They asked Akechi himself what to do with him. Akechi said that the 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. There is no information about him after that.
The "Lord Nobunaga Chronicle" (信長公記 Shinchōkōki) has a description of Yasuke's first meeting with Nobunaga. "On the 23rd of the 2nd month [March 23, 1581], a black page (黒坊主 "kuro-bōzu") 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
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
. The man was healthy and good-looking. Moreover, his strength was greater than that of 10 men."
This seems to be all that contemporary records say about him.
Popular culture
Yasuke was featured in the children's historical fictionHistorical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
novel, Kuro-suke (くろ助) by Yoshio Kurusu with illustrations by Genjirou Minoda, published in 1943. It features a highly fictionalized and sympathetic account of Yasuke's life in Japan under Nobunaga. It received the Children's Prize of the Japanese Association of Writers in 1969.
Misleading or Unsubstantiated Information
Since there is little known about him, many have written without knowing much about him. According to unattributed accounts, Yasuke may have come from MozambiqueMozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, Bakongo, or Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Bakongo was located in the region of the modern Democratic Republic of Congo and had extensive trade with the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Sometimes it is said that at his first meeting with Nobunaga, Nobunaga tried to have the color scrubbed off. His height is said to have been 6 shaku 2 sun (6 ft. 2 in., or 188 cm.); if so, his tall stature would have been very imposing to the Japanese of the day.
What he did during his year of service with Nobunaga in not known. It has been suggested that he may have been a bodyguard or simply a curiosity.
Some accounts say he was killed in Honnō-ji, but this is clearly incorrect, since it contradicts the only source associating him with the Honnō-ji incident at all. Statements that he was sent to a monastery are likely based on Akechi's sending him to the Jesuit church.
Although popular unsubstantiated internet sources state that the nickname most commonly given to the African was "kuru-san" (erroneously explaining that "kuru" is Japanese for "black" and Kuru-san roughly translates as "Mr. Black-man"), this is impossible. The Japanese word for "black" is "kuro" rather than "kuru", and the suffix "~san" was not used during the sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
of Japanese history
History of Japan
The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...
.