Two history graduates discuss the life of Yasuke, the first known foreign Samurai. Yasuke (YA-Su-KE) was a man of African origin who ended up serving under the Japenese daimyo Oda Nobunaga for a few short years. Despite the short length of his time a samurai, his impact on the history of the region was significant, with his story quickly becoming legend. How did a man from Africa - potentially Mozambique, however this is debated - come to Japan and become one of the daimyo's most trusted bodyguards? This episode explores his journey, and the historical significance of the 'first black samurai.' 

 Sources 

‘Yasuke: The Mysterious African Samurai’ by Naima Mohamud |BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-48542673

 ‘The True Story of Yasuke, the Legendary Black Samurai Behind Netflix’s New Anime Series’ by Kat Moon | Time https://time.com/6039381/yasuke-black-samurai-true-story/

‘The Real Yasuke Is Far More Interesting Than His Netflix Show’ by Noah Berlatsky | Foreign Policy https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/02/the-real-yasuke-is-far-more-interesting-than-his-netflix-show/

‘The Significance of Yasuke, the Black Samurai’ by Warren A. Stanislaus | African American Intellectual History Society https://www.aaihs.org/the-significance-of-yasuke-the-black-samurai/

‘Yasuke: The Black Samurai Who Escaped Slavery’ by Weird History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_kk72tHN6k&ab_channel=WeirdHistory

‘Yasuke: Story of the African Samurai in Japan’ by Kings and Generals https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RZaHgXEhJ4&ab_channel=KingsandGenerals

Presented by: Bridget Lindh and Samira Nicholson

Intro music: stantough - www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNm3Ggv01Ns

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