A closer look

In the late sixteenth century, a tall African man arrived in Kyoto alongside Jesuit missionaries and immediately caught the attention of Japan's most powerful warlord, Oda Nobunaga. Given the name Yasuke, he was eventually elevated to the esteemed rank of samurai, riding into battle alongside Nobunaga's forces. Yasuke remains an incredible historical anomaly, serving as a trusted confidant in an era of strict Japanese isolationism.