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Disclaimer: Yes I love history, yes I teach history, yes I am fascinated by other cultures. So that being said I did enjoy this book for historical, cultural, and storytelling purposes. Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard used the same gusto and energy that I use when teaching my classes. Tell the facts, but in a story. That’s what people remember. Not the dates and names and what they did. The stories help people remember the names and maybe even a time period along the way.
This amazing book did something many books stumble with: pulling out the underdogs. Underrepresented, underprivileged, under-explained, and under cherished in OUR history. Those are the people we need to add to our history. As a middle school educator of both ancient world and American history, we tend to focus on the dead white dudes (I have been known to say this to my students on occasion). It’s really frustrating, but that is our curriculum. There are so many other people whose stories need to be told because without them, there really isn’t a true historical story at all. Without them, my diverse classroom doesn’t see themselves in history and that they can become just as amazing, influencing, and knowledgeable people that they are reading about. People of power cannot be in power without the individual’s approval.
Yasuke is one of the underdogs. It made me proud to read this. He was an ordinary guy like you or me, who rose up and lived his life. Just like we are living our lives. They won’t be written down for every future person to read. Hell, I’ll be happy if my great great grandkiddos hear about me and talk about me. Yasuke had this chance to be held up in our world history. Our united history. An ordinary guy. A black guy. In Japan. In FEUDAL Japan (so in other words, a really long time ago). With a story to be told. Just like each one of us. But there’s more diversity than that.
There are Japanese folks. Many of whom have shaped Japan as it is seen today. You have Jesuit missionaries who have also shaped feudal and current Japan. Both of these groups for the better and the worse. There are pirates, merchants, sailors, biographers, rulers, monks, farmers, a lord’s staff, samurai, ninjas, and the Shigeshoshi. But guess what? Yasuke was a part of it. His story is a story of rising up from having his life flipped-turned upside down (thanks Will Smith) to be a somebody. That’s what everyone wants: to have a story that outlasts them (hopefully it’s a good one). That’s what I want, I want to have as a story. I appreciate Yasuke’s story, his strength, his weakness, his triumphs, his struggles, and his legend. We all have them. It is a part of being human. That’s what makes history interesting.
Okay, so enough of my ranting on underdogs and human stuff. On with the show! This book was truly amazing. I read the Hanover Square Press version produced in 2019. I loved the design of this book for several reasons. The first reason is I am not an expert on Japan, let alone Feudal Japan. I LOVED the afterward starting on page 381 and the notes and accompaniments on page 403 and onward. There were notes for each chapter to give me more background knowledge of what I had just read. Both of these truly helped me not only understand what was happening in the story but also understand the culture and gain a historical viewpoint of why all of this information was significant.
The best part though is that stunning picture of Yasuke on the cover of the book! That is what grabbed my attention. AFRICAN. SAMURAI. Whoa. My mind was already blown before I even picked up the book. I thought only Japanese people could become a samurai. So that was already breaking a stereotype (or just incorrect knowledge)! Good for you cover! My one complaint was that the pictures inside the book itself were not in color. I wish they would have been. I feel like that would have added so much to the story. But the primary and secondary source images were really vital in helping me understand Yasuke’s story and Jesuit/Japanese culture. That was very much appreciated.
I would recommend this book. It’s a 9/10 (I am not doing half or quarter scores otherwise it would be a 9.50) due to the fact that I simply wish the pictures would have been in color. I would probably re-read this book because I feel like there may have been some information I missed, or I may have some new questions/ insights that would enhance my understanding of the book. I did listen to this on Audiobook because I knew that some of the Japanese pronunciations would have tripped me up, but I also just wanted to respect Japanese culture and the story and learn the correct pronunciations.
Quick Summary:
It is told from the perspective of the two authors, Lockley and Girard but through the eyes as if they were there. These two gentlemen take us on a journey of a lifetime through three major parts of Yasuke’s life. The first part is Yasuke’s time with the Jesuits (titled: Warrior). This entails us learning about how to actually pronounce his name (I had been pronouncing it wrong the whole damn time until chapter 1 and this is when I decided to Audiobook it here on out), the history of Jesuits in Japan, Yasuke and his travels with Alessandro Valignano, Yasuke’s childhood trauma, Valignano’s influence in Jesuit/Japanese culture/conversion, Valignano’s big plan for Japan (hehe that rhymed), Japanese culture and the importance of Kyoto, the meeting of Yasuke and Nobunaga, and Nobunaga as a person, not just a ruler.
The second part is Yasuke’s time with Japanese ruler Nobunaga as a samurai (titled: Samurai). This is where the book starts really digging into Japanese culture. This section includes Nobunaga’s showmanship, more on Yasuke’s history from childhood to the current moment under Oda Nobunaga’s reign, Yasuke’s role in Nobunaga’s world, Nobunaga’s enemies, sooooooo much of Japanese culture and legends (YAY!!!!), LGBTQIA stuff (for real, no joke, it was unexpected, but again I can now relate this to some of my kiddos experiences and helping them see themselves in history!), politics of Nobunaga, Japanese warfare and ninjas, Nobunaga’s eldest son Nobutada, PERSONAL BIOGRAPHERS, TRAITORS, Japanese Lord deaths, the loyalty of Yasuke, and Yasuke with the Jesuits.
And the third part is Yasuke’s time after Nobunaga (titled: Legend). These four chapters include Akechi’s betrayal and his power, Yasuke’s loyalty to Nobunaga and his family, politics, Yasuke’s unknown future within the Japanese/Jesuit realm, Ryuzoji vs. Jesuits/Yasuke/Satsuma/Arima, what on Earth happened to Yasuke (hypothesizing based on primary sources and options available to him during this time), the Jesuit mission, and how Yasuke is impacting the world still today… about 500 years later!
Whew…. That’s a long summary, but I think justifiable!
Quickest Summary:
This book is about an African man named Yasuke, who arrives in Feudal Japan with the Jesuit missionaries led by Valignano. Yasuke’s role is to protect (and be a spectacle to draw attention to) Valignano and his cause. Valignano then gifts Yasuke to Nobunaga (the strongest Lord of Japan and a purveyor of unique items and stories) as a goodwill gesture and to further the Jesuit cause and relation. Nobunaga makes Yasuke a personal samurai and friend. After Akechi betrays Nobunaga (this isn’t a secret or spoiler, it’s within the Prelude), Yasuke is returned to the Jesuits by Akechi. Here, Yasuke helps spread the Jesuit faith through warfare by fighting against Ryuzoji, an anti- Catholic kinda man. To this day we do not know for sure what happened to Yasuke after this battle, but we can make educated guesses based on primary sources and knowledge of Yasuke as a person. Yasuke is still inspiring and encouraging strength in oneself, even after 500 years of time has passed.
Why Did I Love This Book?
Okay okay. So there were a lot of reasons that I loved this book but I am going to limit it to three reasons so this isn’t a 50-page paper. These three reasons are the story, historical figures, and the Jesuit and Japanese cultures.
STORY
This book is more than just about Yasuke and his story. It is also about the everyday people, mercenaries, sailors, explorers, travelers, sultans, viziers, concubines, pirates, missionaries, cooks, warlords, adventurers, and slaves. This book reminds us of the infinite stories that go untold due to status or their likeability in history. I like the idea that this story is not putting a white dude as the main character, but it’s a story told of an African, not as a victim, but from strength, power, will, and flexibility. I live in a world where there is massive amounts of xenophobia, mainly towards anyone not of “white” status. It is very disheartening sometimes. Immigrants and their knowledge are vital in globalization, culture, knowledge, and acceptance. This book was such a well-written piece of work to help remind us of that.
The authors did an amazing job in writing this piece. They wrote it like a story. That is what history is. A story. They used primary and secondary sources to make the most reliable story they could. They told it in a way that was sometimes cut and dry, sometimes full of humor, sometimes full of reality, and sometimes in a poetic way. But they wrote it in a way that flowed and was easy to follow along to. Most of the time I felt like I was right there with the historical figure, watching the scenes play out right in front of me. The inclusion of Japanese culture within their writing, the symbolism and the words they chose, along with how they described certain situations. Every gut-wrenching, smiling, saddened, and curious moment. Yasuke’s story is a reminder that every single one of us has a story. It may not be told in book form, YouTube, or a blog, but we have one. Yasuke wasn’t worried about what his story was going to end up being. He was busy living in the every day and thriving in the moment (most of the time). Yasuke’s story is OUR story. The average, every day, so and so. So buckle up bitches, it’s time for a time travel adventure.
HISTORICAL FIGURES
Yasuke:
Okay, so here is the thing… I want to honestly just tell you the whole damn story. The original kind of “story” of Yasuke was 19 paragraphs for me… But I don’t want to ruin the damn book for you. Soooooooo I am going to summarize this to try and make it as informative as I can without giving away too much!
He is the focal point or hero of this book. Yasuke’s role is constantly changing throughout his life. Yasuke is a child of the Nile region, kidnapped from his home, turned into a Habishi (African Warrior in India). He is trained to become a warrior, learning valuable skills such as weapons training, horse riding, the art of the kill, and how to fight. Later, he is employed with Portuguese merchants for a year meaning he probably picked up the Portuguese language, interacted with other cultures (maybe picking up their cultural knowledge), and gaining additional combat training. Eventually, Yasuke meets his new path maker: Alessandro Valignano.
The skills that Yasuke learned as a Habishi and as a Portuguese merchant, helped set him up to be Valignano’s protector and also attention-getter. Yasuke’s main role was to make sure that Valignano was protected at all times, unless Valignano told Yasuke to take time off. Yasuke is a spectacle. Japanese in this region have not seen an African man. This attention was what Valignano wanted. The more attention the better, unless it slowed down the mission. Blacks were rare in this region, therefore an easy eye grabber. I didn’t know this, but Buddha is seen as black in some books and “there was also Daikokuten, a Japanese manifestation of the Indian god Shiva, a deity of wealth and prosperity who is normally portrayed with ebony black skin.” (117) So, to this culture, blacks could have (and probably were) revered during this time in Japan.
There are many great stories about Yasuke, but this one may be my favorite. (Sings to the tune of A Thousand Miles). Okay so the Jesuits are making their way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and they’re Kyoto bound, staring blankly ahead just making their way, making a way through the crowd… sorry I couldn’t resist. Yasuke and the Jesuits were really trying to make their way to Kyoto to see Lord Oda Nobunaga, but the crowd becomes pretty violent. It was like they saw Yasuke and wanted a piece of him whether it was clothes, hair, or a limb. Yea he’s not walking fast anymore, he’s running the fuck away. Like he is a celebrity and the Japanese are losing their minds!
This “walk” to Kyoto happened at an unfortunate time as Nobunaga was preparing for ummazoroe, also known as the Cavalcade of Horses spectacle, where there were “tens of thousands” of people who traveled to see this event. (116) People were drunk, flashing different body parts, and being loud (sounds like New Orleans). Before anyone in the Jesuit crew realized that this was bad timing, the crowd was on them. Yasuke freaking sprints the hell out of there as best as he can, while there is a full-blown riot behind him. Finally, he and many of the others make it to Our Lady of the Assumption, Mary (page 127) and they barricade the doors and windows. The crowd makes its way there and tries to basically destroy the church. Finally, Oda Nobunaga’s men break up the riot and they also deliver a message: Oda wants to see Yasuke, now. He is now an ambassador for the Jesuits and their ideas, even if Valignano didn’t approve of it. Yasuke was introduced as “The Black Monk from Christian.” (139)
His next path maker: Lord Oda Nobunaga. The Jesuits give Yasuke to him, I’m assuming as a sign of goodwill. Oda liked rarities, unique and interesting outside people and things. He liked to understand and learn. Oda Nobunaga wanted to learn all of the wisdom Yasuke had. One interesting story that I just cannot leave out is when Yasuke talked about his childhood tribe of the Nile River, the animals, the cows and how he drank their milk but also used their urine to dye his hair yellow. I found this fun to learn this. Oda loved the company of Yasuke which lead to him eventually becoming Nobunaga’s samurai. Nobunaga at one point states “You are my black warrior… the demon who will ride beside me into battle, the dark angel who protects me and my family up in my home… The sword is a symbol of this. You are my samurai now. A member of the Oda clan.” (192) Like holy shit whoa. That was fucking amazeballs. Yasuke is a super loyal servant for Nobunaga and his family.
Later, Yasuke is returned to the Jesuits. Yasuke basically is going through a bit of a crisis because he has no idea what his role is within the Jesuit realm or the Nobunaga world. So he was stuck doing menial tasks in the Jesuit mission. He goes back to military life maintaining the garrison and weapons and he helps the Jesuits/Arima/Satsuma to try and defeat Ryuzoji (hater of Catholics). The Jesuits supplied them “almost all of their Catholic militia aboard, crucial supplies of gunpowder and lead, food and more guns. And Yasuke.” (318)
Eventually, Yasuke becomes his own man.
Alessandro Valignano:
Father Valignano was a Jesuit missionary from Rome. His official title was Visitor to the Indies given by Pope Gregory XIII. His main role was to make sure that the Catholic faith was flourishing and spreading throughout India, China, and Japan. Valignano was vital in the success of the Catholic church in new regions as well as the development and creation of the trading hub of Nagasaki. He encourages the Jesuit church to adapt to the culture they are trying to convert. This includes how the home culture eats, dresses, acts, and communicates. He believes the best way to recruit new members is to start at the highest class and work downward to the lowest class (however, converting anyone in the meantime).
It fascinates me that he had this “open” mindset when it came to converting others because a lot of my history classes, it isn’t taught this way. Conversion in many historical cases tends to be very violent (ex. the book, The Song of the Cid). He knew that the Jesuits had to show some form of recognition and acceptance of the home culture before the home country would accept the Jesuit culture. He was instrumental in building the relationship between Nobunaga and also fixing the issues that a later Father (Father Coehlo) created with a strong Japanese lord.
Father Gnecci Soldo Organtino:
Father Organtino is an interesting dude. He was in Japan already before Valignano and he helped bridge the gap between Father Valignano, Yasuke, and Nobunaga. Remember that mob story about Yasuke and how he has orders to meet Oda immediately? Organtino is the one that takes Yasuke because of Organtino’s relationship already with Oda. Cool thing is Organtino watched Nobunaga kind of come to power and was like a friend to him. They talked about many different and interesting topics and he taught Nobunaga about new technologies like the globe. Anywhozle, because of this friendship, Nobunaga respected western foreigners and also helped Organtino’s cause by allowing him to build a seminary in Azuchi (Nobunaga’s capital). This would make sense why Nobunaga wanted to see Yasuke right away. He liked rarities, uniques (yup I make up words, deal with it), and interesting outside people and things, and he would want to see what had disturbed his peaceful kingdom. So my cool thing about Organtino is he a sneaky bitch (in a good way). Like later on in the book, he does some cool sneaky spy stuff. UGHHHH I wish I could tell you, but I’m not about to ruin that surprise.
Side rant here: I know when I was reading about the globe I just paused and reflected when Organtino, Yasuke, and Nobunaga were marveling at the globe. As a human of today, sometimes we forget about being fascinated by the things or the world around us. Sometimes we are so caught up in technology or the next best thing that we forget that things like a globe led to the GPS that we have on our phones.
Lord Oda Nobunaga:
Oda is a major lord of many different territories in Japan with the help of his many vassals. I interpret his goal to be uniting the Japanese domain under one ruler… the emperor as a figurehead and Nobunaga as the Shogun. Nobunaga is a showman. He likes to be the center of attention. Remember that mob from earlier that was attacking Yasuke? That mob was brought together by yours truly! He throws a huge party to impress and proclaim loyalty to the emperor, however, everyone knows that it is really a celebration about Nobunaga. I mean Nobunaga’s house is a seven fucking story palace! Each chamber in the house had a theme and was decorated completely differently than the other chambers. The first five floors were decorated with amazing artwork. On the sixth floor, there were scenes of Buddha’s life and it also had an audience chamber for the emperor when he arrived. He was also a smart man. He had amazing military strategies, he was a very giving ruler, but he had a strict structure for his people and the people knew what was expected of them. If what he expected was not completed satisfactorily, well you could bet some heads were gunna roll.
Nobunaga liked to be a trendsetter. He liked tradition, but he also put his own spin on things. He wanted to challenge the old ways of Japan and make new ways for the future. He did this by learning about the West, their clothing, food, and culture. He did this by looking at some of the inventions of the world, by giving an African warrior the status of samurai, and by adding knowledge from leaders of the West AND Yasuke. These people offer knowledge, war tactics, and lifestyle. To give an example of Nobunaga kind of doing things his own way… when winning a battle, the leader or lord of the opposing side’s head is presented to the champion lord. The custom is to view the dead foe, take victory, but also pay respects. I guess sometimes the victors would share a drink with the head, pray for the soul, maybe even ask for a blessing. However, Nobunaga does his own thing. He taunts it. He slapped the dead lord’s cheek. Everyone in Nobunaga’s entourage was shocked. This is not what the Japanese custom was. But Nobunaga was his own man.
Random cool history fact: I had no idea that Nobunaga had pretty much codified the rules of sumo wrestling.
Also, there are assassination attempts that like had me on the edge of my seat. Soooo there is that.
Oda Nobutada:
Nobutada is the eldest son of Oda Nobunaga. He is a very talented, skilled, and successful war strategist and is next in line for the throne if something were to happen to his father Nobunaga. He is a very loyal and trustworthy son.
Akechi Mitsuhide:
As told in the Prelude, Akechi is the bitch that betrays Oda Nobunaga. He’s Benedict Arnold before Benedict Arnold could claim that throne. He was a general, samurai, and Nobunaga’s event planner.
Okay, so my favorite part of the whole book is when Akechi gathers 8 poets (Satomura Joha is a famous Japanese poet of this time and also comes along) to hold a renga session before he betrays Nobunaga. It’s a “centuries-old form of collaborative poetry where multiple poets took turns adding new stanzas after the poet proceeding them, competing in literary allusions and poetic skill. Each contribution had to conform to the rules of structure, meter, stress, and intention. [It’s a feudal rap battle]. The poem was to reach exactly one hundred stanzas… [and Renga] were often employed as a powerful performance in the act of prayer, beseeching the dedicatory deity to grant victory in battle.” (274)
The first verse (hokku and what I learned when it is not in other stanzas in 5th grade as a haiku, thanks to Mr. Timm) was given by the most honored guest (which was Akechi). He secretly guises his hokku as a kind of battle cry, but it can also be translated and interpreted as Akechi was supposed to reign now.
Toki wa ima,
Ame ga shitashiru,
Satsuki kana (274)
The time(toki) is now,
The fifth month,
When the rain falls (274)
Toki is apparently Akechi’s ancestral clan’s name sooooo…. Think about that for a moment….
What a play on words eh? Like wow. I sometimes hear things like this and reflect and wonder how on Earth people come up with such famous lines of thought.
(This is my haiku and my interpretation of the hokku above)
In the month of May,
It is time
Akechi reigns
(This is my haiku and my interpretation of the hokku above)
In the month of May,
It is time
Akechi reigns
Tokugawa Ieyasu:
The loyal follower of Nobunaga, who was the vassal in charge of Mt. Fuji and some of the surrounding terrain. Ieyasu is a serious ass kisser (but this is seen as fidelity, loyalty, and servitude as this is his job). He is a servant waiting for his time to shine. He literally builds new tea huts and houses for Nobunaga’s entourage to stay in as they travel the lands of Mt. Fuji. Ieyasu spared no expense in showing that he was Nobunaga’s humble servant. He brought the best foods, and the best chefs, for both the high and low soldiers. He had men go ahead and cut down paths in the forest to make travel easier and to not run the risk of sneak attacks. Each teahouse was built at a specific location due to historical or legendary interests that Ieyasu thought that Nobunaga may enjoy and want to reflect upon. He also built bridges across the rivers so that Nobunaga’s men may travel without problems. This was to prove that Ieyasu would do anything for Nobunaga. He was a loyal, humble, servant.This eventually leads to his clan rising up and taking charge of what we know as Japan today for about 200 years.
I have to pause and commend the two authors for a moment. I love how the authors describe the scenery of this trip in Chapter 18. It is so well done. It is very poetic and calming. “Coming down from the mountains, spring now budded around them in mountain cherry blossoms, birds feeding their young and melt-swollen rivers, but it still felt cold.” (265) This beautiful writing just made this image in my mind of spring here in Michigan. When we see the green buds start to come out, flowers too, birds chirping and enjoying the sunshine, the waters higher than normal from the snow run off or the spring showers, that last winter cold still hanging on. It was very beautifully written and just hit a heartstring with me.
Takayama Ukon:
Takayama was Oda Nobunaga’s general and close retainer. He was a loyal convert to the Catholic faith. As a historian and someone who values other’s beliefs, I was so disheartened to see that Lord Takayama was proud in showing Valignano the Buddhist temples and the Shinto shrines that were destroyed across his lands. That hurt me. In the places where the shrines/temples used to be were now churches and crosses everywhere to commemorate the transition to the Jesuit faith.
So remember how I said that Father Organtino was a sneaky spy bitch? Well, he was, but that sneaky spy information was sent to this Takayama. Because of Takayama’s loyal faith to the Jesuits, Father Organtino was able to send a message to Takayama without anyone knowing. Pretty impressive eh? Guess you’ll have to read the book to figure out that message!
CULTURE
Ahhhhh culture… something many Americans are lacking… This is what I love most as a social studies educator. Understanding the people, their ways, FOOD, art, customs, knowledge, attitude, behaviors, social structure. In other words, their way of life. There is so much culture within these pages that at some points I felt like I was going to explode with happiness. So there are two major groups that I would like to address about their culture: the Jesuits and the Japanese.
The Jesuit Culture and Mentality:
Side note before I get started: Yasuke’s story is a story of acclimation. He takes on the cultures that he is with. He learns and that, in my personal opinion, is why he is able to be so successful!
The Jesuits are a part of the Catholic church. Their main goal was to convert as many followers as possible.
Alessandro Valignano is the head of this mission. He was a wise man who tells his missionaries to adapt some of the Japanese culture including how to eat, dress, act, and communicate. However, one thing that the Jesuits did that was kind of disgusting is not bathe often. I think in the book they said they may bathe once a year!? EWWWWWW! Like why in the world would these people be congregating together? I just know the smell was worse than how a gym full of parents and students at an after-school event. However, besides the unfortunate lack of general hygiene, this was a very smart tactic to recruit new people of a different culture/faith. It is easier to convert others when they see similarities between themselves and these messengers of God. Valignano was not only representing his faith, but the relationship between Rome and Japan. Rome did NOT want to start a war with any countries in Asia as they were major trading partners in silk, silver, and other goods.
One way of conversion that impressed me was adapting to spread the message of Catholicism through theatre. The Bible was not translated into Japanese during this time period. Even if the Bible was translated into Japanese, there would have been no way to print large amounts of books since the printing press was not in Asia yet. Theatre was an easy way to teach non-converts (as well as converts) what Catholicism was about. The missionaries didn’t just travel to big cities, they also made their way to small fishing and farming villages where plays would not have been a privilege to partake in on a regular basis. This would be a welcomed form of entertainment!
Another way of converting successfully was to build churches using the materials and architecture of Japan. You know, make it homey. That’s exactly what the Jesuits did with their church of Our Lady of the Assumption Mary. The church was not your stereotypical Catholic church. It had a Japanese flair to it. The roof had clay tiles and was decorated in a Japanese manner.
I had no idea that during this time the Japanese were considered white in the eyes of many. In Valignano’s eyes, he was impressed with the tranquility, administration, and wealth of the Japanese. However, he was confused with how many of these civilized reasonable and educated whites would not convert to Christianity. He was convinced that the Japanese were not low-class or dark people. To him, this meant that they were going to be able to be successful in spreading the views and ideals of the church. Dark skin to him meant that they were non-Christian (which would make sense as the Islamic faith was worshipped largely by dark-skinned people and this faith was the foe of Christianity). Dark skin people were supposed to be the followers and the doers of society, not the leaders. In his view, dark-skinned people lacked intelligence and culture. They were born to serve… Like Yasuke?
It is intriguing that the Jesuits condemned the institution of slavery. There is a sentence in here that says something like “Valignano himself explicitly disapproved of slavery; though as a man of his time, did nothing to stop it and was convinced God's work could not be done if the Jesuits did not have servants and slaves to do the more mundane chores.” (78) Meaning that they were outsourcing violence, cleaning, and other chores to slaves, people like Yasuke. I also find it interesting that slavery in Asia is similar to slavery in Rome. I mean, yes, being a slave was degrading and some of the slave “jobs” were brutal, but slaves could have possessions and had some freedoms during their service time. Eventually, slaves could often be freed. As an American, we often forget that there are other forms of slavery and not just the American form of it.
I was also completely unaware of the fact that Jesuits helped build Nagasaki. I was fascinated to learn that Valignano worked with many different local people and used the infrastructures that were currently there, but to also advance this location for a more dramatic Catholic foothold in Japan. I had no idea that because of these changes the population doubled in this location. It became an international port and a sanctuary for people trying to find peace from their destroyed and war-torn communities. The Jesuit community built churches, hospitals, poor houses, and orphanages, helping the poor, opening schools, and teaching Japanese and English to their students. Cultural diffusion at its finest. In Japanese culture, however, it is seen as demeaning (to the people who are trying to help others) to work with the poor, the prostitutes, the refuges. The Jesuits told the Japanese that they are this high class, but the Japanese see the Jesuits helping these unfortunate groups and deem that as lowering the Jesuit status.
Valignano and the Jesuits were all about making a spectacle. Get the attention of others, they will at least notice you and that’s honestly half the battle. I mean, hell, I am writing a blog and wonder who will actually see this! Having a large entourage gets people’s attention. Also, having a 6 foot 2 inches tall, black-skinned, muscular man as a personal bodyguard will definitely draw attention as the Japanese were known as “dwarves.” (Not being derogatory in any way, it is how other Asians of this time period viewed the Japanese). As Lockley and Girard write, “Engineering large crowds was an old Jesuit tactic to generate publicity and new followers, and the exotic foreigners provided much entertainment as well as provoking sincere religious interest in the local populace.” (115) In other words, Jesuits like to draw attention to themselves and that is the reason Valignano chose Yasuke; the more attention, the better.
The last thing we need to really know about the Jesuits and their conversion mission is that some of the Japanese lords really only converted to get the impressive goods that the Jesuits brought with them. This included things like breech loaders, gunpowder, weapons, and mercenaries. The goal was to convert the lords because then the followers of the lords would convert as well. You know… the shepherd and sheep thing. Sometimes that worked, other times not so much.
The Japanese Culture and Mentality:
The Japanese mainly followed the faiths of Buddhism and Shinto.
Okay so the first thing I need to address because my freaking mind was blown, was the fact that there were fucking women samurais. 1) This is cool as hell and 2) why the hell isn’t this taught in history classes?! I have gone almost 29 years of my life not knowing that there were freaking women samurais. ANYWHO… I did not know that women could also be ninjas using hairpins and chopsticks as weapons. This is baller. Like I want to see them use these as weapons. Hell, I want to know how they used them as weapons. I thought all samurai were men. To hear about how women fought to the death to protect their family and home, instead of just bowing down and being raped and killed made me really proud. Apparently, they were really well trained with a weapon called a naginata. It’s a wooden staff with a sword blade at the end. Some even lead major battles to protect their home from invaders. THIS NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT MORE!!!
In Japanese artwork called screens, blacks were drawn into history. Screens were really expensive to create, so many of them survive still today. This is freaking awesome as this allows us modern-day nerds to use these primary sources to see blacks during this time period: culture, jobs, where they fell in the social hierarchy, and so much more.
Basically, I learned that the Japanese are PARTAYERS. For example, Oda Nobunaga (a major lord) was preparing for the Cavalcade of Horses spectacle. This was a huge event for Nobunaga to show off his prowess. In the event, there are amazing feats of horsemanship while Oda and his sons also participate in some of the tricks. This was a welcomed event as this part of the Japanese realm was at peace for over 100 years! Of course, there would probably be sumo wrestling as a form of entertainment as well.
There is also a festival called Festival of the Dead, or Obon. It’s a Buddhist inspired holiday where the spirits of family ancestors return for three days. Sounds like Day of the Dead and the movie Coco just flies into my mind. Damnit now I want to watch Coco. Families introduce their newest members to the deceased ancestors as well as any other life updates. Nobunaga lights thousands of flaming torches and lanterns on the third day of the festival to show the ancestors how to make it back to their ethereal home.
So basically in Japanese culture, they celebrate the New Year like I celebrate Christmas. Except like Nobunaga has all of these lords come to him to pay respects. They prepare all of the food in advance because nobody cooks for three days. It was a time when instead of cooking everyone cleaned (kitchens, barns, pens). Houses were cleaned and broken things were fixed. The porches were decorated with bamboo and pine sprig for the New Year god to enter. They also put pine, small orange, and a circular straw rope on the front door to keep misfortune and unclean spirits away. People were visiting others throughout Azuchi.
Everyone went to see Nobunaga and give him lavish gifts (all while Yas watched over him). His fave general, Hideyoshi, gave him like 200 silk kimono robes for Nobun and the ladies of the court. In return, Nobun gave Hideyoshi a few rough pots and a set of simple bamboo spoons to be used in the tea ceremony. Yas (just like me) is a little confused at the significance of this since like Hid just gave Nobun something that was invaluable, but Hid thinks this is priceless. Is this because it comes from such a high lord? I’m not sure. Then after all the gift-giving, everyone’s like, let’s go on a ceremonial procession from the foot of the mountain to the top. Then some stuff happens, but like I can’t talk about that because… suspense. Then they have a big bonfire to burn away the old year.
All of that being said, here is a little information on Kyoto, the Capital of Japan for almost 1,000 years! Kyoto is a large city, built for political and religious power, and was commercially larger than the cities of London, Paris, Moscow, or Medieval Rome! However, it was a city in recovery, during Yasuke’s time, because of many civil wars. People were finally moving back into the city which means that they were bringing their families, services and skills, and goods.
Okay so I am currently learning more about myself through chakras and energy movement and I found this pretty cool from reading the accompaniment of audible. Chakras and energy movement are very much an Eastern medicine/ culture thing and it is truly interesting, informative, and fun to see that within the book as well. I have also always been really in tune with nature. Nature has been a teacher to me growing up and still today. Kyoto was a vital place as it had spiritual and practical reasons for living there. The rivers and southern valleys were a sign of positive energy and trade. The mountains blocked hurtful spirits, but were also defensive barriers from outsiders and had natural resources for trade. The water to the North, Lake Biwa, was a symbol of prosperous currents and useful trade routes connecting Kyoto with the north coast and had various marine produce. This location was prime for both commerce and positive vibes. Gotta love the positive vibes, man.
Soooooo apparently in the past, about 100 years before this time period, wars were refined. They weren’t like the massive bloodshed and carnage that my generation knows of today. For example, individuals would align themselves with someone of similar lineage and very few individuals actually died. Apparently, this changed in the 13th century with a Mongol invasion as soldiers were destroyed by the Mongols who attacked all enemies regardless of the lineage. The Age of the Country at War had changed that. War was not a rich dude’s game anymore. It was violent and people had to be trained, leaders needed to have massive amounts of soldiers, and a strategy was needed now to destroy other lords. That’s where the samurai class became vital to the numbers and protection of the leaders and the lands.
The samurai was a part of the ruling class and if you were anybody in Japanese society, you were a samurai. I thought that samurais were basically just fighters. However, this book showed me that is not the case at all. The word samurai means to serve. And serve they did. They had huge estates, drove large building projects, were constantly learning and writing poetry (awwww they have a soft side), making laws, and much more. They weren’t just the fighting class, they were the builders and backbone of Japan.
There are many different statuses within the samurai family. There are the ashigaru who were the lowest ranking of the samurai class and were also farmers. There were the hatamoto (probably Yasuke’s rank) who were the right-hand samurais of a lord. They contributed to the lord’s needs and protection. Then there were the sohei which were warrior monks (this is starting to sound a little too much like Dungeons and Dragons all of a sudden) who fought for their faith (literally). The book also goes into detail on some of the legends of a samurai… like seppuku and loyalty. So another misunderstanding I had was that I thought all samurais performed seppuku. It was not a question. You just did it if you were caught in that life or death situation. Not all samurai were comfortable performing seppuku (cutting their bellies if they lost a battle to not surrender), which makes complete sense as we are human and all have the option to make choices. Some would become prisoners of war, killed by the enemy, or they had a third option of pulling a Benedict Arnold. Loyalty, again, is a very human trait and humans can make choices. Some would switch sides. It is a nice reminder that these are people. Sometimes when I am reading a book, I forgot that these are real people, who had real lives and made real decisions.
LGBTQIA History: Again, I am not an expert in LGBTQIA history at all, however, this book opens up with the culture of homosexuality and how older samurais would teach the younger ones the way of fighting, but also have sex with them. The older samurai would be the penetrative partner and the younger was the receptive submitee out of love, loyalty, and affection. It was basically a way to continue this idea of a strong bond of friendship and loyalty which would continue in times of turmoil. In other words: it’s hard to betray someone and the lord that you have built a strong bond with and admire strongly. Different cultures that Yasuke may have run into (Jesuits and Muslims) were against this type of sodomy.
This makes me wonder what Yasuke’s take on this type of relationship was like. This does not mean that the men were not able to have wives. That was encouraged. Again, having something to fight for (What do we want? A girl worth fighting for!, oh Mulan), helps the cause. The author makes a valid point that Yasuke was probably in this kind of relationship with Nobunaga. Yasuke came from Africa, met various different cultures with their ideas, values, and beliefs. Apparently, the relationship between Nobunaga and Ranmaru (the most handsome and fiercest of the samurai group closest to Nobunaga) is still admired to today.
Okay. So who’s ready for some gruesome history! (This is always my favorite part of teaching history because it makes middle schoolers squirm in their seats). So apparently in Japan when a lord goes to war, all of the heads of the fallen soldiers of enemy lords were all beautified up by the Shigeshoshi (makeup artists that traveled with the army), they were then labeled and later put on display for the winning lords and the lord’s people to examine. It wasn’t just the enemy lord’s head that was put on display. It was also ranking officials and common soldiers. They literally had soldiers whose job it was to shoo the crows and dogs that were attracted to the smell of the rotting heads. After they started rotting a little too much, the winning clan was supposed to send the heads back to relatives. The major thing is that if lord A’s head makes its way into lord B’s hands, then that makes the transition into a leadership role of the Lord B easier on the community of Lord A’s.
When a lord takes over a new realm, he gives fiefs to his vassals. The biggest fiefs go to the oldest and most loyal of the vassals, while the smaller fiefs go to the younger, less experienced vassals. This is the event that occurred to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu gets a former foes land known as Mt. Fuji from Nobunaga.
Cool information alert: I had no idea that when faced with death, the Japanese would write a death poem. That is both beautiful and sad. These people knew that a different ruler was going to overtake them. Take their heads. Their poems. Their lives. Their towns. And they still wrote a poem for the future generations to read. Wow. That is mightily impressive and very selfless. A poem is the last damn thing I would be thinking about in this situation. As families became surrounded by intruders, the men killed their wives, then attacked and killed as many enemies as possible before their own demise. Some of the attacked population would perform seppuku while others would be beheaded by the invaders.
Cool information alert part II: I find it completely fascinating that some of the more important men had personal biographers that recorded the lives of their lords. That is so dope and awesome for historians!
This book has so much to offer to the reader. I encourage, nay, implore you to read this book. Sit back and enjoy the story of an underdog, rising up. Enjoy the history, the historical figures, and the culture within just as much as I did. Be like Oda Nobunaga and act as if you are learning everything for the first time. This story is supposed to be about inspiration, inclusion, and positive action. I was able to enjoy a time period when being different was a blessing, not a downfall. It was nice. Our world needs more of that. It was enjoyable to see someone who had everything taken from him, built himself up, and accomplished so much. He had the right circumstances. Not everyone does. It was cool to see someone become a samurai, a trusted companion, a pioneer in life and spirit. It disheartened me that his story ended in 1594. We have no more information. But it makes me happy to understand not only Yasuke, but Japanese and Jesuit culture in a new light.
IN CONCLUSION, READ THE FRACKING BOOK.
Up Next: Brad Meltzer’s The Tenth Justice
