The Rise of Yasuke: a Samurai from Africa Yasuke, often hailed as the first African samurai, rose to prominence in 16th-century Japan through a remarkable journey. Originally from Mozambique, Yasuke arrived in Japan in 1579 with Jesuit missionaries. His striking stature and foreign background intrigued the Japanese, especially Oda Nobunaga, a powerful warlord who embraced Yasuke's uniqueness. Nobunaga appointed him as a samurai, granting him a position of honor and responsibility, a rare achieve