The African Samurai

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Set in late 16th-century Africa, India, Portugal, and Japan, this powerful historical novel tells the true story of Yasuke, Japan’s first foreign-born samurai and the only samurai of African descent. In 1579, a Portuguese trade ship arrives in Kuchinotsu, Japan, carrying Father Alessandro Valignano, an Italian Jesuit missionary, and his protector, a large East African man. Taken from his village and sold into slavery, the young soldier is haunted by his past experiences in wars across India. As Valignano leads an expedition toward Kyoto, a riot brings his protector before Oda Nobunaga, the land’s powerful warlord, who is unifying a nation torn by civil war. In exchange for permission to build a church, Valignano “gifts” his protector to Nobunaga, reducing him to a mere object to be traded. However, after pledging allegiance to Nobunaga, the two men forge a bond of trust and respect. The East African soldier is granted the title of samurai, a first for a foreigner, and renamed Yasuke. Yet, not everyone supports his rise; whispers of his potential fiefdom circulate. Yasuke's dreams hinge on his ability to protect Nobunaga from various threats, both external and internal. This narrative explores the complexities of East-West relations and the emergence of a remarkable hero in the making of modern Japan.