Was There Really A Black Samurai??

Hot on the heels of the launch of the first biography of the legendary African Samurai, Yasuke (African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan) was the announcement of Chadwick Boseman's agreement to play the role of the black samurai in an upcoming feature film. The announcement caused an online frenzy, not unlike the stir that Yasuke caused whenever he was seen in public in 16th century Japan.
But who is this black Samurai who lived some 450+ years ago? Was there really a black Samurai?To some he's a legend, while for others he's either a mystery or a myth. In this video, we sat down with Thomas Lockley, one half of the duo who wrote the vivid biography of the black samurai; putting the skeptics to rest once and for all, about what was fact and what was fiction about the first foreign born samurai. We asked Lockley about what inspired him to write the biography, along with a battery of other questions. This was the resulting interview.
You can also get a copy of the book on Amazon here: amzn.to/2YvwXH4
If you’re in the UK you can get the book on Amazon here: amzn.to/2Q9EIQk
You can visit the Facebook page for the biography, African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan, here: www.Facebook.com/AfricanSamuraiYasuke/ or visit www.africansamurai.com
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Music:
Buddha by Kontekst / kontekstmusic Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported- CC BY 3.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/b... Music promoted by Audio Library • Buddha - Kontekst (No ...
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Thank you for watching!
#blackinjapan #africansamurai #yasuke
Disclaimer: The Amazon links are affiliate links which allows you to support the channel, if you do make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

[@TheBlackExJp]

You can get a copy of the book on Amazon here: amzn.to/2YvwXH4 If you’re in the UK you can get the book on Amazon here: amzn.to/2Q9EIQk These links are affiliate links which allows you to support the channel (if you get the book using the link) at no extra cost to you. People were requesting these links, so we've decided to place them here. Thanks for watching!

[@TheMeloman79]

The Black Experience Japan thank you for this very insightful interview. Refreshing! I wonder what the 50 dislikes were for though.

[@crystalsplace7163]

J M You know this as fact? 😒😒😒😒😒😒

[@charisseagnew1788]

& bruh Dave: remember black folks . . We don't have any Fwiends ✌️

[@user-jx1gb9lv5y]

Yasuke＝slave OK?

[@dennisellis5986]

Never got the chance to finish reading the book.. The book itself is over five hundred pages.. A thick book such as African Samurai will take time to finish. I rented it from the library. I happen to return it around September or August. If I see that book at Strands and Barnes and Nobles. I'm snatching it up..

[@yokozakoshi]

It's cowardly that Lockley changes his statements between Japan and overseas. In Japan, he takes the position that his book is nothing more than hypothetical speculation based on very little material, but overseas he asserts it as if it were historical fact. Lockley said that he had Sakujin Kirino, one of Japan's leading experts on the Honnoji Incident, fact-check ``Nobunaga and Yasuke,'' but at least Kirino himself denies that.

[@EmperorNero]

So you straight up you admit to take 13 sentences making assertion without evidence to get a 400 page book and pass it off as fact.

[@ejacks3]

He also said he wrote an academic book about him in Japanese. If it’s academic scholarship then the book will have sources and was peer reviewed. So try reading that first. He is discussing the novelization of his life from his book in this video. There appears to be a disproportionate amount of certain individuals who bring their biases into this discussion and lack objectivity. Especially after this historic figure, Yasuke has been highlighted by certain content creators.

[@EmperorNero]

@@ejacks3 tfw the academic text is also based on a few sentences. Sit all the way down

[@ejacks3]

So you have read the Japanese academic paper and seen the footnotes and sources?

[@EmperorNero]

@@ejacks3 I know the primary sources.

[@ejacks3]

@@EmperorNero I live in Japan. I think people are really getting caught up on titles. (Westerns love to politicize the simplest things) The name of Lockley’s first academic research paper in Japanese is called The Story of Yasuke: Nobunaga’s African Retainer (2016) I believe they use the word Samurai in his later novel for marketing purposes. Westerners are more familiar with the word. The truth is that he served Nobunaga for such a short period of time and there is very little documented evidence of his life. No one is 100% sure of what title he achieved before Nobunaga’s untimely death.

[@masamiyaleco]

弥助が侍だと言える史料はどこにもありません。現在彼の著作を元にしてDEIの為に日本の歴史的事実を改変する流れにまで至っています。日本人として憂慮すべき事態です。

[@sampson3121]

I'll take the word of a HISTORICAL PROFESSOR. Now go fly a kite, kid

[@FeatherP]

@@sampson3121 29:46 'research by assumption' I don't think this bodes well

[@bakuryukenji3802]

@@sampson3121 sure you do. You believe also flat earth proffesors

[@netron66]

@@sampson3121 take the word in here: written 25,000 words and it was a it was a fictional account it it was based on fact but it was fiction. reference: 6:12

[@mizushogun]

clearly didn’t watch the rest of the video

[@garethlewis1984]

Lockley: "Source? I made it up."

[@Tazreale]

Lockley: "Ha! Gottem!" After people eat his fake history up. I hope this all comes back to him and the History Institute he works at fires him for this Western hoax nonsense he tries to pass off as fact when in Japan he told them it was revised historical fiction.

[@summonsboard1999]

歴史の捏造もここまでくると清々しいですね笑笑

[@sampson3121]

Racist

[@summonsboard1999]

返信ありがとう 君みたいに、理論立てないで無差別にとりあえずレイシストと指摘しておけば自尊心が高まる人間から返信をもらえて感激してます

[@dbzextreme1]

@summonsboard1999 how does Yasuke's story rewrite Japanese history? What changed by acknowledging his existence? I personally see the story of a man being respected on merit in an unlikely place while finding himself in an amazing circumstance, whose story wasn't completely lost to time. I would think it's actually bringing more awareness to Japanese history. Isn't that a good thing?

[@summonsboard1999]

@@dbzextreme1 返信ありがとうございます。 まず弥助の存在を認めると何が変わるのかという話ですが、そもそも弥助は信長に仕えていた黒人であるということが認められており、今の所新たな発見もなく何も変わっていません。 今問題視されているのは弥助の史実が改変されつつあることです。 昨今日本以外では弥助は信長の介錯を行ったり、今もなお日本人から尊敬されている伝説の侍であるとまことしやかに囁かれていますが実際にはそのような証拠さえも見つかっていません。 そしてこの動画の人物は彼の妄想を実際の歴史だと偽って人々に流布しています。 加えて"For a Samurai to be brave, he must have a bit of Black blood."が海外では古くからの日本の諺として紹介されていますが全くの出鱈目で、日本の武士が黒人を喜ばせるためのただの道具として使われているのが事実です。加えて柿本人麻呂が黒人であるというのも同様に出鱈目です。 つまりは、今注目されているのは日本の歴史ではなく、プロパガンダを持った人々が欲望のままに脚色を行った妄想であると私は考えています。

[@garethlewis1984]

@@dbzextreme1 Not if he's making most of it up. How do you get a 480 page book just from 5 paragraphs..?

[@jirohta3189]

弥助は、日本の歴史にとって記録されるほどの重要性が無かったため記録が少ない。学者の学術文は、自分の心情や希望・政治信念を反映するような推測や憶測を入れて誇張してはならない。

[@alfonsopayan09]

Chadwick Boseman is going to be Yasuke guys 🇿🇦🇯🇵

[@kynshii]

He's the legendary black actor who play historical black figures and killed just about every role👑

[@malwd6321]

Wait foreal? Def lookin forward to that

[@myronsmith2114]

@Leopold he wasn't a samurai he was an assassin

[@Tsarisgreat]

As much as I want this we gotta be REAL about this, The movie will Succeed or Fail depending on the Production, Cost & Director. Look what happened to RED TAILS.

[@manmanopoly8047]

I'm personally tired of him getting all of these Historical roles.

[@Castitalus]

So he took a few paragraphs of texts saying there was a black man in japan, made up this almost 500 page novel about a black samurai, and I'm supposed to take it as historical fact?

[@jirohta3189]

それが、もし本当だとしたら酷いな。私は呆れて笑うしかない。(便乗して１か月も前の投稿に返してみるｗ）

[@Calypso694]

Yes. It’s the book everyone goes to for “the facts” about yasuke. Insane.

[@Tazreale]

Yep, I had to check this guy out since they claim him as a credible source, only to find out he is a quack making up all the content off a very few sentences Oda had recorded on Yasuke.

[@chadwolf3840]

took 13 sentences of actual japanese text and wrote a 400 page fictional book about it, and somehow he's trying to pass it off as actual history? i guess there are a lot of dumb people who might believe it and buy his book.

[@17vmrivas]

yasuke was real, no denying, the thing is he wasnt an actual badass samurai, at least theres no evidence for that, but he was given the title of samurai.

[@SgtKOnyx]

He wasn't given that title while he was alive it seems

[@MonAheadBigMan9337]

Yes "Chadwolf" 😂 I'm sure you know more than an associate professor of history who's specifically studied this subject for years. I'm sure the depth of your knowledge on the subject isn't a handful of KZbin and reddit comments saying that retainer basically means gardener. I'm sure your interest in this historical figure has nothing to do with you being mad about a certain upcoming Ubisoft title 😂😂😂

[@chadwolf3840]

@@MonAheadBigMan9337 in this interview he said he “took liberties” on interpretation. Did you watch it?

[@MonAheadBigMan9337]

@@chadwolf3840 historians often take liberties because they're usually working with finite primary sources. A large amount of it is filling gaps. Your comment essentially said he took 13 sentences and made the rest up. When in reality you take primary sources like writing from the time or artefacts and then use other information we have from the period to contextualise what was most likely the case. But the conversation online around this topic has boiled down to surface level "he was servant" and "no he was samurai" when the truth is most likely more complex. There's Japanese artwork from the time depicting a black man in upper class Portuguese clothing suggesting the person depicted was of relative importance but that's only information we can gleam from speculation.

[@sfguzmani]

歴史修正主義が進行中。ロックリー自身も、少数の情報源や一次情報源（文字通りわずか 13 文に相当する資料）に基づいて 480 ページの本を書くためには、多くの「研究に基づいた仮定」を立てる必要があったと認めているように、この本は歴史小説です。

[@jiggerinokobalis609]

Lockley is such a fool.

[@chillhomie7]

I am literally a black man from south Sudanese decent (albeit born and raised in Toronto, Canada) that’s learning Japanese right now. Learning about this story and character is utterly shocking. I’m not from the dinka tribe but I’m not sure if there was even a separation from the dinka and Nuer tribes back in the 1500s. The languages are quite similar and no genetic difference. This is crazy lol. I love Japanese history and culture.

[@reppinsets]

yo homie we should link up! Ive traveled to Japan mad times n from the dot too

[@batmanfan20101]

Some of these comments are a mess so I'll say something positive! Thank you Thomas Lockley for your indepth and careful analysis of the historical figure Yasuke. As I listened to you talk about Yasuke it is very obvious that you care deeply about sharing his story and respect the amazing person Yasuke was. I had never heard about him before this interview but hearing you share facts with so much enthusiasm and respect makes me want to learn more. I have to admit as a Black American female I felt very surprised to see how genuinely inspired you are by Yasuke. It is rare to see a white male be so respectful and deeply impacted by the black experience. It was a blessing to me to see your passion for Yasuke's story! Thank you for putting years of work into it. I hope you and your family are blessed.

[@amykarr6163]

cringe

[@jaeflow3375]

@@amykarr6163 awww you saw your reflection in the mirror again sweetheart? I told u when ur ugly on the inside it's gonna show on the out 🙃

[@tyrannicfool2503]

I read in-depth as inept and was extremely confused

[@babieboi_moni4904]

This was beautiful ❤

[@garethlewis1984]

"in depth and careful analysis" :') hahaah

[@Heunorthodox]

Chadwick is a phenomenal actor. I think we’re in for a treat.

[@wiseonwords]

Well, let's hope the director is worthy of the project.

[@JamConcerned]

@@wiseonwords Just hope it's a top notch production all around.

[@yani2499]

@@wiseonwords Akira Kurosawa style.

[@fitawrarifitness6842]

He is....

[@amykarr6163]

hes a shit actor

[@ademolaadenekan1372]

Now I understand why we black folks love anime so much

[@Juninzone]

😁😁😀😀

[@fsmithh]

😂truee

[@fsmithh]

Asians and Africans are unspoken best friends

[@ademolaadenekan1372]

@@fsmithh facts😂

[@optionvice8926]

U must be a naruto fan

[@JACK_DANIELAS]

日本人が彼のことを神のように崇めていたというのは語弊があるでしょう。初めて目にする黒人に興味深々だったというのは間違いないと思いますが。 それに彼が奴隷の立場から解放されたのは信長が彼を欲したからです。当時日本に連れてこられた黒人たちの中に自由な人がいたとは思えません。主人の考え方により、扱いが違ったことは有るかもしれませんが。 日本はWW１終結後に世界初の人種差別撤廃法案を国際連盟に提出しました。それはアメリカとイギリスに潰され、日本は経済封鎖の制裁を受けました。

[@Omega1st]

Juggling with eggs The First people in Japan were the Twa from Wa Kongo. Japan was called (Wa) People. Not all Black people were Slaves. The Xia, Shang, and Zhou in China were Black and the Continent of Asia was named after the people called The KSH (Sha) A-Sha (Xia)

[@worldtraveler134]

@@Omega1st Thank You

[@Omega1st]

@@worldtraveler134 You are welcome. Knowledge is Power.

[@heathermads4078]

Google translated It may be misleading that the Japanese worshiped him like God. I think that I was definitely interested in the first time I saw blacks. Besides, he was released from slavery because Nobunaga wanted him. I do not think that there were free people among the black people brought to Japan at that time. Depending on the master's way of thinking, there may be different treatment. Japan submitted the world's first racial discrimination abolition bill to the League of Nations after the end of WW1. It was crushed by the United States and the United Kingdom, and Japan was sanctioned by the blockade.

[@heathermads4078]

なぜ日本人の歴史に詳しい先生に聞かないのかな？ 結局白人が話を作りあげて日本人が黒人を賞賛したみたいな物語になるんだろうな、、信長役は日本人じゃなくアジア人になりそう

[@ironhornforge]

He wasn't a samurai ffs... You can't change history just because you really want it to be more culturally inclusive. It's not how it works.. I'm really sick of people trying to rewrite history to suit them. He was a character in feudal japan with a cool story, isn't that enough? He doesn't need to be a samurai legend, his story is a interesting footnote in a very interesting country during a fascinating time. That should be enough, stop pushing lies it's ridiculous.

[@TheBlackExJp]

Are you sure you’re not the one with the issue? Please furnish verifiable sources that supports your position.

[@ironhornforge]

@@TheBlackExJp there are multiple Japanese historians that refute your claim. I'm not the one here trying to embellish a story by giving it false claims because you think Japanese history needs to be more culturally diverse.

[@ironhornforge]

@@TheBlackExJp moreover the Japanese were incredibly good at keeping historical records, it was never in question as to whether he was samurai till the PC brigade decided he needed to be something more important than he was. There are notable foreigners that entered Japan who achieved that title, yasuke was not one of them.

[@annyeongh8rs815]

@@ironhornforge lol the japanese use the ‘black’ adjective to describe a character and next minute africans be like “we wuz samura N shiet” black could mean many things but i guess in their fantasy their samurai let the kids believe what they want

[@garethlewis1984]

@@TheBlackExJp "Please furnish verifiable sources that supports your position." Please furnish verifiable sources that support yours. Even Lockley can't do that without having to make shit up.

[@reinormand]

This is a great channel full of great, respectful and intelligent interviews. Great job guys. Became a fan.

[@grumpent]

Reinaldo Normand I said the same thing 💫📓

[@nakimbugwebetty8341]

Hi can i be your friend plz

[@linkcullum9961]

Well said...

[@nakimbugwebetty8341]

@@linkcullum9961 OK hi dear

[@nakimbugwebetty8341]

Hi dear to

[@f3linefanatic]

Dammit - now I am going to buy another book as if I don't have enough books.

[@AP-fe9hm]

f3linefanatic no such thing as enough books 📖

[@styl3k1fry]

How was the book?

[@mayraperezsostres5128]

Me as well. 😂😂😂

[@kifropu]

I'm very grateful that you wrote yasuke's story, and introduced him to a wider audience. It's very rare that that positive historical stories, especially of people of African decent is told. Thank you!!!

[@rememberthatyoumustdie]

Long story short: he didn’t exist and Japanese people have a culture of their own.

[@gynemmuham8675]

I loved how passionate the writer sounds and how interested the interviwer is

[@chadwolf3840]

it would be even more cool if the book weren't just a fiction written in his head.

[@Jkd_77]

I didn’t know a movie was coming out about him. Looking forward to seeing it!

[@ogawasanjuro]

Movie?!?! Yes! When?

[@madamepaka]

@TheMasterofNuats same. btw your pfp took me out😂💀💀

[@valeriemoon3686]

Truth be told he was never real he was just made up. Just saying facts

[@Dejays_lifestyle]

Brandon George I found out after I bought the book

[@dominicpersaud1155]

@@valeriemoon3686 how do u know

[@MisterSchmiddty]

Historical revisionism in action.

[@sampson3121]

How so, Professor?

[@jerrykenney3924]

How could this video get a dislike😒

[@norshstephens1298]

Because haters are gonna hate. That's how.

[@waynejohnson2894]

Being a Martial Artist and Student of the Samari Era, I bow to your excellence. Thank you so much Ranzo!

[@trollof229antthevariable9]

Definitely gonna give that a read.

[@jiggerinokobalis609]

I'll answer the question. No. No there was not.

[@TheEzekiel300]

Yes it was. White supremacist can't stop this truth.

[@MooseCastle]

​@@TheEzekiel300Black supremacist can't help himself from trying to rewrite history. You wuz never samurai.

[@Castitalus]

@@TheEzekiel300 Imagine trying to rewrite another countries history to be more inclusive and think you're a good person.

[@matasuki]

And this is why I love Japanese culture. They had a black samurai and worshipped him like a god but where are all the black knights?

[@nirbija]

@matasuki 4 ❤ No "black knights"? How about a BLACK MADONNA! lol You will need to learn a bit of history. It will do you much good. Europeans, beginning with the greeks, USED TO CORRECTLY WORSHIP African Deities, before a 'Dark Age' overtook the euopean minds and generated great delusions within, which caused the now-delude europeans to think that they (mere mutants with non-human/beast DNA) are the so-called 'superior race'. lol

[@papperiposten3899]

nirbija What dieties would this be?

[@papperiposten3899]

I dont know What you consider black but there were knights of all races in the knightly orders, ethiopians, egyptians semitic peoples and maybe sudanese. Europeans knew about black people from ancient litterature so they werent such a spectacle to them but japanese had never heard or seen them.

[@nirbija]

@@pink girl You don't need to worry 'pink girl'; no one is going to "worship" you. That's for sure. lol However, human beings IN MOST CULTURES correctly deify outstanding members of their societies who have had remarkable and extraordinary and unmatched achievements for their societies. The people rightly desire that some of those extraordinary qualities might be theirs ... in addition to the fact that the spirit of the deified ones persist long after their mortal death.

[@papperiposten3899]

nirbija What does Alexander have to do with the rest of europe. His conquered territories were in africa and asia. He started to worship the egyptian gods to be accepter by the people as their leader youre right about that

[@thenicflynn]

I can't wait to read this! I've been really interested in Yasuke and William Adams stories. I am going to drop the book I'm reading and grab a copy right now actually haha

[@RNW11B94B]

bought the audio book, can't wait to start listening!!!! :)

[@qualityblackmansysbm3608]

I wanna do a fictional action story on Yasuke having a son he never knew of who's a hafu , half Japanese half African. SON OF YASUKE

[@jordanloux3883]

Would he raised among the Japanese or the Portuguese?

[@halojeff15]

i heard about yasuke for the first from the game nioh , but they portrayed him as a slave so i was shocked to find out he was a black samurai cause he was the one protecting oda.

[@ironhornforge]

He was a slave, he wasn't ever a samurai

[@aaroncutler6383]

He was an assassin not a samurai. Ain’t an honorable bone in his body.

[@blondezeke6640]

@@ironhornforge I think you probably don't know the meaning of the words you're using

[@daitoushoutou]

Various Japanese media - Japanese TV period dramas, Japanese children's books, Japanese video games (e.g., Nioh), Japanese comics (manga), Japanese anime - have depicted Yasuke, Japan's historical, real-life black samurai of African origin, who served as a retainer under the famous Japanese samurai lord, Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582). Oda despised the ninja, who tried to assassinate him. Oda nearly wiped out the ninja in one of their homelands, Iga Province. If the Japanese can accept a black samurai of African origin, why can't everyone else? I'm an American of full Japanese descent (my naturalized American mother is a native of Japan), and I fully embrace a historical, real-life black African samurai in Japan, Yasuke. My Japanese-born mother's first biologocial great-grandchild, Aurora, has a black American/African American father. My mother beams with pride whenever she shows me photos and videos of her. (Aurora is my brother's first biological grandchild.)

[@solreavir]

I know this comment is four years old but the Answer is "The Culture war" grift otherwise known as the fight for White (maybe) Anglo Christian historical values in the World of Media on the Right . They have spent so much time and effort rewriting world history with their lens, Favour and fantasy that any new found information and approach is seen as their antithesis.

[@C.A.Prince]

Hey, I'm a Jamaican and I've been following your channel for a while. I must say, I am very impressed with your content; however, this interview is one of my favourites because it documents black history. I know that black people are often seen as underdogs in society, so learning of this hero is quite refreshing.

[@jahbless4ever]

Black history is world history. Black people traveled all over the world and contributed greatly to many societies.

[@dahanster5578]

@@jahbless4ever That's straight up FACTS!

[@babieboi_moni4904]

Yea I’m surprised she said underdog 😂 I’ve always seen our faces when it comes to the greatest in world history. Melanin is considered a special power, the 6th sense. This is why they refer to us as the organic being. For reasons we can stay in the sun and look so youthful in our older years. Somebody don’t know they history

[@nhlaxxx]

Loved this. Can't wait to get the book

[@eleventhhour138]

This is fascinating! Can’t wait to pick up a copy!

[@KrspyKremeCollection]

Thank you for writing this story!

[@bryanclark7608]

I always knew you must be great at interviews and asking good questions, due to how great the commentaries are that I've seen (which I knew were interviews) so it's a cool new perspective seeing this.

[@zenairzulu1378]

Fascinating. The Idea of adaptation of embodying being supple of having flexibility yet unyielding is what it means to be samurai. One could say that the Samurai was made for a man like Yasuke. To show The Black Experience Japan goes back hundreds of years is the most real

[@sayharris1361]

Great work bro✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾

[@tayo778911]

You know what, thanks Ranzo. Nice, 55 minutes of historic refreshment 👌.

[@orangecat999]

I love this! Thank you! Amazing interview. Will be buying the book for myself and young cousins.

[@thehedgehogsdilemma9478]

That’s awesome! I was just reading that book in the café at Barnes and Noble just the other day! Fun fact by the way, the anime “Afro Samurai” starring Samuel L. Jackson as the main voice actor was inspired by Yasuke, the afro samurai of real life! They totally should do a full-fledged anime based on the real Yasuke! Hell, Samuel L. Jackson could even come back and voice act for that too since his character was originally based on him anyway.

[@KONBITPOULAKAYCDH]

I can wait To Reed de book and see the movie

[@KONBITPOULAKAYCDH]

From Montréal Québec Canada

[@kenwu7]

The Hedgehog‘s Dilemma did you finish the book? what did you think (of at least what you read)

[@thehedgehogsdilemma9478]

Professor Xavier's KZbin account for the gifted I haven’t finished the whole book yet, but from what I read it is a fascinating story plus I’ve watched tons of KZbin videos all about The real afro samurai. Yasuke was a giant of a man, even taller than the white men he accompanied and whites are usually pretty tall if you compare them to Japanese (for the most part anyway) so just imagine what the Japanese must’ve thought when they first laid eyes on him, according to eyewitness description of the Japanese who first saw him, each and every one of them was a shrimp compared to the mysterious and handsome enormous dark skinned stranger, for the Japanese had never even seen a black man before EVER And when he was presented in front of Lord Nobunaga, Nobunaga-San at first thought that the Portuguese we’re trying to play some kind of prank on him and thought that Yasuke-San was a white man that had covered his body in charcoal to play a joke on them but after Nobunaga ordered that Yasuke be scrubbed from head to toe by the castle servants he became convinced that Yasuke was is the real deal and even took a liking to him so much so that Lord Nobunaga personally trained him in traditional Japanese martial arts after which he made him his personal samurai to be his right hand man and the guardian of his castle, second only to him.

[@zombone7813]

I listened to this book on Audible and I loved it even gave it a full five stars. I was amazed to hear the story behind Yasuke. I actually learned about him years ago so it surprised me that people are just started to hear about him and people think it's fictional and an untrue story.

[@Regalman]

I learned about him awhile ago on the internet but I am definitely going read that book and watch that movie! Also you guys dropped a lot of travel gems in the video I have to watch the video again and find those places. I will be in Tokyo September 10th!

[@joanadakun]

Something new i've learnt today.

[@hazelhoyte7668]

What timing! Just found out about the movie being made today and now this interview. Thanks Ranzo!

[@chelsea65030]

I've just started reading the book. Fascinating!

[@sakinamaryamkarim3567]

This is So Dope cuz when I was 14 I started writing a story where one of the character's was of African, Arabian and Japanese decent!! I wrote a whole plot of her parents beginning and how she was born and raised in Japan! Watching this makes me want to go back and complete my novel/ series!! I Love History And I Love Writing! Thank You So Much For This Content!😀😉

[@sexyredapple1999]

Go for it!!

[@sakinamaryamkarim3567]

@General Grievous have yet to fully start my novel series.....a lot of life has happened since I was 14.....but I haven't forgotten, and it is still something I want to do...still healing from life and family hardships, but the dark shadows of life are what inspired the plot to begin with. And now that I'm older, I can add more life experience into it. God Willing, my full name that you see above, will be on the book(s) Hopefully in the near future. Thanks for asking!

[@Tazreale]

Imagine taking a few paragraphs and making it up into 480 pages.

[@TheKamakuraGardener]

I just bought the book on Kindle! 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@swayzeninjasong3023]

When I was a kid I all ways love samurai I'm inspired every day but then when i heard of yasuke i was even more inspired i look up to him

[@agymahsworld360]

Thank you for sharing the info about this great Black samurai.

[@whitenoise0303]

RANZOOOO 🖤🖤 I appreciate this so much

[@debhroravindranathtabaloc9213]

Imagine a powerful warlord conqueror, Nobunaga, freed you from slavery. Then he turned you into one of the most highest rank on society, a prestige samurai and you had the honour to dine with Nobunaga.. Yasuke learned how to read, write and even speak japanese.. how will you fight for your lord then?

[@calicojack5623]

He freed himself from slavery. He was already a free man by the time he arrived in Japan

[@maskedmildew5437]

@SchizoKira you're not a 'slave' if you're paid. samurai had stipends, as I'm sure you can assume. Working directly under Oda Nobunaga as Yasuke had, since he was supposedly beloved enough to be at his side at Honno-ji, I'm sure would make you quite wealthy. Also, he was in line to get land and be proclaimed a true samurai. It's a shame he was only under Nobunaga's command for a year before Nobu died. Either way, you seem like you only added this comment to derail the original idea. It's off-topic. You only have Yasuke in mind for the first sentence, which was wrong, and the rest of it was about ronin and loyalty.

[@aaroncutler6383]

He didn’t fight for his lord. He’s a assassin, a criminal.

[@garethlewis1984]

@@maskedmildew5437 "I'm sure would make you quite wealthy. " No it wouldn't. You were literally paid in rice..

[@maxkimbimbi]

i subscribe to this channel a few month ago and i love it. learning a lot about the black experience in Asian countries specially in japan. please keep it up

[@kevens]

Can’t wait to see this movie. Also looking forward to reading this book.

[@tykep1009]

I'm a Nobunaga fan from childhood. As a Japanese, I'm thanks to him gave us a good historical connection to Black people.

[@aaroncutler6383]

Nobunaga didn’t take him in LoL. He told him to screw off and because of that he became an assassin and killed some of his best men for payback.

[@travelexploreasia9576]

I'm looking forward to watching the movie

[@maxcambridge7055]

I need to get this book !!!!

[@trzarector]

Thank you for the great insight. Theres still so much uncovered black history. I'll be buying this book asap!

[@Brainhoneywalker]

I can't wait to read this book (and see the movie)! This channel is amazing -- full of information and inspiration. Love the intelligence, diversity, and dignity here.

[@lukefoster6122]

Great interview! 👍

[@rickybaxter4355]

Such an amazing talk. Thank you for putting such an amazing video together. I'll be ordering his Bio for sure!

[@koolkokujin7015]

YESSSSS! Been waiting a long time to see this story make it to the big screen!

[@oiification]

I love this interview! So much inspiration and a great insight and example of other people APPRECIATING and pushing narratives perhaps maligned or different from their own - and it coming from a place of genuine love. This writer looks soooo excited by the story. It's great that he delved in and wrote this story - there's no rule or law that he shouldn't. It's certainly meant that the story has been shared to a wider audience. Historically history is written by the victors (in the context of most its Indigenous Europeans writing from a place of what we all know to be Empires, colonisation, Slavery) - but its whitewashed so we don't think about the many stories of non-caucasians and the shared history we have with Europeans/caucasians/Asians. So there is SO many stories from non Europeans that have yet to be written and shared amongst the world, that the world no matter where they are from will enjoy. I'm so excited for this.

[@lisa6422]

Omg!!!! Im excited

[@JOHNOII]

I remember mentioning him in another comment on a melanated files video and now they are making a movie hope they do the story justice it would be interesting to see no doubt.

[@mylynnj3792]

Great interview! I'm excited with anticipation to read this book.

[@KallusGarnet]

Great interview

[@ii3273]

I can’t wait to see the movie and I’ve got to get the book.

[@waynejohnson2894]

Ranzo thank you for this video!! You are awesome!!

[@caliblur1038]

Great Interview

[@blacktorch3268]

Great interview, I bought the book.

[@RG-rn3fp]

Thanks brooooo I appreciate your work bro

[@keithe6199]

Thanks for the fantastic interview. I really look forward to reading the book.

[@k.8297]

AWESOME INTERVIEW!!!

[@nirvanacult]

Great video!

[@Ookiimo]

Ive never been into books but i copped this one after i watched this completely. I cant wait untill it has arrived

[@luedch8460]

I have just started to read Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann which is about Africans who lived free in Tudor England. And now African Samurai is next on my list. I find it so valuable for the African diaspora to know more than just the atrocities and affects of slavery. Thank you for this interview as I did not know about the African Samurai

[@jobethrico]

Yaadie u have outdone ur self this time!

[@jeffkennedy4889]

Ranzo your excitement of this book is amazing keep up the good work

[@wiseonwords]

jeff kennedy - Hmm! Good that he did this interview, but I feel as if he's a little bit too excited and partisan. It would have been better if he were a bit cooler, more skeptical and asked more probing questions. I find it dubious that so much of Black people's self-esteem is wrapped up in projecting our wish-fulfilment fantasies onto the past. I think we need to be a lot more sceptical, questioning, and rational in our approach to history.

[@jeffkennedy4889]

@@wiseonwords Everyone has right to their opinion. I don't feel the same way. At least he's making an effort to open doors and and culture most of us don't understand or try to. But I appreciate your point of view.

[@TheBlackExJp]

Though I do have my moments when I’m ‘cool’, quiet and engaged in deep contemplation - the fact remains that I do have an extremely jovial personality. If you met me in person you’d witness this first hand. If you watched my interview with my wife I’m the same way. If I deem an occasion to warrant a different side of my personality then that side will be shown. However, I do understand that a person can only judge based on what they see and hear. But if they rely solely on that that’s something that will put them at a disadvantage. I know who I am and what I’m about and that’s truly what matters. That “wish-fulfillment fantasies,” statement doesn’t apply to me. My self worth doesn’t depend on anything outside of myself nor the value placed on me by others, whether by their deeds or thoughts. So though I know being in the eye of the public will cause me to be judged constantly, I know who I am - so I stress not over that reality and just simply, be.

[@jeffkennedy4889]

@@TheBlackExJp Very well said.

[@web-angel]

@@wiseonwords I think you u underestimate the power of positive representation. It's not "wishful fantasies" to for us to be elated about another positive imagery of ourselves being marketed in the same way tons of negative ones have! Today in the 21st century, most people ideas of foreigners are largely shaped from what they see in movies. These impressions are then translated into real life consequences on the ground for real live people. 'The Black Panther' and 'The Black Samurai' are only the first steps in what should be a concerted effort to remake the decades of stereotypical images of Black people worldwide. If you're Black, you should welcome it too. If you're Black and well travelled , you most certainly would.

[@chrislee7222]

The smaller, academic version of the book. Where can i find that?

[@SunkissFlower]

Very informative. Ranzo's excitement is contagious. I will read the book while I wait for the movie . I love that Ranzo listened to his interviewee and asked follow up questions based on the responses. Another winner. Keep up the good work, Ranzo. I do agree, the world will be a better place because of Yasuke' story. Thank you for telling it, Thomas Lockley.

[@RootsDaughter41926]

Great interview, didn't know about the film, look forward to it. Thanks for this video

[@inhisimage0457]

This channel is a gold mine. (So sad that C. Boseman did not get to play this historical figure.)

[@kelvincook4246]

Thanks for such a well done and informative video. Please continue to have wonderful guests like Thomas Lockley. His knowledge and the care that he put into this book is clear. Keep up the good work.

[@vsny.o9048]

Great I'll get the book

[@Dithunder]

Learning history and all its merit is important for the world not just a few handpicked situations of the past.

[@user-kv3rz7wd1k]

It’s not good to irresponsibly exaggerate the story. From Japan. 話を無責任に誇張するのは良くない。日本より。

[@midodzitay2446]

On Amazon it indicates the book will be released on Feb., 2, 2021. African grandparents mentioned it, but we,ve normally dismissed it. 👏🏿👏🏿👍🏿👍🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 Great piece.

[@neocloudmarts9613]

Excellent I will buy this book 📖

[@shadowmwo]

Great video

[@Californiansurfer]

My black brothers in Compton love it. Thank you. California ✊✊✊😎

[@ce_rouse]

Excellent topic, great interview. Looking forward to the movie adaptation.

[@rasdiggle]

gotta pick that book up, great work bringing more history to life.

[@batmanfan20101]

So fascinating! thank you for this interview. Its all new to me and its really great to hear the authors passion!

[@davskenn]

What was the title of the academic version of African Samurai called and where can I also get that copy. His book he wrote before he wrote the book this video is talking about.

[@tonyjones1560]

I found this book in the library about a week ago. It's on the top of my reading stack. I'd heard about Yasuke years ago and am thrilled to learn details of this amazing story...! BTW, "The Black Russian" by Vladimir Alexandrov is also quite fascinating.

[@TheOgontz]

Bought the book Friday 05/10/2019

[@mujahidabdulbari8521]

I found it fascinating that the Decision makers for the movie could not identify a man in the whole African Diaspora who could approximate one of the KEY features of YAKUSE's presence; his SIZE - about 6ft. 2in. and built like a pro footballer.