Yasuke
ヤスケ
A 2021 Netflix anime series based on the historical figure of Yasuke, a man of African origin who served Oda Nobunaga as a samurai. The show blends historical fact with dark fantasy in a supernatural retelling of the Sengoku era.
解說
Historical Background: The Real Yasuke
Yasuke was a man of African origin who came to Japan in 1579 with Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano and entered the service of Oda Nobunaga in 1581. Nobunaga, fascinated by his physique and appearance, made Yasuke a close attendant and later granted him a sword, a residence, and retainers — recognizing him as a samurai, one of the only documented cases of a foreigner receiving this status in Japan. Yasuke was present at the Honnōji Incident in 1582; after Nobunaga's death he surrendered to Akechi Mitsuhide and his fate thereafter is unknown.
The Netflix Anime
The 2021 Netflix series, directed by LeSean Thomas with music by Flying Lotus, uses the historical Yasuke as a springboard for dark fantasy. After losing Nobunaga, Yasuke reluctantly picks up his sword again to protect a wounded child in a world of magic and mechs. The blend of Sengoku history and Afrofuturist aesthetics attracted global attention.
The Sword as Identity
The sword Nobunaga granted Yasuke was more than a weapon — it was public recognition of samurai status. The anime uses the act of laying down and taking up the sword as the story's emotional fulcrum, making the katana a symbol of identity, belonging, and responsibility.
Legacy
Yasuke has become a global symbol of diversity and historical surprise. His story has appeared in manga, films, and the game Assassin's Creed Shadows, and continues to reshape how the world perceives the boundaries of Japanese sword culture.
登場的真實刀劍
Heshikiri Hasebe (National Treasure)
Heshikiri Hasebe is a tachi by the Muromachi-period smith Hasebe Kunishige, one of Oda Nobunaga's most prized swords. Its name ('pressure-cutter') derives from a legend that Nobunaga killed a man hiding beneath a stove with the blade. It passed from Nobunaga to Toyotomi Hideyoshi and then to the Kuroda clan. Now a National Treasure at the Fukuoka City Museum, it is a direct material connection to the world Yasuke inhabited.
Tenshō-Era Uchigatana
During the Tenshō era (1573–1592) when Yasuke served Nobunaga, the uchigatana — worn edge-up at the waist for quick drawing — had become the standard samurai sidearm. These battle-ready blades, typically 67–70 cm, prioritized cutting performance and durability over display. The sword Nobunaga granted Yasuke would likely have been of this practical pattern.
瀏覽真正的日本刀
相關內容
本頁旨在介紹日本刀文化，與各作品的著作權持有者無關。