William Adams, first foreign samurai in Japan

[AJBryant]

Sorry, but Yasuke was not a bodyguard, samurai, or advisor.

If anything, he was a "mascot." He was an oddity to Japan, and Nobunaga, ever one to be into exotica, acquired him from the fellow who OWNED him. Not to be saying anything racist, but putting Yasuke in Japanese clothing was little different to Nobunaga and Co. as putting a monkey in a clown suit or something like that today.

Yasuke was an amusement and a cultural oddity.

He was never a samurai -- nor, for that matter, was William Adams ever officially recognized as such.


Tony

[nurizeko]

Funny, everything I read indicates he was in fact accepted as equal in status to a samurai at the least.

He was tight with the shogun and stuff, if that doesnt earn you some respect and a title to go with it then what does?.

[pipokun]

he was a "mascot."
So other Nobunaga's followers were, such as Hideyoshi.

A Dutch guy, Jan Joosten van Loodensteijn, famous for the source of word, Yaesu, Tokyo, also had his privileges like Adams'. But his boat sank and he died earlier than Adams.
Live long.