In which year did Yasuke reach Japan?
Show answer
1579
He came in the retinue of the Jesuit Alessandro Valignano, who was to inspect his order’s mission in Asia.
💡 Did you know? No source gives his original name or his exact homeland.
All questions with answers
With which Jesuit did Yasuke come to Japan?
Show answer
Alessandro Valignano
The Italian was the visitor responsible for the Jesuit mission in East Asia.
💡 Did you know? Valignano later sent an embassy of young Japanese to Europe, all the way to the Pope in Rome.
In which city did Nobunaga first set eyes on Yasuke in 1581?
Show answer
Kyoto
Curiosity was so great that crowds pressed around the Jesuits’ house.
💡 Did you know? Kyoto was still the seat of the emperor and the heart of the country at the time.
What did Nobunaga first suspect Yasuke’s skin had been painted with?
Show answer
Ink
So he had him scrubbed; when the skin only shone darker, he was convinced.
💡 Did you know? The story comes from the letters of the Jesuits who witnessed the meeting.
The strength of how many men did Nobunaga’s chronicler credit Yasuke with?
Show answer
10
So it says in the Shinchō Kōki, the chronicle of Nobunaga’s life.
💡 Did you know? The same chronicle puts his age at court at about 26 or 27.
In which chronicle by Ōta Gyūichi is Yasuke mentioned?
Show answer
Shinchō Kōki
Ōta Gyūichi served under Nobunaga himself and recorded his life year by year.
💡 Did you know? The name Yasuke appears in one manuscript copy of this chronicle.
Which retainer of Tokugawa Ieyasu described Yasuke in his diary in 1582?
Show answer
Matsudaira Ietada
He saw him as Nobunaga returned from the campaign against the Takeda and noted his height of about 1.82 metres.
💡 Did you know? The diary is one of the few Japanese sources describing Yasuke at first hand.
Beside which of Nobunaga’s sons did Yasuke keep fighting in 1582?
Show answer
Oda Nobutada
After the attack on Honnō-ji, Nobutada made a stand at his residence in Kyoto, where Yasuke fought too.
💡 Did you know? Nobutada was Nobunaga’s eldest son and designated heir; he did not survive the day.
Which general spared Yasuke in 1582 and handed him over to the Jesuits?
Show answer
Akechi Mitsuhide
According to the Jesuits, Mitsuhide said a foreigner like Yasuke was not Japanese and need not die.
💡 Did you know? Mitsuhide himself survived his betrayal by barely two weeks.
In which 2025 video game is Yasuke one of the two protagonists?
Show answer
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Players control Yasuke and the shinobi Naoe in Sengoku-era Japan.
💡 Did you know? In 2021 Netflix had already devoted an anime series of its own to him.
How PurFact works
- Every new tab, every visit: one question from your packs.
- What you know comes back at growing intervals; what you don't yet comes back sooner.
- Games, learning paths and duels with friends turn studying into a competition.
Home · All topics · Legal notice · Privacy · Terms · Contact