Yasuke was an African man who served the Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga during the Sengoku period. His origins are believed to be Mozambique or elsewhere in East Africa, though his exact birthplace remains unknown. In 1581, he arrived in Japan accompanying the Jesuit visitor Alessandro Valignano and was presented to Nobunaga in Kyoto. Nobunaga, fascinated by Yasuke's dark skin, suspected it was painted with ink and ordered his torso washed—but the skin only gleamed darker. Greatly impressed, Nobunaga took Yasuke into his personal service. Standing approximately 182 cm (about six feet) tall, Yasuke was described as possessing the strength of ten men. Nobunaga granted him a private residence, a stipend, and the role of weapon-bearer (dōgu-mochi), keeping him in close attendance. Though his service lasted barely over a year, it represents one of the rarest cases of a foreigner formally serving a Japanese warlord. During the Honnō-ji Incident in June 1582, Yasuke was at Nobunaga's side and reportedly fought against Akechi Mitsuhide's forces. After Nobunaga's death, Yasuke moved to Nijō Palace and continued fighting under Nobunaga's son Nobutada, but was eventually captured by the Akechi army. Mitsuhide ordered: "This black man is an animal, not Japanese. Send him to the Nanban-ji (Jesuit church)." Yasuke was thus spared and released. His fate afterward is entirely unknown—whether he returned to the Jesuits, remained in Japan, or left the country, he simply vanished from the historical record. In recent years, Yasuke has attracted enormous international attention.