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As powerful as the story is, he wasn’t a samurai. More like a bodyguard or retainer.

true_religion 4y ago
Are you saying that because of his social class? Because as far as Edo society would be concerned, anyone who holds weapons would default to being a samurai if doing so legitimately or a peasant bandit if doing so illegitimately. So essentially he should be one, and seemingly was treated as one from reports of his fine clothing, social standing amongst other bodyguards, and land holding.
- dymk 4y ago
  Really? My understanding was that the Samurai were a distinct warrior class with a specific social standing either earned or inherited, not just anyone who could buy a sword. I'm not saying he's not a samurai, just that "holds a sword" does not a samurai make.
  - true_religion 4y ago
    Outside of pitched battles, non samurai weren’t allowed to hold weapons much less swords. Peasant levies could be called on for the defense of a land, but they were just temporary troops. Retainers and bodyguards defend the title of their lord, and were essentially always of the samurai class. If you were recruited as a peasant for the job, then you became the class. It’s not like medieval Europe where you have to be officially knighted to join the class. The equivalents of man at arms and mercenaries were also of the samurai class. So as a cross poster said: the man was officially taken as a bodyguard to the daimyo, received a household, and was presented with a katana. Thus for all intents and purposes he’s a samurai. There’s just no other class permitted to do that job. Edit: It would also be a grave insult for a samurai to be protected by a non samurai. To claim the lord, a noble warrior, requires a mere peasant to protect him… well that’s not permissible. So the daimyos bodyguard will be recognized as a samurai at least within his own lands.
  - boomboomsubban 4y ago
    I believe who counted as a samurai was much less clear during the Sengoku period, to the extent where holding a sword did basically make you a de facto Samurai. After unification, those following the major leaders were the only ones recognized as samurai.
  - Karrot_Kream 4y ago
    The rigidity of the samurai as a class varied largely depending on when you're looking in Japanese history. In the Heian Court period, samurai were just armed people in the service of Japanese nobility (deriving authority through relation with the Emperor who was considered to be descended from God.) After the Genpei War the samurai became more hereditary until the Sengoku/Warring States Period. Several of the key players during this time were themselves just peasants. Then after Tokugawa took over, he once again encouraged the hereditary samurai as a way to ensure stability. Yasuke was under Nobunaga who was very much active when the definition of samurai was much more fluid than rigid.
- edflsafoiewq 4y ago
  Not just any weapon. The samurai were synonymous with the daishou, the paired small and large swords which it was their unique privilege and obligation to wear in public. This is the element that appears to be missing for Yasuke; at least there isn't any record that he wore them.
Communitivity 4y ago
He was given his own house to run and a katana directly by daimyo Nobunaga. That would indicate he was a samurai. Remember that at that time being a Samurai was a flexible thing. You could become a Samurai even if you were a peasant if you took arms for your lord, survived, and impressed them sufficiently. It was about service and utmost commitment to your lord. There also were women Samurai, including the famed Tomoe Gozen - known as the white tiger with the strength of ten men.

Are you saying that because of his social class? Because as far as Edo society would be concerned, anyone who holds weapons would default to being a samurai if doing so legitimately or a peasant bandit if doing so illegitimately. So essentially he should be one, and seemingly was treated as one from reports of his fine clothing, social standing amongst other bodyguards, and land holding.

dymk 4y ago
Really? My understanding was that the Samurai were a distinct warrior class with a specific social standing either earned or inherited, not just anyone who could buy a sword. I'm not saying he's not a samurai, just that "holds a sword" does not a samurai make.
- true_religion 4y ago
  Outside of pitched battles, non samurai weren’t allowed to hold weapons much less swords. Peasant levies could be called on for the defense of a land, but they were just temporary troops. Retainers and bodyguards defend the title of their lord, and were essentially always of the samurai class. If you were recruited as a peasant for the job, then you became the class. It’s not like medieval Europe where you have to be officially knighted to join the class. The equivalents of man at arms and mercenaries were also of the samurai class. So as a cross poster said: the man was officially taken as a bodyguard to the daimyo, received a household, and was presented with a katana. Thus for all intents and purposes he’s a samurai. There’s just no other class permitted to do that job. Edit: It would also be a grave insult for a samurai to be protected by a non samurai. To claim the lord, a noble warrior, requires a mere peasant to protect him… well that’s not permissible. So the daimyos bodyguard will be recognized as a samurai at least within his own lands.
- boomboomsubban 4y ago
  I believe who counted as a samurai was much less clear during the Sengoku period, to the extent where holding a sword did basically make you a de facto Samurai. After unification, those following the major leaders were the only ones recognized as samurai.
- Karrot_Kream 4y ago
  The rigidity of the samurai as a class varied largely depending on when you're looking in Japanese history. In the Heian Court period, samurai were just armed people in the service of Japanese nobility (deriving authority through relation with the Emperor who was considered to be descended from God.) After the Genpei War the samurai became more hereditary until the Sengoku/Warring States Period. Several of the key players during this time were themselves just peasants. Then after Tokugawa took over, he once again encouraged the hereditary samurai as a way to ensure stability. Yasuke was under Nobunaga who was very much active when the definition of samurai was much more fluid than rigid.
edflsafoiewq 4y ago
Not just any weapon. The samurai were synonymous with the daishou, the paired small and large swords which it was their unique privilege and obligation to wear in public. This is the element that appears to be missing for Yasuke; at least there isn't any record that he wore them.

Communitivity 4y ago

He was given his own house to run and a katana directly by daimyo Nobunaga. That would indicate he was a samurai. Remember that at that time being a Samurai was a flexible thing. You could become a Samurai even if you were a peasant if you took arms for your lord, survived, and impressed them sufficiently. It was about service and utmost commitment to your lord. There also were women Samurai, including the famed Tomoe Gozen - known as the white tiger with the strength of ten men.