Talk:Yasuke

Consolidation of threads discussing Yasuke's samurai description

Problematic sources in recent edit re-introducing the troublesome "samurai" title

@Gloveup37 added a paragraph in the lede in this edit, giving an edit summary that this "Added an important background detail that is well supported." However, the supporting references are themselves problematic: Britannica (another encyclopedia, no primary sources given), the Smithsonian Magazine article (link) already discussed above as unsuitable as a source (currently at the bottom of the Talk:Yasuke#Request for comment on samurai terminology section), the Lockley and Girard book African Samurai (Google Books link), also discussed above as unsuitable (in both the Talk:Yasuke#Samurai and Talk:Yasuke#Lockley 2016, Lockley 2017, and Lockley 2019? sections), and apparently also relying on a French article from Radio France Internationale (link), which itself provides no primary sources, doesn't define "samurai", and reads like a pop-culture piece.

Here, I address just Britannica.

The Britannica.com article about Yasuke at https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yasuke claims that Yasuke was granted the title of "samurai", without explaining their own sources. Their article about "samurai" at https://www.britannica.com/topic/samurai is vague in its defintion of the term and is inconsistent with what I've read in other more-detailed sources, with Britannica's content seeming to state that anyone who was a warrior from the 1100s through to 1868 was also a samurai, which is patently wrong — the categories of 武士 (bushi, "warrior [as a job]") and 侍 (samurai, "samurai [as a member of a specific hereditary social class]") are definitely distinct, such that even Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second of Japan's three unifiers (after Oda Nobunaga, before Tokugawa Ieyasu), was pointedly described as not a samurai, due to his family's agricultural background.

• Britannica's article also claims that "As a samurai, Yasuke would have fought in several battles for Nobunaga, though the exact number is unknown." This is temporally problematic.

Based on historical dating alone, we know that Yasuke met Oda Nobunaga in March 1581. The Honnō-ji Incident was in June 1582, after which Yasuke was effectively banished from Japan.

March 1581 to June 1582 is only about 15 or 16 months.

Looking at a timeline of events during the Sengoku period, the only battles listed during that period are the Second Tenshō Iga War in autumn 1581, and the Honnō-ji Incident in June 1582. These are the only battles that Yasuke could have possibly participated in, without being a time traveler.

• We have zero records indicating that Yasuke was present for the Second Tenshō Iga War, and we do have records indicating that Oda Nobunaga himself was not present. Given that Yasuke was a personal attendant to Oda Nobunaga, we can infer that Yasuke was not a participant in the Second Tenshō Iga War.

• We do have records indicating that Yasuke was present for the Honnō-ji Incident, and that he did indeed fight. This is, as far as I know, the only battle for which we have historical records stating that Yasuke was a participant.

• Britannica's article also claims that "It is possible that Yasuke served as Nobunaga’s kaishakunin, a designated second in the ritual who beheads the man dying by seppuku." This is also problematic, not on time-traveling grounds but due to a disagreement with other known sources.

We have records indicating that Yasuke was not Nobunaga's attendant for his seppuku, as Nobunaga shut himself alone inside an inner chamber of the Honnō temple complex as his final witnessed act. See also Honnō-ji_Incident#Scene_of_the_incident. Confusingly, the last sentence of that section states that someone named Kamata Shinsuke served as Nobunaga's seppuku assistant; at any rate, it wasn't Yasuke.

We do read that a fellow named 森成利 (Mori Naritoshi), also known as 森蘭丸 (Mori Ranmaru), and his brothers were helping defend Oda Nobunaga right up to the end. Mori himself was killed by someone named 安田国継 (Yasuda Kunitsugu). The account of Luis Frois, the Jesuit who introduced Oda to Yasuke, also appears to corroborate that Oda Nobunaga shut himself alone into an interior room.

In the absence of anything scholarly that 1) defines the word "samurai" for purposes of the text, and 2) claims that Yasuke himself was specifically granted this title / social rank, I am removing "samurai" from the "Rank" field in the right-hand info-box, and adding clarifying text that whether to call Yasuke a "samurai" depends very much on how one defines the term -- as much of this talk page also discusses. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 22:26, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

In the lead section, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was described as a samurai Merzostin (talk) 15:02, 1 May 2024 (UTC)

Our article here continues to have various issues; not sure about your point in bringing up Toyotomi? Also, Toyotomi isn't mentioned until about a third of the way into the article, not in the lede...? (Honest confusion on my part, no snark intended.) ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 01:03, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

"are definitely distinct, such that even Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second of Japan's three unifiers (after Oda Nobunaga, before Tokugawa Ieyasu), was pointedly described as not a samurai, due to his family's agricultural background" Hideyoshi was described as a samurai in his page Sacchisachi Merzostin (talk) 23:12, 12 May 2024 (UTC)

Ah, I think I might see where the confusion lies.

Toyotomi Hideyoshi died with the social status / rank of samurai, but he was not born to that social station.

In the [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]] article, in the [[#Early life]] section, we have this:

Hideyoshi had no traceable samurai lineage, and his father Kinoshita Yaemon was an ashigaru – a peasant employed by the samurai as a foot soldier.

Arguably, he was not part of the samurai hereditary noble social class until he married into it in 1561, as mentioned in the [[#Service under Nobunaga]] section: his wife One had family connections to the Taira and Minamoto clans, as well as the imperial family itself. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 21:38, 13 May 2024 (UTC)

thank you. from the future MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:58, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There are two terms Bushi武士 and Samurai侍. Originally, Samurai means who serves noble man so bushi of higer lank were called samurai.

The problem is even modern Japanese confuse Bushi with samurai, treated as the same things. So most of Japanese think Yasuke is samurai.

Furthermore, in sengoku period, the definition of social rank was so unstable. It depends on where we pick up the definition of samurai. Muromachi? Modern? Sengoku? Edo? and so on. Sacchisachi (talk) 17:50, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

This article might need a semi-protection

Idk if this is the right place to ask for it, but basically the trailer for that new Ubisoft game is out, the game has Yasuke in it, and (Personal attack removed) who (Personal attack removed) are now out and about (Personal attack removed). We might have to protect/semi-protect this page for a while. Anzasquiddles (talk) 17:19, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Wtf are you talking about? Ubisoft is spreading false information by calling Yasuke a 'historical samurai' which he was not, as this Wiki-article also says.

The article should be protected, though, because (Personal attack removed) are likely to try and change it, making Yasuke a samurai for their agenda. 178.24.248.178 (talk) 17:31, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

But... you vandalized it. We can see your edit history.

Yes it needs protection though.

Yasuke was NOT a Samurai. He was a Kosho, which were often Samurai but not always. There is no evidence or historical accounts of him being a Samurai. Calling him a Samurai is historical revisionism and a result of poor Circular Reporting (the hundreds of articles referring to him as one without verification or evidence of any kind - random articles online are NOT credible sources, when discussing a topic like this, only historical evidence matters, not modern misinformation). Until we have undeniable, verifiable evidence of any historical accounts confirming him as a samurai, he was not.

I repeat: calling him a Samurai is historical revisionism and based on no evidence and not professional enough for Wikipedia. People without any understanding of source evaluation should refrain from editing articles. This won't happen so can a moderator PLEASE add a section detailing that there is no evidence he was a Samurai and lock it already?

The edit history is a mess of unprofessionalism and revisionism. Acdenton (talk) 19:04, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

He was likely a samurai. Retainers were almost always samurai. According to the below Oxford university source. To explicitly say he was not is unnecessary commentary that is only producing racist and negative remarks because a recent video game was announced.

https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/weapons/index.php/tour-by-region/oceania/asia/arms-and-armour-asia-133/index.html#:~:text=A%20retainer%20refers%20to%20a,practical%20than%20many%20samurai%20armours. Mmsnjd (talk) 00:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

almost always and then you give a link to... amor? ok where does it say YASUKE was that?

this is BAD. this is against wikipedia's source MisteOsoTruth (talk) 01:22, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

No one is taking you seriously when you pull the racist card.

There were lots of Retainers that weren’t Samurai. Yasuke was also a unique case as he was not only an outsider but a slave, and as such it would require convincing evidence to suggest he was a Samurai. Such evidence does not exist. Exclusif66 (talk) 09:21, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

私は塩飽系の日本人で、日本の戦争文化の歴史家でもあります。

あなたの問題は人種差別主義者にあるわけではありません。あなたの問題は、編集者が弥助について誤って主張したこの重大な不正確さを正そうとする日本人にあります。

弥助は武士ではありませんでした。弥助にはその称号は与えられておらず、また、弥助は日本の土地NOR支配権を持っていなかった。

このトピックには半保護も必要ありません (私の土地の歴史の修正主義者によるものでない限り) いかなる保護も必要ありません。

弥助は決して「武士」である（とされる）という不条理な主張に修正されるべきではなかった。

(Now, in English):

I am Japanese (of Shiwaku descent), and I am also a historian on Japanese Warfare culture.

Your problem is NOT with racists. Your problem is with The Japanese that aim to correct this grave inaccuracy that an editor ERRONEOUSLY CLAIMS of Yasuke.

Yasuke was NOT a Samurai. He was not given it's title, nor had Yasuke held land NOR control in Japan.

This topic does NOT need semi-protection, nor ANY protection (unless it's from the revisionist of my land's history.

Yasuke should NEVER have been revised to the absurd claim that he was (allegedly) a "Samurai". ICHIRO SHIWAKU (talk) 19:12, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I understand the frustration you feel right now. However, considering that the page is constantly being modified by some contributors to remove the part stating there could be no historical documentation supporting the claim that Yasuke is a "Samurai". I do admit that I may not have the sufficient knowledge towards this topic, but I do believe some sort of protection is needed to protect this page from vandalism. Especially when this changes (of removing captioned section) does not come with a reliable source and the ongoing dispute seems to occur after the release of a Ubisoft game trailer. WyvernTsunHo (talk) 19:40, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

それを保護するのであれば、実際の歴史分析に基づいて保護する必要があります。つまり、弥助が武士ではないことが明らかな場合である。

「弥助が武士であるという史料はない」という考えは、「弥助は武士ではなかった…」と明確にして、家臣としての役割と家臣としての奴婢に対する責務を明確にするべきであるという考えは、何の意味も持たなかった。戦闘。

とはいえ、このトピックを保護することが何を意味するのかがわかりました。私は、弥助が最も偉大な武士であると何らかの形でほのめかされている最近の編集がウィキリークスの誠実さを損なうものであり、封建制の日本史を修正する上で恥ずべきものであるという前提で、この編集にアドバイスしたいと思います。

(English):

If it is to be protected, then it should be on the actual historical analysis. That is, in the instance that it be clear that Yasuke is NOT a Samurai.

The notion that "it is no historical documentation that "Yasuke" is a Samurai" should be clarified as "Yasuke was not a Samurai...", and then clarify his role as a vassal and his charge with the slaves as a retainer, bore no combat.

Right now, there also remains question, as to just how supposedly accurate that the character of "Yasuke" exist, and to what capacity. But of what is known and mostly agreed (in consensus on discussions over the years), "Yasuke" served in ways that assisted Azuchi Castle, and later Hono-ji grounds.

All said, I now understand what is meant by protecting this topic. I would advise it, on the premise that the recent edit, implying Yasuke being somehow implied as the greatest samurai, is damaging to the integrity of Wikileaks, and is shameful in revising Feudal Japanese History. ICHIRO SHIWAKU (talk) 20:00, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I don’t really have any comment to make on this discussion but can you please not use google translated Japanese. It doesn’t aid the discussion in any way and it clogs up the talk page. Emolication (talk) 21:10, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

これはGoogle翻訳ではありません。 何に巻き込まれているのかわからない。 ICHIRO SHIWAKU (talk) 22:30, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I don’t care if you admit it or not just stop doing it. You’re (broken) Japanese is identical to what google translate spits out when I input your English text. Emolication (talk) 23:39, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

If you're writing in Japanese and translating to English yourself, would you care to explain the "NOR" in this sentence in your previous post: "弥助は日本の土地NOR支配権を持っていなかった"? It looks like a remnant of machine translation from your English "He was not given it's title, nor had Yasuke held land NOR control in Japan" where the translator assumed "NOR" was an abbreviation. SimLibrarian (talk) 06:10, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The machine translation software clearly assumed "ICHIRO SHIWAKU" meant NOR as in the logic gate... Amateur hour. Eilidhmax (talk) 20:07, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

please lock it down. there's no proof he was . i dont' know why they do it but a lie for even a good reason is historical revisionist. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 01:24, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It's a video game. Why is everyone taking this so seriously? Mike Allen 01:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I think people are mostly frustrated over the leftist lies that are allowed to stand on some gaming related subs. Exclusif66 (talk) 09:25, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

left right, it doesn't matter at all. this is the talk page of the real life figure and this has to not have lies. right or left. no ideology, just truth.

and for some reason some people can't have that. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:12, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

this isn't the video game page. and history and truth .. that's why people are taking seriously! the game can do what ever it wants. THIS however is a matter of fact. facts are precious. read 1984 MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

there's been debate long before but who is changing it and why? a troll? Ubisoft to try and get money for the game? or someone who thinks this edit and calling Yasuke a samurai will some how stop racism?

the accusations of racism against those not liking inaccuracy aren't helping either. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

there's been debate long before but who is changing it and why? a troll? Ubisoft to try and get money for the game? or someone who thinks this edit and calling Yasuke a samurai will some how stop racism?

the accusations of racism against those not liking inaccuracy aren't helping either.

With the times and ideologies and division how it is. external from this article and possibly part of the industry.. and society... this is all just a mess MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:03, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

According to Japanese records of the time, Yasuke received "扶持" from Nobunaga.

This suggests that Yasuke was treated as a samurai, even though he was the last in line, unlike ordinary servants and peasants, even if Nobunaga was just playing around with him.

He was treated like a bodyguard and did not participate in the war, but it is not accurate to say that he did not fight at all, since he did participate in the battle at the Honnoji Incident and was taken prisoner.

Perhaps it is actually closer to the fact that Nobunaga treated a rare black man as a samurai for fun and placed him under his guard.

This is not strange, since the status system in Japan did not become strict until the Edo period (1603-1867), and during the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568-1600), status was still ambiguous in many areas. 2405:6582:3740:3A00:B526:2B96:98D4:B045 (talk) 04:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"He was treated like a bodyguard and did not participate in the war..."

In no source does it say he was treated as a "bodyguard", he did fight ONCE at the Honnō-ji Incident and that's it which is recounted by one of the Jesuits and he surrender to Mitsuhide Ackechi's vassal, I'm sorry that is not "evidence" that he was a samurai. he was just, as far as record shows, a retainer and that's it, one fight is not a justification. Why are you people trying to change historic accuracy because of a videogame? Stop being childish.

"This is not strange, since the status system in Japan did not become strict until the Edo period (1603-1867)"

No I'm pretty sure it was strict even back then, Toyotomi Hideyoshi(the second of Japan's three unifiers) was pointed as not a samurai because of his family's agricultural background (you can see that on Hideyoshi's #Early life), he wasn't considered one until he married his wife One in 1561.

So you're just wrong and way to lax with History. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 11:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

it's worse than lax. it's an untruth. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:14, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

If one can only become a samurai through lineage or marriage, how did William Adams become one? Lifterus (talk) 06:32, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Few details are known about him

Hello. The article reads: "Few details are known about him, including his date of birth, family structure, place of birth, ethnicity and native language." The wording is a bit strange here, atleast to me as a non-native speaker. It makes it sound like we know these things about him, but judging from the context those are probably meant to be all/some of the things we don't know. Maybe someone could look that passage over. Irrwichtel (talk) 17:54, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

it seems that there's a lot of unknown details that are people are calling them Samurai when we don't know if he's a retainer or not. that there's a lot of edits simply because of the announcement of the video game and I'm not so sure that this is according to Wikipedia standards we can see the difference and the edits and when they were made. I believe that this to be very suspicious and some of them are made that they are asserting the unknown information as absolute fact and also changing retainer to Samurai and all the like when we don't know if he had any proper title or land.everything seems a little mixed up and I have a link to the way back machine to how it was originally done sometime before all of the May 15th nonsense. I think Wikipedia is integrity is on the line with all these very strange edits. I am very new here and so I'm not sure what would be the best Affair or how to deal with this and luckily this time around I have Wikipedia as its own source and the way back machine. it seems that people are trying to bend this for reasons I dare not speculate as to why and many different camps and I dare not speculate their motives for that. I don't want historical revisionism to happen. and I'm not sure anyone else besides those doing the edits wanted either. but it seems that this is trying to sell a video game rather than be accurate. and this is very concerning. what should we do what is best to do?

[1] MisteOsoTruth (talk) 18:05, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Whether Yasuke had 'any proper title or land' is not relevant to whether he was a samurai or not (this is not the condition for being a samurai, social class is - the very Wikipedia page on Samurai describes them as being "the well-paid retainers of the daimyo, the great feudal landholders. They had high prestige and special privileges"). "Retainer" and "Samurai" are by no means mutually exclusive.

According to another source cited on this page, "Yasuke (弥助) was a retainer of Oda Nobunaga, and kashindan samurai". The Wikipedia page on the Sengoku period describes the period as being "marked by the loosening of samurai culture, with people born into other social strata sometimes making a name for themselves as warriors and thus becoming samurai" - a description that seems particularly apt for Yasuke given the historical record.

Whilst there may not be any historical source that explicitly describes Yasuke as samurai, most historians on the matter agree that overall, the evidence suggests it is more likely than not Yasuke would fall under the definition of Samurai. For the sake of consistency and historical accuracy, Yasuke should be described as a retainer of Oda Nobunaga whose social class likely attributed him the status of Samurai. JuliusRoxas (talk) 01:15, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

but that is conjecture at best. it seems like you have other ulterior motives to try and do this and omitting the phrase " "Few details are known about him, including his date of birth, family structure, place of birth, ethnicity and native language." is a Lie by omission. you're saying it's unsure but the edits of the Wikipedia calling him a samurai is absolutely sure. there's something that doesn't match and something that doesn't track MisteOsoTruth (talk) 01:34, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I have no problem with including the apparently accurate phrase: "Few details are known about him, including his date of birth, family structure, place of birth, ethnicity and native language." Very few things can we be absolutely certain about, particularly in history. But it is historical consensus that it is more likely than not that Yasuke was considered a Samurai at the time he lived and by modern definitions of the word. Hence, describing him as being Samurai would not be misleading or inaccurate - although for the sake of ensuring people do not think that there is no doubt whatsoever on the issue, I do not see a problem with including a phrase stating that it is possible he was not a Samurai or that we do not know for certain - but to argue that he was definitely not a Samurai or unlikely to be one (eg by calling it a myth) is simply ahistorical. JuliusRoxas (talk) 01:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

On reading again I agree with Irrwichtel in their original comment that the phrase needs rewording. JuliusRoxas (talk) 02:10, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Exactly, acknowledging the possibility he may not have been considered a samurai by both the standards of the time he lived and by modern standards is one thing, but to claim that it is categorically a myth is unnecessary and ahistorical. Theozilla (talk) 02:17, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You're free to provide sourced but all if not most of the sources linked in this page for all I've seen are articles who very loosely claim him as a "Samurai" or lockley who was already proven to be an unreliable source years ago to claim he actually was WOULD be ahistorical or innacurate because he wasn't, the only fact IS that he was a retainer not a samurai historical consensus pales in contrast with clear facts, for the sake of clarity I'm okay with stating It possible he could've been thought as a Samurai or it could've been disputed, but sticking to facts he 1-Fought once and the recounting of it by Froi's writing didn't even state clearly if it was him who rushed to the Nobunaga's son's castle to fight (it COULD be intuited but again that wouldn't be reliable), 2-Oda assigned him as a retainer, 3-He was vanished after the Honne-ji incident, that's it, again we don't care about the accuracy of a game we're talking real history here nor "theories" or "assumptions". Hopefull Innformer (talk) 13:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Right. Thankyou.

But with this coinciding with the game coming out. could it be trolls or Ubisoft itself? could it be Critical theorists or (Personal attack removed)? Could it be people believing him a Samurai? and for what reason? If they don't believe it and are changing it as such... why?

I can understand people railing against "leftists" or DEI and ESG, personally i've seen a lot of false history and consultants and bad things witht he best intentions...

but there's no way to tell. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

No, it's silly to think Ubisoft would even care about a Wikipedia page, most likely is people from twitter, it already has happened to some articles in Wikipedia on the Anime sections, and also with the Cleopatra page when that Netflix show came out, is just people who don't care for integrity or accuracy which again is weird because is not like this Wikipedia page is going to change anything from that Ubisoft game, I'm puzzled by this unnecessary effort by people because they will gain nothing out of this. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 14:03, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

i think they do gain. do you know about the "long march through institutions" and Gramsci? How Critical Theorists and the hoax papers? Helen Pluckroses' new book?

it's all political. it is to control. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:07, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

What the fuck does Gramsci have to do with Yasuke? NorthTension (talk) 14:20, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

you don't remember the grevince study affair hoax? what some people in Critical Education Theory and the like say the quiet part out loud?

Hellen Pluckrose's new book? MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You are a (Personal attack removed).

Gramsci has nothing to do with Yasuke.

Like nothing. 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:97C:88A7:39D5:F9E0 (talk) 15:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Do not call someone a schizophrenic again. — The Hand That Feeds You:^Bite 17:05, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree that there are no historical sources that explicitly call him a Samurai - this is a fact. However, it is possible to make inferences - implicit deductions - from the primary sources whether it is likely or not that he held the social classification of Samurai. Theoretically, if you can make a reasonable and fair deduction - evidenced from the historical record - that he probably was a Samurai, it would not be ahistorical to state that he was or that there is evidence to believe that he likely was (although I agree it ought to be clarified that it is by no means undebated - and that the distinction is, by nature, semantic).

What we need to first agree on is what characterises a Samurai of the Sengoku Period - I would suggest that a Samurai was a prestigious military social class 'made up of the well-paid retainers of the daimyō' known for their martial skill and code of conduct ('bushido'). Specifically in the Sengoku period - when Yasuke lived - it is documented that those 'born into other social strata could elevate themselves to the de facto status of Samurai' (this happened with Toyotomi Hideyoshi who whilst born a peasant, died a Samurai and daimyo).

So, now that we have established what a Samurai is and what is required to be able to accurately represent someone as having likely been a Samurai, we must now confront the issue of the likelihood of Yasuke having been a Samurai. We know that Yasuke was made a weapon-bearer by Nobunaga (as he is described as surrendered his sword in Luis Frois' report to Jesuit Society, November 5, 1582) - this implies a significant amount of trust from Nobunaga such that is is unlikely Yasuke would have merely been given the position of a servant. In Matsudaira Ietada's Diary, Tenshō 10, fourth month, 'His Highness [Nobunaga] gave him [Yasuke] a stipend' (in this letter the word fuchi is used which is best translated as a warrier employed with a stipend). The provision of a stipend and Yasuke's classification as a warrior is a differentiating factor between being a servant and a retainer - so we know that Yasuke was at the very least a well paid retainer of the most powerful man in Japan at the time (which would certainly endow him with high social status) and that it was not unheard of in this period for such people to be considered Samurai (at the very least de facto Samurai - as with Toyotomi Hideyoshi). This description of Yasuke matches quite nicely with the definition suggested above for qualifying as Samurai.

The fact is that this argument is, at its core, one about semantics. I, and many other historians, would argue that the evidence described above, especially in the context of the time and what it means for someone to be described as Samurai, would point to the likely fact that Yasuke was considered a Samurai at the time and certainly can be described through looser definitions today as being Samurai. You claim that Yasuke "isn't" a Samurai - but this is an active claim that cannot be proven whilst evidence exists to the contrary which is particularly strong when placed in context.

As a final note (and reminder), being a lower-class born retainer and being a Samurai are not mutually exclusive - one can be both. For example, the Kashindan (an institution of retainers that historians say Yasuke is most likely to have been a member of) became a class of 'salried samurai'. JuliusRoxas (talk) 14:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

We are not supposed to make assumptions. Wikipedia editors aren't historians, and we can't just decide to add our personal deductions to an article about history 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 15:06, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

this JuliusRoxas is not good. Harmful even.

eh says "he agrees" but then with a big heaping helping of "however" and inferences. which means he doesn't agree at all. they're either malicious or not thinking. both are the same amount of dangerous MisteOsoTruth (talk) 15:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I do not recall making any assumptions. All I did was present the historical record and that academic consensus on this issue concludes that Yasuke was more likely than not a Samurai. This is not a personal deduction - it is our best attempt at ascertaining the historical facts. Due to the uncertain nature of this, of course you cannot claim it to be fact. But for the sake of maintaining the highest degree of historical accuracy possible, Yasuke should be referred to as someone who was likely a Samurai (again, with the clarification that it is also possible he may not have been due to the very little we know from the primary sources about his life). But the fact remains that what we do have does point to him having been considered Samurai at the time and certainly today due to the looser definition of Samurai that is more commonly used and understood. Remember that words are only useful in the context of their meaning.

"It is important to note that despite popular myth and modern depictions there are no historical writings nor evidence that Yasuke was ever granted the rank or title of samurai, he was never given a fief nor referred to as one in any writings."

Setting aside the biased language of 'It is important to note', the author of the above quote's use of the word 'myth' creates the impression that Yasuke being a Samurai is a widely held but false belief or idea. However, as I have demonstrated above, it is more likely than not (thanks to strong evidence) that Yasuke was a Samurai so this is misleading. The phrase quoted from the article also claims that there are 'no historical writings nor evidence that Yasuke was ever granted the rank or title of samurai' which is untrue again as I demonstrated above (the explicit referral of Yasuke as Samurai is not required for there to be evidence he was one - you could instead say that there is no explicit reference to Yasuke being a Samurai). Furthermore, the latter clause of the quoted phrase states that 'he [Yasuke] was never given a fief' which is also irrelevant as I have outlined in previous comments (it is not a condition for being a Samurai and is again misleading people to believe it is).

I strongly suggest you remove this paragraph and replace it with a more accurate phrase stating that historians generally agree that Yasuke was likely a Samurai, although this is a debated topic. This provides the most historically accurate and informative statement on the issue for readers. JuliusRoxas (talk) 15:28, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

you literally did and were called out for it. enough of your ai geneated, long winded justifications. you're not helping. you're hurtful and harmful to history MisteOsoTruth (talk) 15:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Provide me with the assumptions I made then. None of my writing is AI generated - I spent quite a bit of time writing everything out and I don't appreciate your slanderous claims. Engaging in ad hominem attacks is a prime indicator of a poor argumentation and fallacious logic. JuliusRoxas (talk) 15:34, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I'm sorry Julius but no you cannot just admit "Yea there is no evidence he was a Samurai" and than say "but we should assume he was" no we shouldn't that's accurate, again he existed we all know that he did but he didn't did anything most of the stories of him is just him being with the shogun, meeting people and sometimes being with the shogun's kid, again he did fight ONCE it is clear that happened but those are not reasonable grounds to state something that isn't true.

"However, as I have demonstrated above, it is more likely than not (thanks to strong evidence) that Yasuke was a Samurai so this is misleading."

No you haven't, you tried use Hideyoshi as an example that "people could become Samurai" but you just lied by omission, he wasn't considered a Samurai even tho he helped with the unification of Japan under Nobunaga, it was only when he married One that he obtained that titles because his wife was from a Samurai lineage.

"The provision of a stipend and Yasuke's classification as a warrior is a differentiating factor between being a servant and a retainer - so we know that Yasuke was at the very least a well paid retainer of the most powerful man in Japan at the time"

He was a retainer nobody is denying that the problem is you're trying to load that term so hard to imply he was considered a Samurai he wasn't, he was allowed to carry a Wakizashi most likely because Nobunaga find it amusing that people saw a man of different color carrying a Wakizashi when most wouldn't be able to.

"...that it was not unheard of in this period for such people to be considered Samurai (at the very least de facto Samurai - as with Toyotomi Hideyoshi). This description of Yasuke matches quite nicely with the definition suggested above for qualifying as Samurai."

Again already explained why this Hideyoshi example is not even comparable, and proves that you're either misrepresenting the terms or just misconstruing clear points to build up the narrative that he was believed to be a samurai, he wasn't.

"The fact is that this argument is, at its core, one about semantics. I, and many other historians, would argue that the evidence described above, especially in the context of the time and what it means for someone to be described as Samurai, would point to the likely fact that Yasuke was considered a Samurai at the time and certainly can be described through looser definitions today as being Samurai"

Not really this isn't about "semantics" you're just trying to obfuscate as much as you can so people COULD concede to a point that isn't factual, also historians wouldn't use the things you stated before

"as evidence" that he was a "considered a Samurai" they would tell you he was a retainer which Nobunaga find Fascinating enough to keep him around, Samurai was not only a title but also something you would training for, it was never stated ANYWHERE Yasuke knew how to fight or being adept or a master at the sword, he was claimed by Oda to have a strength of 10 man which is most likely a stretch, considering the Avg. height of a Japanese man would be 157cm during the Edo period, and Yasuke being said to be around 180cm.

"You claim that Yasuke "isn't" a Samurai - but this is an active claim that cannot be proven whilst evidence exists to the contrary which is particularly strong when placed in context."

No, it is proven the only thing that cannot be proven is him even accepting the title "Samurai".

"As a final note (and reminder), being a lower-class born retainer and being a Samurai are not mutually exclusive - one can be both."

No they couldn't as I already explained with Hideyoshi, maybe they COULD'VE been in the Mijin restoration but at that point Samurai's were just a title mostly for politics. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 19:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"I'm sorry Julius but no you cannot just admit "Yea there is no evidence he was a Samurai" and than say "but we should assume he was" no we shouldn't that's accurate"

This is a misrepresentation of what I said. What I did say was that there are no 'explicit sources' which describe him using the exact word Samurai. This does not mean that there is no evidence whatsoever that he was a Samurai - it simply means that any evidence will be based on what his depictions paint a closer picture of (a definite conclusion is therefore impossible). Also I didn't say we should assume he was, I was formulating an argument that he likely was - and that this should be represented in the Wikipedia article since there will obviously be interest from people reading the article on whether he was a Samurai - so the view taken by most historians on the topic as what is most likely should be included.

"he wasn't considered a Samurai even tho he helped with the unification of Japan under Nobunaga, it was only when he married One that he obtained that titles because his wife was from a Samurai lineage."

Can you provide evidence for your claims here. As far as my knowledge on the topic extends, Hideyoshi became part of the Samurai social class due to the combined effect of serving under Oda Nobunaga, his marriage, military achievements, titles and property on his prestige and social status. To claim that it was his marriage alone that solidified his social status as being Samurai is not something currently evidenced. I welcome being proven wrong on this but as far as I can tell, thinking that Samurai could only be born that way or marry into the class seems unsubstantiated. 'Samurai' is not a title but a social caste. It is not something bestowed upon someone like a surname of a noble house - it is a social class that one should be able to get elevated to if earned (eg by becoming extremely powerful and well respected). This is where the semantics come into play. What does it mean to be a Samurai? My point is that it is social class not family. Again, if you can find me a source to the contrary (I have tried), I would be pleased to change my mind.

"Samurai was not only a title but also something you would training for, it was never stated ANYWHERE Yasuke knew how to fight or being adept or a master at the sword"

As I stated in my first long post, Yasuke is described as fuchi which is best translated as a warrior employed with a stipend. Furthermore, given he is also at one point described as surrendering his sword (source above) and is given a sword at another point, we can take it that he almost certainly knew how to use one.

"No, it is proven the only thing that cannot be proven is him even accepting the title "Samurai""

Samurai is not a title but a social class - if you want to argue otherwise please find me a source to the contrary. In a letter from Lorenzo Mesia, October 8, 1581, it is mentioned that 'Nobunaga would make him [Yasuke] a tono [meaning lord or sir]' which certainly signifies high social status. This, along with the high trust Nobunaga had by permitting him to carry a weapon and providing him with a stipend makes it very likely that he would have been socially classed as Samurai.

You seem to entirely miss my point about semantics. We are arguing over whether someone should fall under a certain definition - this is what an argument over semantics is. I provided a definition for Samurai, supported it and showed how Yasuke most likely fulfilled it. If you want to make a convincing argument, you will need to do the same but show that Yasuke likely did not fulfil your definition. JuliusRoxas (talk) 22:50, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Roxas that essay provided nothing of substance and is just harmful. you are (Personal attack removed) MisteOsoTruth (talk) 15:21, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Saying that being challenged on an issue is 'harmful' or 'dangerous' is incredibly ironic. Also, if you took nothing of substance from my comment, I suggest you actually read it. JuliusRoxas (talk) 15:36, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I think it would be relevant because we don't know for sure. I'm not sure what you're trying to do and I'm not sure why someone with the name of Roxas and their name is trying to lecture me on historical accuracy when they just want something of video games MisteOsoTruth (talk) 01:36, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I stated that Yasuke having any land or title is irrelevant - whether we know this for sure or not does not change the fact it is has no bearing on whether he can be accurately described as a Samurai. I am not quite sure what your point here is.

My account name on Wikipedia is about as irrelevant to this discussion as whether Yasuke was granted a fiefdom. JuliusRoxas (talk) 02:04, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Mr. Julius, it is my opinion that you have by far won this discussion, although that was surely not the point. It's always great to see an intelligent person not compromise his integrity when having a conversation with someone who is clearly clueless by comparison and most likely has an agenda [even though interestingly enough he is the one to call you out]. The edit wars on Yusuke's page are unfortunately not that new, you should check out the revisions pre 2023-2022. It is however clear that Ubisoft has awakened from its slumber what I could term the videogame industry equivalent to the Guerilla Skeptics. Everyone should look that up, very interesting stuff. ShadowMoon137 (talk) 12:33, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

don't' shill a YouTube channel. and say "ubisoft has awakened from it's slumber". no they used to remove bows and the like for historical accuracy and now THAT IS LONG GONE.

you (Personal attack removed). This isn't about winning.

We don't need fans. Fans are short for fanatics and such people are seldom if ever at all accurate. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:56, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Thank you @ShadowMoon137. You are right that winning an internet argument is certainly not the point - neither is the historical accuracy of (or any other grievances @MisteOsoTruth seems to have with) some videogame. What matters is preserving an accurate telling of history and it is my opinion that what is currently presented on this Wikipedia page is damaging to the pursuit of this goal. JuliusRoxas (talk) 15:07, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

you defended inferences as fact. don't talk to me MisteOsoTruth (talk) 15:27, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

No. I said that a statement on what historians consider to be most likely on this issue (based on valid inferences) is a helpful, informative and historically accurate thing to include on the relevant Wikipedia page. JuliusRoxas (talk) 15:43, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

opinions don't matter. you're defending ANTI facts. please. stop MisteOsoTruth (talk) 15:30, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yes, whether he had any land is irrelevant because Nobunaga and him met for only 15-16 months, whether he bared the title IS relevant because we're talking real history, again facts show him as a retainer and that's what he will not be described as a Samurai as most evidence points to that, I don't understand this sudden obsession because a game is not gonna change history doesn't matter how bad you want it to. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 13:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

oh there we are but he was not samurai. going through this talk page and comments dating decades ago show that the claims for that were... dubious at best

and hopefull Innformer is right. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:53, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Consolidation of threads about the "important to note" blurb

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

---

RE: Repeated Edits and NPOV

The following paragraph (or similar paragraphs) has been added and removed multiple times:

"It is important to note that despite popular myth and modern depictions there are no historical writings nor evidence that Yasuke was ever granted the rank or title of samurai, he was never given a fief nor referred to as one in any writings. Most of our knowledge of his life comes from these messages written by missionaries and locals"

I'll start of by saying I have not looked at the sources so I can't comment on whether they are reliable or not. Regardless, if this paragraph (or a similar paragraph) is to be included there are NPOV issues that need to be fixed. Placing this paragraph at the top of the Documented life in Japan section gives the paragraph undue weight (WP:UNDUE) and the whole paragraph is written in a critical tone which goes against WP:IMPARTIAL.

Additionally, saying "It is important to note" breaks MOS:EDITORIAL. 130.43.139.154 (talk) 19:39, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I support the idea that Wikipedia needs to make it clear on the article that there's no evidence that Yasuke was granted the rank of samurai. Many random articles on the internet keep calling him a samurai (probably the effect of him being falsely portrayed as such in modern media). And now many people use those articles as a source to back their claim for political reasons.

If that misinformation keeps spreading, it will become a fact eventually. If just one reliable source starts calling Yasuke a samurai, people will use that as a source to edit it on Wikipedia. Ezio's Assassin (talk) 19:50, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

私もあなたに同意します。奇妙な空想に合わせた『日本人の歴史と文化』の改訂は、引用可能な情報源としてのウィキリークスの完全性を損なうと同時に、日本（そして日本人）の歴史と文化に対する西側諸国の理解の完全性と信頼性を危険にさらしている。 。

日本の国民と社会は、その歴史の中で起きた出来事や人々を完全に記録することに大きな誇りを持っており、また、日本文化の外にいる人々が日本の歴史を理解できるようにすることも目指しています。

日本の国民と社会は、西側の社会政治的政策によって国民、歴史、文化、理解が汚されることを望んでいません。それによって、かつては誰だったのか、そして私たちは今日どうなっているのかという理解が損なわれます。

I am in agreement with you. The revision of The Japanese People's history and culture, to suit some weird fantasy, is damaging to the integrity of Wikileaks as a citable source, while also endangering the integrity and reliance of western understanding of the history and culture of Japan (and it's people).

The Japanese People and Society take great pride in keeping full account of events and people within it's history, and also aims to help folks outside of Japanese culture to understand our history.

The Japanese People and Society do not wish to have it's people, history, culture, and understandings to be sullied over western social political agendas, which mar the understanding of who were were, and what we are today. ICHIRO SHIWAKU (talk) 20:44, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Wikileaks? NorthTension (talk) 00:56, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I am not against the article: 1. Acknowledging there's a view/misconception that Yasuke was a samurai, and 2. Stating that the historical evidence does not support the view that Yasuke was a samurai. My objections are with the specific paragraph that was added to the article as it violates the various guidelines I linked to. 130.43.139.154 (talk) 21:04, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

It’s misinformation to explicitly say he is not. No reputable source says he is not. The unnecessary paragraph saying he is not adds nothing to the article except fuel for (Personal attack removed) comments. To add a negative and useless paragraph is not professional, and we know why it was added, because a recent video game with Yasuke as a samurai came out and now many (Personal attack removed) online are trying to promote their (Personal attack removed) and negative agendas. This paragraph was not on this article 48 hours ago and needs to be removed Mmsnjd (talk) 00:13, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The absence of evidence is essential to combating misinformation regarding Yasuke’s claimed status as samurai, as stated above. It is not only culturally insensitive to impose western social political values on all players, but a contrived and disingenuous history of Japan.

Poor attempts by (Personal attack removed) on twitter to offend others is not a logical basis for outright refuting the inclusion of factual and relevant information. ShineAscent (talk) 03:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It's not missinformation, Yasuke was not a samurai he was a retainer and that is the most accurate information we have currently from the soruces cited at the bottom, historical facts and accuracy are not "racist" it's not an "unnecessary paragraph because it is rectifying the myth that "he was a samurai" which he was not if you want to fantasies about it go head, but it's not a reality doesn't matter how much you want it be nor is it "racist. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 12:05, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

fuel for racist comments/ what? how? how is stating a caveat "fueling racism"? Good lord everything is racist these days. even an accent. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:58, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It should also be noted that said line was only added on 15:21, 15 May 2024‎ (likely due to (Personal attack removed) backlash from the new Assassin's Creed video game reveal). Also deleting said line doesn't categorically make the claim that Yasuke can/should be considered a "samurai" (or the "greatest samurai" like some have claimed I am trying to argue), all it does is remove a statement that Yasuke should categorically not be considered a samurai (meaning that it is something debated by historians). Furthermore the Japanese language wikipedia already lists Yasuke on its foreign born samurai page list https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B5%B7%E5%A4%96%E5%87%BA%E8%BA%AB%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%A6%E5%A3%AB%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%80%E8%A6%A7 Theozilla (talk) 20:19, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Yasuke was not a bushi. Therefore, he was not a warrior. End of story. Everything else is a fantasy. 176.116.136.240 (talk) 20:35, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I am Japanese. You are claiming "likely due to racist backlash" but many Japanese people are bothered by the cultural appropriation and historical revisionism perpetrated by western people regarding this topic. Your offhand dismissal of our concern as "racist backlash" in itself feels very racist, towards the Japanese. 27.84.15.217 (talk) 21:42, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Except there is evidence that Yasuke fought in some battles. Also if it wasn't racist backlash, why was that sentence only originally added today? Like that isn't a coincidence. And again it's not like my edit claimed that Yasuke was unequivocally a samurai, I objected that it is not warranted to claim that Yasuke was categorically not a samurai as plenty of historians have argued that he was (including Japanese speaking ones, as Yasuke is listed as a foreign samurai on the Japanese language wikipedia). And that's not even mentioning the "It is important to note" editorializing issue opening part of the sentence. If one wanted to add a sentence saying that there is debate among historians over whether Yasuke's status as a retainer/vassal to Oda Nobunaga made him formally (or informally) recognized as a samurai or not, that would be a completely different and not something I would object to including in this entry. Theozilla (talk) 21:57, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

"Yasuke fought in some battles"... As what, a decorative butler?

Yasuke fought zero battles, aside from maybe getting out of his tatami. At best, he was a koshō ~ a valet. There aren't even any Iaido logs in Onihachiman existing of "Yasuke", let alone armoury reports of holding anything that wasn't merely ceremonial. ICHIRO SHIWAKU (talk) 22:51, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

The article literally states Yasuke participated in battles against Akechi forces after the Honnō-ji Incident with a quote from Luís Fróis. That is certainly more than zero battles. Theozilla (talk) 23:05, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

they don't care about what japanese people could think of this, they only care about pandering and DEI karma.

Cultural appropriation is cool when it comes from leftist westerns 79.116.127.253 (talk) 06:48, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That page on the Japanese Wikipedia, ja:海外出身の武士の一覧, does not list foreign-born samurai. That is a list of foreign-born bushi. In historical Japanese contexts, "samurai" and "bushi" are different and distinct categories, albeit with overlap.

Yasuke is not described on that page as samurai, only as bushi. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 22:43, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

He's listed in the same category as William Adams, if referring to William Adams as a samurai is widely accepted, then it seems fair that Yasuke, a kosho, can be categorized as one too. Reputable sources like the Smithsonian Magazine refer to Yasuke as a samurai https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-yasuke-japans-first-black-samurai-180981416/

The idea of samurai as being a rigid military caste that you *had* to be born into is an invention of the Edo Period. Theozilla (talk) 23:12, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

The consensus on this talk page is that the Smithsonian article is an unreliable source. To quote another user "It is a magazine piece, not a academic one. It cites no sources, no literature, and is written as a pop history piece". 130.43.139.154 (talk) 23:26, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

"The idea of samurai as being a rigid military caste that you *had* to be born into is an invention of the Edo Period."

Not really. The samurai social class was just that -- a social class. The very word "samurai" originally meant "servant", and this points to their origins as the families close to power that were directly serving the Imperial household. Think of them as the "Old Money" in anglophone contexts. You can be born into an Old Money family, or marry into one, or be adopted into one. But barring these avenues, no matter how rich you might become, you cannot become Old Money yourself.

The Sengoku Period was a time of massive upheaval. Certain people and families were able to reposition themselves socially such that they were able to enter the samurai social class. But this was not a short process, as it involved gaining social acceptance from other established samurai families. Toyotomi's Separation Edict played a part in this process as well, but that Edict didn't happen until 1591, some nine years after Yasuke leaves the historical stage. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 19:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Agreed that it should be removed. If people wish to convey that he was not a samurai, they can do so while meeting Wikipedia's standards - it is not "important to note" anything, because that is a statement of opinion rather than an accounting of facts. If an impartial way can be found to state that, with reputable sources cited for the claim, such a statement can be added; but until such a time it should be removed. Any discussion of racism, from either side of the issue, is a distraction from the site's standards of practice. Tellmetowrite (talk) 04:55, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Wrong, it is important to state that he WAS a retainer and not a samurai, from the time he met Nobunaga which was around 1581 from 1582 (when Nobunaga committed seppuku/Harakiri) chronologically there are only TWO fights where he COULD HAVE been which were the "Second Tensho Iga War" which we have ZERO records of him being in, and the Honnō-ji incident there is a record where he """fought ONCE""" (I put the quotes there because the recounting of it by Froi's report in the article doesn't even specify if it was even Yasuke who went to the Nijo castle to "fight" the Akechi's vassals) but in no other records or books is there talks or recounting about him fighting as a Samurai. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 12:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Article fully protected for 3 days

The only alternative would have been blocking the combatants. Settle the matter at the article talk page, and don't bother telling me that I protected The Wrong Version. Favonian (talk) 20:03, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

トピックの完全性を保護していただきありがとうございます。

私たち日本人は自分たちの歴史と文化を真剣に受け止めており、これには過去の話題も含まれます。

ありがとうございました。

Thank you for protecting the integrity of the topic.

We Japanese people take our history and culture seriously, and this includes the topics of our past.

Thank you again. ICHIRO SHIWAKU (talk) 20:48, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Hey so if you can speak in English what's the point of writing your post in Japanese above it? And also like it was mentioned prior, all of the Japanese text you say matches up perfectly with the English text if you put the latter into Google Translate. If you're an actual historian can you provide any credentials for such? NorthTension (talk) 00:47, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

He has none. I have serious doubts he is actually Japanese and is likely trying to portray himself as such because he is bothered Yasuke was portrayed recently as a samurai on a video game trailer Mmsnjd (talk) 00:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Something interesting to note is that Yasuke was already depicted in the anime Hyouge Mono and in the video games Nioh and Samurai Warriors 5, yet for some reason this guy only gets upset when a Western developer puts Yasuke in their game? Really makes you think. NorthTension (talk) 01:20, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Another thing that just came to me, Yasuke is in a couple of Nobunaga's Ambition games, including one back in 1992. Why is this suddenly an issue now? NorthTension (talk) 01:34, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I mean, Samurai Warriors also has Ieyasu Tokugawa using a literal cannon-spear, Hideyoshi's wife Nene as a kunoichi, and Kanbei Kuroda as a freaking necromancer using magic. And Nioh had literal demons all over the place and William Adams somehow having a kami as familiar, on top of Hattori Hanzo having a cat clock in his inner pocket. (no, seriously, he whips out a cat and uses it to determine the time of day)

In short, those games took leave of common sense so much, Yasuke's status in them wasn't even close to the most ludicrous or controversial thing. That's probably why most people don't get upset over it - they dismiss it as too ridiculous to take seriously. 151.49.28.145 (talk) 06:00, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Assassin's Creed also has literal aliens and magic in it, in Mirage you can teleport and stop time; the franchise itself has been taking leave of common sense for a while now. If anything, I feel like what we see of Yasuke as a normal warrior, even if he wasn't a samurai in real life, is much more historically accurate than whatever is happening here.

My point moreso is that this guy's very obviously and poorly trying to paint himself as a "Japanese historian" who for some reason can't apeak proper Japanese (why does he use the phrase "日本の国民" instead of "日本人" when doing his big rant in another post above? "japan's nationals"?) and only seems to care when Ubisoft is doing this right now. NorthTension (talk) 11:32, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You all are missing the entire point, the page is protected because THIS IS WIKIPEDIA this is not a game people come here to learn about stuff and wikipedians try their best to be as accurate as they can to make sure everything is right or at least supported, if the game is choosing to be historically inaccurate that's fine, but the problem is people BELIEVING or taking it as a FACT that he was a "Samurai" it doesn't matter if some people call him a Samurai they're wrong & it is factually incorrect to call him one, I understand is upsetting to you when people are not just accepting whatever inaccurate narrative you want to push but this is not a "random" place this place has rules and policies to ensure unbiases and accurate information, you can stay upset or go complain about how "racist" Wikipedia is but is not going to suddenly change history or facts. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 12:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

What the hell are you even talking about and to whom, even. NorthTension (talk) 14:20, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

To all of you bringing up the game, this isn't twitter, it doesn't matter how much you dislike it, Yasuke is not a Samurai, you can go play the game and pretend he was that's fine, is not gonna change anything. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 17:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yasuke is quite popular in Japan, and almost always depicted as a samurai by Japanese people. Countless games, literature, and media depict him as a samurai in Japan. Here’s just one Japanese YouTube channel that has no issue calling him a samurai.

A famous Japanese YouTube channel, Let’s ask Shogo, with almost 2 million subscribers has a video where he discusses Yasuke as a samurai. The video is titled “The 3 Foreign Samurai Who Are Still Famous and Praised Today” Mmsnjd (talk) 10:39, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree — I believe the statement was written in English and machine translated to Japanese. "私たち日本人は自分たち" in the Japanese text is unnatural/broken Japanese. SimLibrarian (talk) 04:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I am puzzled by the debate over Yasuke's samurai status.

Matsudaira's record of a meeting in 1582, shortly after Nobunaga's forces destroyed the Takeda clan, leaves no doubt that Yasuke would have been one of the samurai who followed Nobunaga, wearing armor as a samurai. Yasuke was much taller than the Japanese of the time and had a wider field of vision, which should lead us to believe that he was attached to Nobunaga's military service.

There is also a misunderstanding about the status of samurai.

It is incorrect to suggest that Yasuke did not have the status of a samurai because there is no record of him being granted a fiefdom. Toyotomi Hideyoshi was also a shogun of peasant origin.

It was not until the Edo period (1603-1867), after the death of Nobunaga and Hideyoshi, that land and status were guaranteed as samurai status.

I am suspicious of a user named Ichiro Shiwaku who writes in a strange Japanese language. He has obviously machine-translated Japanese from English, and his claim to be a Japanologist is obviously false. We cannot be sure of his intentions, but he is certainly trying to lead the discussion in the wrong direction, so please be careful. Widipedian (talk) 15:25, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Why are you suspicious over the Japanese native?

He didn't do anything that makes one suspect his intentions.

He is simply a historian defending his position. 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:97C:88A7:39D5:F9E0 (talk) 15:33, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

And I'm the King of England. People can claim anything, that's why we don't take their word as fact & require reliable sources. — The Hand That Feeds You:^Bite 17:36, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Because he doesn't speak Japanese. NorthTension (talk) 18:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Nope, I'm sorry you're just wrong, there is no record of Yasuke accompanying Nobunaga's forces wearing an armour, not only are you not providing evidence or a source for it, you're saying "Yasuke would have been" no, specially considering there is no record of him even being adept at using a samurai sword and considering he was in Japan for like 15-16 months and the theory of him coming from Mozambique, I doubt he had any fighting capabilities, strenght? Sure you can say that Nobunaga's did state he has the strength of 10 man but being strong doesn't equal "good at fighting" or "war" for that matter, sorry. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 19:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Failed verification from two sources

A paragraph was added today in this section with two Japanese sources. The paragraph reads as:

It is important to note that despite popular myth and modern depictions there are no historical writings nor evidence that Yasuke was ever granted the rank or title of samurai, he was never given a fief nor referred to as one in any writings. Most of our knowledge of his life comes from these messages written by missionaries and locals

However, after cross checking the given Japanese sources here as well as this one, none of them state anything as such. The first source actually said the opposite when I translated it. That is not to say there is evidence that Yasuke was a Samurai. But this paragraph lacks verification from the two sources allocated to it. The sources should probably be replaced with ones that have proper verification or a citation needed tag can be applied to the paragraph. Kwesi Yema (talk) 21:32, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Both sources are pop-culture online magazines: Waraku Web (https://intojapanwaraku.com/rock/culture-rock/28746/), and HuffPost Japan (https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/yasuke_jp_609347f7e4b09cce6c26a9b2). Neither is a scholarly work, and neither gives much detail on their own sources. Both articles refer readers to Girard and Lockley's African Samurai, which is discussed in threads above and described as not academic and as historical fiction.

In addition, neither magazine defines how they are using the word "samurai". If you read through the earlier threads above, one key issue that comes up is that "samurai" is used more loosely by some writers than by others, particularly in modern contexts. In a loose definition, "samurai" = "any warrior in pre-modern Japan". As defined in historical contexts, that definition better fits the word "bushi", while "samurai" is defined more as "a hereditary class of nobility in pre-modern Japan". Over the centuries, most of that nobility wound up being of the warrior class, but this was definitely a social class, while "bushi" could be someone's job even if they weren't born into, or hadn't married into, the "samurai" class.

See also my earlier comment that is (currently) at the bottom of the Talk:Yasuke#Section_break subsection, including links to other pages better explaining the differences between "samurai" and "bushi". ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:07, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Because all of it was just added in today. It's editorializing and WP:OR. Mike Allen 01:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Wild, i agree, this paragraph is built on nothing. Why are we including commentary Suredeath (talk) 04:53, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Unnecessary paragraph needs to be removed

Please remove the paragraph: It is important to note that despite popular myth and modern depictions there are no historical writings nor evidence that Yasuke was ever granted the rank or title of samurai, he was never given a fief nor referred to as one in any writings. Most of our knowledge of his life comes from these messages written by missionaries and locals.

This paragraph was added less than 24 hours ago, on several online platforms, several (Personal attack removed) comments have been made over Yasuke as he is depicted as a samurai on a new video game trailer. Discussions and (Personal attack removed) have been made about Yasuke and many have linked this paragraph as “proof” he was not a samurai. Many sources have named Yasuke a Samurai, and although this page does not say he is a samurai, this paragraph is completely unnecessary. Never on this article does it mention he is a samurai, but to say he is not is equivalent to saying he is not an astronaut, it’s unnecessary and has promoted more (Personal attack removed) comments. Mmsnjd (talk) 23:39, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Seconded Theozilla (talk) 23:42, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

I third this request, and opine that some efforts should be expended to create a "Status" section in the article listing out the arguments for and against whether Yasuke should be considered a samurai, including an explanation of how a "samurai" is defined in his time. _dk (talk) 23:47, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

Fourthing this. A retainer was still usually a type of Samurai, and the Japanese wikipedia does list Yasuke as a foreign-born samurai. As it stands, this paragraph serves no purpose outside of meaningless culture war bullshit. Arisenby (talk) 00:24, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I don't think you read that correctly. The text on the Japanese Wikipedia talks of bushi, which is explained so on the English Wikipedia: "In modern usage, bushi is often used as a synonym for samurai;[27][28][29] however, historical sources make it clear that bushi and samurai were distinct concepts, with the former referring to soldiers or warriors and the latter referring instead to a kind of hereditary nobility.[30][31]" So one shouldn't rely on translation tools alone. The sourcing for the bushi is left somewhat open too. 87.95.62.110 (talk) 00:50, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Wikipedia doesn't change the article of a historic figure, to shelter a major gaming studio, who may gets critic from people for a gaming-studio-decision. Even if other people may have the opinion, that the critic would be bad or frame it as racial motivated, this is irrelevant to Yasuke, the historic figure.

Wikipedia, contrary to your own statements here, is build on the pillar of NPOV. Please stop. This policy is non-negotiable, and the principles upon which it is based cannot even be superseded by other policies or guidelines.

Avoid stating your personal opinions (about the motivation of some backlash) as facts.

Prefer nonjudgmental language, even if you want to view by default a opinion of the "other side" in a certain bad-framed way.

You are just bias. https://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Wikipedia:Neutral_point_of_view/FAQ#Dealing_with_biased_contributors

There is a point beyond which our interest in being a completely open project is trumped by our interest in being able to get work done without constantly having to fix the intrusions of people who do not respect our policies. --2003:DF:A72F:9F00:C11B:2E24:1152:C660 (talk) 02:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The Japanese wikipedia page lists Yasuke in the same category as William Adams, if referring to William Adams as a samurai is widely accepted, then it seems fair that Yasuke, a kosho, can be categorized as one too. Theozilla (talk) 02:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

According to Adam’s Wikipedia article:

”The shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu presented him with two swords representing the authority of a samurai, and decreed that William Adams the sailor was dead and that Anjin Miura (三浦按針), a samurai, was born.”

He also, apparently, lived as a samurai. MWFwiki (talk) 04:30, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"Fourthing this"

It's sad how Wikipedia is becoming an ideological shithole where facts are changed based on popular vote now.

There is no evidence of Yasuke being a samurai, there's good arguments to be made he wasn't, but you Resetera chuds are trying to paint a reality where he likely was a Samurai. All over a videogame.

If Ubisoft made an Assassin's Creed game set in centre Africa and had a white hero, you'd be first to cry and rally your typical affiliates (Kotaku, Eurogamer, etc) to start a harassment campaign against Ubisoft. Please end this cringe shitshow and accept that Yasuke mist likely wasn't a Samurai. This isn't racist. 178.24.248.195 (talk) 08:12, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

if you have to say "this isnt racist" you (Personal attack removed). Its been passed down through oral tradition we have samurai in our black history WakandaScholar (talk) 08:38, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

(Personal attack removed), fuck you mean "our black history"??? There will only ever be 1 and only 1 known black "samurai" (again debatable) in Japan. You (Personal attack removed) stop trying to weasel you're way into japanese culture you (Personal attack removed) 103.6.150.184 (talk) 08:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

dude its bait 2600:1700:1040:C530:489:4796:A01F:AAFF (talk) 08:53, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Watch the personal attacks please. Yoshi24517 (mobile) (talk) (Very Busy) 14:27, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"It is important to note"... WTF? Lifterus (talk) 07:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

•  Done - as far as I could tell, the sources for the "important note" do not support the conclusion stated; they say nothing of the sort. We do not decide what is "important to note" in Wikipedia articles, we repeat information provided by reliable sources and let readers form their own conclusions. The present version of the article does not refer to him as samurai anyway except in the context of fictional depictions, so this disclaimer was unnecessary on its face. If it is in fact "important to note" that Yasuke did not attain the rank of samurai then there will be sources saying so; find them and discuss how to include that information reliably and neutrally. Further edit warring will result in blocks. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 15:56, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 16 May 2024

Change the paragraph “ It is important to note that despite popular myth and modern depictions there are no historical writings nor evidence that Yasuke was ever granted the rank or title of samurai, he was never given a fief nor referred to as one in any writings. Most of our knowledge of his life comes from these messages written by missionaries and locals.”

This paragraph is completely unnecessary and adds nothing to the article. This paragraph was added less than 24 hours ago following a new video game trailer featuring Yasuke. Some people did not like seeing Yasuke depicted as a samurai and many (Personal attack removed) discussions have pointed to this specific paragraph as a reason to portray Yasuke in negative light and promote (Personal attack removed). Yasuke was a retainer under Oda Nobunaga. He fought in several battles according to several contemporary sources. This article never states he was a samurai, but this paragraph does nothing more than fuel hateful comments online. Please remove this newly added, unnecessary paragraph. Mmsnjd (talk) 00:29, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There are no reliable sources stating that Yasuke fought in any battles for the 15 month period he served under Nobunaga. Jtrainor (talk) 01:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The current Yasuke wikipedia article literally states Yasuke participated in battles against Akechi forces after the Honnō-ji Incident with a quote from Luís Fróis. While that's technically after Nobunaga's death, it's certainly a source stating he fought in battles. Theozilla (talk) 02:12, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

give a source on why I should believe you instead WakandaScholar (talk) 08:35, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I can't speak to the general questions around Yasuke but this paragraph definitely needs to be looked at. It's citing to two sources that don't appear likely to meet reliable source standards. What's more, a post on an academic history subreddit here claims that the sources are outright claiming the opposite of what's stated in the paragraph and running them through google translate that appears to be correct. 2601:644:500:C5F0:540E:DB03:7844:2911 (talk) 01:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Agreed. Very problematic and opinionated paragraph Mmsnjd (talk) 01:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

academic history subreddit.........

I will just point at WP:RS

You are clearly doing WP:DE

A disruptive editor often exhibits these tendencies:

Is tendentious: continues editing an article or group of articles in pursuit of a certain point for an extended time despite opposition from other editors. Tendentious editors not only add material; some engage in disruptive deletions as well, e.g. repeatedly removing reliable sources posted by other editors.

Is unwilling or unable to satisfy Wikipedia:Verifiability; fails to cite sources, cites unencyclopedic sources, misrepresents reliable sources, or performs original research. 2003:DF:A72F:9F00:C11B:2E24:1152:C660 (talk) 02:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Seconded. Media misrepresentation has caused a massive influx of misinformation regarding Yasuke’s status. It is essential to note the lack of sources. ShineAscent (talk) 04:06, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Whether or not it “fuels” — in your opinion — “hateful comments” is entirely irrelevant. It is not Wikipedia’s job to police content on the off-chance someone may or may not use it to fuel their beliefs.

Regardless, I don’t think it’s inappropriate in the slightest to clarify that he was not ‘samurai.’ Being uncomfortable with that fact doesn’t make it untrue or ‘bad’ or ‘racist.’ It makes you a revisionist.

Also, Reddit is not a valid source. MWFwiki (talk) 02:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

With respect, while it is true that it is not Wikipedia's place to police content, it is policy to ensure what it says are verifiable. Here it is clear that the sources supplied do not support the statements being made (regardless of whether it is pointed out on Reddit or anywhere else, anyone who is proficient in the Japanese language, myself included, can see that the citations do not say Yasuke was not a samurai.). There is no rule that says a source is needed to remove the offending paragraph - quite the contrary, policy demands the paragraph to be removed in the absence of reliable sources. _dk (talk) 02:54, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

So the evidence currently shows he was not samurai. Got it. Unless, of course, you have a source that states that he was? Regardless, a vast section of the media is identifying him as such; You don’t feel it’s appropriate that this be addressed? Not directly, but at least with a statement explaining that there is no evidence regarding his status in this regard one way or the other, although he was never explicitly described as ‘samurai.’ Because that’s what the sources say. (Just to be clear; I think the article is fine as-is. I am just against further ‘tweaking’) MWFwiki (talk) 03:12, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I, as a Wikipedian, cannot say which way the evidence points without seeing the reliable sources that point in either direction. What I am concerned about is sources being used to support statements they don't say. The two sources attached to that paragraph describe Yasuke variously as a "black bushi" (黒人武士), a "black samurai" (黒人侍), and a "samurai of the Oda clan" (織田家の侍) without any attempts to disprove those labels. In any case, given these are pop media sources, they are inadequate to give judgment in either direction. _dk (talk) 03:48, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Without evidence he was given the title it is illogical to claim otherwise. ShineAscent (talk) 04:10, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

“…as a Wikipedian, cannot say which way the evidence points without seeing the reliable sources that point in either direction.”

Just leave it at that, then, lol. Do not try to construe the lack of evidence as evidence. That is all most of us are contending. Do you require sources to state that Yasuke was NOT a woman?

The third option, here, is to state in the article that the evidence is contradictory and/or fragmentary , and it is unclear as to whether he was samurai, a high-level retainer, a middling retainer, or what have you. I’m sure there are sources that would support that. MWFwiki (talk) 04:37, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Are we talking past each other? I am not trying to say Yasuke is a samurai, so I don't know why you're telling me not to construe the lack of evidence as evidence. I want the paragraph gone because the sources used to support it say the opposite of what it is saying. Yes, the third option would be best. _dk (talk) 04:42, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I'd argue that there is no evidence either way that he was or was not a samurai, so a statement that he wasn't, without positive proof that he wasn't, is just as inappropriate in a Wikipedia article as one saying he was. DragonBrickLayer (talk) 03:01, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That’s fine; But there is a vast section of the media that describe him as ‘samurai.’ Noting he was not is not unusual. To avoid stepping into WP:OP or bias territory, it may be best to simply state “he was not samurai” where appropriate. But it matters not at this point. The Crowd had their hands on it, and The Message must be protected at all costs. (Just to be clear; I think the article is fine as-is. I am just against further ‘tweaking’) MWFwiki (talk) 03:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The person was not using reddit as source for the wiki but to provide support for the idea that sources on the wiki page were misrepresented and not supporting the paragraph in question. Also your commentary here seems not objective at all as you seem to be making assumptions about "the message" and "the crowd" and you say "it is best to simply state "he was not samurai".

I dont know if youre following the discussion here but there is no source that suggests he was explicitly "not samurai", in fact it seems more likely that he was. So no its not appropriate to insert "he was not a samurai" based on one's opinion, just like saying "yes he was samurai".

And how are you saying the article is fine as is under a thread about bad source contradicting a whole paragraph? That paragraph was the tweak made in the last 24 hours. Frozenkex (talk) 03:35, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

“it seems”

WP:OP, look it over.

“suggests”

WP:OP, look it over.

The lack of evidence is not evidence. Regarding the fact that I am comfortable with the article as-is and support keeping it locked is because I’ve seen what these arguments can devolve into. Articles can become absolute garbage because The Message must be spread.MWFwiki (talk) 04:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You linked to something completely different. It's WP:OR. BrokenSquarePiece ^{(complete me)} 04:55, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yes, thank you, autocorrect MWFwiki (talk) 23:22, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You're arguing against a non-existent argument. Neither op nor myself argued that it should say that he is samurai, but it is not valid to say that he is not. The paragraph is not appropriate and uses invalid sources that arent even consistent with it. It is also not appropriate to say that he is not samurai.

Do you make your comments based on complete understanding of who is considered samurai in this era? Is everyone in this era who is considered samurai fit certain standard or requirement that Yasuke does not? Is Samurai even a title or rank that must be granted in this era to be considered one?

How do you justify yourself suggesting "best to simply state "he was not samurai" ? Where is it appropriate? You are making many assumptions here. Frozenkex (talk) 05:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There are no reliable sources saying he was a Samurai, but since he’s often portrayed as such, a paragraph saying “Contrary to popular belief, there is no reliable evidence to suggest Yasuke was a Samurai” would be reasonable. Exclusif66 (talk) 08:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

(Personal attack removed) 180.150.38.215 (talk) 07:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"Important to note that" is a clear violation of WP:MOS, should be removed ASAP. Zinderboff(talk) 13:37, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Seconded. People keep getting into the weeds of whether the claim itself is correct or not, but the issue is much simpler. This particular paragraph is based on two sources that, according to a number of Japanese-speaking wikipedians (and my own look on Google Translate), not only don't support the idea but flatly contradict it. Neither source particularly feel like RS to me either, so I wouldn't support using them to claim he was a samurai either, even though that would be at least honest.161.29.74.118 (talk) 05:01, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

(Personal attack removed) use a (Personal attack removed) source to see our african roots was also samurai WakandaScholar (talk) 08:33, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There are no reliable sources saying he was a Samurai, but since he’s often portrayed as such, a paragraph saying “Contrary to popular belief, there is no reliable evidence to suggest Yasuke was a Samurai” would be reasonable, natural and informative. Exclusif66 (talk) 09:00, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

•  Already done - this is a duplicate of an earlier request which has been implemented. See my comments below that request. I have removed several personal attacks from this thread; if I see any more I will remove the editors making them instead. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 16:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"It is important to note that"

Please remove those words, per MOS:NOTETHAT, nothing is important to note in wiki-voice. If it's not important, we don't include it. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 08:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree, this small change is all that needs to be made. Exclusif66 (talk) 09:35, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That part relativates an earlier part to show that one part is more on the speculative side of things, thus 'it's Important' should stay. 178.24.249.92 (talk) 10:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Might as well remove the whole section right there "[...]he was never given a fief nor referred to as one in any writings [...]" which was not a requirement for being a Samurai during the Sengoku period, neither was being "[...]granted the rank or title of samurai[...]"

This period was marked by the loosening of samurai culture, with people born into other social strata sometimes making a name for themselves as warriors and thus becoming de facto samurai. Rick Lock History (talk) 11:19, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

In addition, 'A retainer refers to a vassal in feudal Japan, usually a samurai providing military services. This suit dates to around 1850 and although decorative, it is more restrained and practical than many samurai armours.' Rick Lock History (talk) 11:21, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree with Rick. Even if there is not a direct primary source stating that Yasuke was a Samurai, The loosening of Samurai culture during the Sengoku period, and the fact that he was a trained guard placed next to Nobunaga would imply that he was likely considered one. With this in mind, it would be most accurate for the page to reflect that although there is no direct evidence to confirm it, there is a strong likelihood that he was. 144.6.63.137 (talk) 14:22, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"The loosening of Samurai culture during the Sengoku period, and the fact that he was a trained guard placed next to Nobunaga would imply that he was likely considered one"

No there it isn't, it someone also tried years ago to claim "he was assigned to be his seppuku assistance" and the source he cited wasn't even accurate, you're free to provide sources, but this is just speculation and wishful thinking, all for what? a game that has nothing to do with history accuracy? Please give it a rest if you don't have anything to back up he was deemed a Samurai" so far it all points he wasn't, just a turn retainer because Nobunaga liked him. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 18:00, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

As a retainer, Yasuke was likely a Samurai

According to the below source, a Japanese retainer was usually a samurai. The paragraph saying he wasn’t is not necessary. Please see the below source

https://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/weapons/index.php/tour-by-region/oceania/asia/arms-and-armour-asia-133/index.html#:~:text=A%20retainer%20refers%20to%20a,practical%20than%20many%20samurai%20armours. Mmsnjd (talk) 23:58, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

This is irrelevant, because it doesn't mention the article's subject. Jtrainor (talk) 01:22, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This source is irrelevant. It says that the retainer armor is from 1850 which is over 200 years from when Yasuke served Nobunaga.

Taken at face value, just because the source says that retainers were usually samurai then does not mean that was true during Yasuke's time. Mcclaine5 (talk) 01:26, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The consensus from the majority of historians is that Yasuke would have been considered a samurai

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/m91cwa/yasuke_african_samurai_is_the_outrage_justified/

https://old.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/flgpph/history_of_blackafricans_in_japan/ Theozilla (talk) 02:24, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Reddit posts are not reliable sources. Jtrainor (talk) 03:20, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Seconded. Reddit posts are not reliable sources ShineAscent (talk) 04:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

african oral tradition passed down thru the ages speak of samurai heritage, who are you tryna deny these facts? WakandaScholar (talk) 08:37, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Oral traditions are not reliable sources Stefano1108 (talk) 11:24, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

oh so our sources arent reliable cause theyre black is that watchu saying WakandaScholar (talk) 11:33, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Note this is clearly a (Personal attack removed). Googleguy007 (talk) 17:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

(Personal attack removed) 180.150.38.215 (talk) 07:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Samurai was a specific warrior class with the Bushido code of conduct. While some Samurai were indeed Retainers, far from all Retainers were Samurai.

Only Samurai wore armor like the one on that page. In other words it’s more accurate to call it a Samurai armor, not a Retainer armor, since far from all Retainers wore it. Exclusif66 (talk) 08:32, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Also something to keep in mind, few primary contemporary to the time sources refer to known and famous samurai as samurai anyway.

Information Sancticty

"As a person who doesn't post or edit on Wikipedia (or much else), I speak for the rest of the internet comfortably. (And that says something)"

This is not a subreddit. This is not Twitter. This is not Facebook. This is Wikipedia. A place that unilaterally is the biggest source of uncapitalized information since the Great Library of Alexandria.

You do not get to bend things to your political view because history is already hard enough to see through every bias of every person that has uttered the name "Yasuke."

When a kid is told to find a "Battle Hero" in 8th grade World History, they don't go to Oda's decrepit looking personal journal or to some long journal from a professor. They come here for the truth. The total truth; of every historian, every ancient translator, every museum with ancient information—all of it, on one page.

I am very disappointed, not at the site Wikipedia, but this community. I mean, I'm not a part of it, most aren't! I mean, who would choose to write endlessly about random topics from Kim K's butt to the tragedy of Chernobyl.

But You are. Every quotation, every italics, every name, date, interest, enemy, and lesson from every mistake or pinnacle of humanity is HERE.

Do not blemish it with your temporary opinions.

[Notice how easy it was to make a paragraph that's truly neutral. TRY IT]

[REAL] Source's:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-yasuke-japans-first-black-samurai-180981416/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yasuke Infopana (talk) 02:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It's not that simple. Western sources commonly conflate samurai (the hereditary noble class of warriors) with bushi (those who are soldiers or warriors as a job) and generally refer to all of them as samurai. Jtrainor (talk) 03:13, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It is that simple.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220603/p2a/00m/0et/026000c Infopana (talk) 03:21, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

@Infopana: It's not. Lockley and his books have been discussed above, and his books are not academic, merely popular press, as remarked upon in reviews. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 03:32, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

ok; so if Britanica and the Smithsonian are too White for you. And a guy who LIVES IN JAPAN and TEACHES JAPANESE HISTORY Isnt official enough. How bout JAPANESE ITSELF?

a "bu-shi" means a "War-Expert."or Warior. Ronin could be considered "Bushi" even though they had no lord.

a "Samurai" is someone who warrior who serves their lord. This decends from the verb "Saburou" which means "to serve" it eventually developed into the noun "Samurai" which means "a person who serves."

THEIR IS NO DISPUTE SAMURAI ARE WARRIORS. And theirs no dispute that Yasuke is a warior. The only question is he serves his lord. Exept, that ISNT a question. Oda himself has said that Yasuke had served him up until Oda was betrayed.(Even then, yasuke escaped instead of betrayal)

Stop arguing semantics, its useless. Infopana (talk) 04:58, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

@Infopana: Just because Samurai are warriors, does not mean all warriors are Samurai. Yasuke being a warrior does not automatically mean that he is a Samurai. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 05:14, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

No, BUT SERVING THE FXKING EMPOROR PERSONALY DOES. Infopana (talk) 05:18, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

However, i did say something wrong. He dident, run like a ronin would. He STOOD AND FOUGHT TILL HE WAS CAPTURED AND SENT BACK TO THE PORTUGUESE. Infopana (talk) 05:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

currently resolving a password issue, thats why the ip, but genuinely, with no malice because emotion in text is notably hard to read, do you have a source that fits wikipedia's standards for this assertion? if so, we could cease this squabbling and put the facts on the paper; yasuke would be a samurai. as an outsider to this debate, i dont see a source for your claims, but god do i want to. 2601:188:CD7E:9760:F39F:2A7E:6620:734 (talk) 05:35, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

buddy, IT SAYS SO IN THIS WIKIPEDIA PAGE. Infopana (talk) 05:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

why not use a african source, you tryna deny our heritage? WakandaScholar (talk) 08:30, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Ok, You want a source. How bout KYOTO UNIVERSITY.

https://repository.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/71097/1/40_15.pdf

Or Are you gonna make more excuses? Infopana (talk) 06:12, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Moreover, as a soldier/warrior you were either a part of a clan's Kashindan (standing army), or Ashigaru, peasant militia who were raised as needed. In this time period, if you were part of the Kashindan, as Yusuke had to have been due to his duties, you were considered a samurai. Samurai during the Sengoku Period basically just meant anyone who was a full-time soldier. The idea of samurai as being a rigid military caste that you had to be born into is an invention of the Edo Period. Now, to clarify, samurai clans were indeed aristocratic noble families that you had to be born into. Being a member of a clan's Kashindan did not mean you were a part of the clan, but you did not need to be part of the clan to be a samurai. For example, Toyotomi Hideyoshi was born a peasant, joined Oda Nobunaga's forces as an Ashigaru, was noticed and made a retainer, eventually rising in rank to Nobunaga's sandal-bearer, became one of his generals, and after Nobunaga's death, eventually rose to hold the rank and title of Kampaku (関白, Imperial Regent) and Daijō-daijin (太政大臣, Chancellor of the Realm). No one would question that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was Samurai. DragonBrickLayer (talk) 06:39, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Full time soldiers were bushi. People conflate being a bushi and being a samurai way too often, but it's like saying any spearman is a knight. There are knights who use spears, sure, but there are also pikemen.

Being a bushi did in no way, shape or form automatically mean you were a samurai. In fact, the reason why Hideyoshi had so much trouble being respected was because his father was a commoner ashigaru with no noble title whatsoever. 151.38.250.10 (talk) 08:00, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That source doesn't call him a Samurai. Also to clear up any potential confusion, the IP 2601:188:CD7E:9760:F39F:2A7E:6620:734 is not me. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 12:26, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This isn't Reddit and you don't get upvotes for being combative. Read WP:CIVIL and WP:AGF. Jtrainor (talk) 05:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

No insults have been exchanged. Only evidence of (Personal attack removed). Infopana (talk) 06:15, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You are acting really emotional about this subject. Adding "fucking" and writing in caps-lock is of no use. You should maybe take a few days off and come back once you can stay calm 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 06:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

True, he is indeed acting (Personal attack removed) like this is Twitter.

(Personal attack removed) 2804:1B3:ADC0:8744:59F2:26E2:A900:B0F1 (talk) 13:17, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Samurai are warriors but not all warriors are samurais. Knights are warriors as well, does this make every warrior in the 12th century France a knight? Of course, not. Knight is a specific title not every warrior has access to. Same goes to Samurai. That argument is ridiculous and in bad faith 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 06:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Samurai were not appointed in a ceremony like knights. The Sengoku period had a lot of social mobility, and almost anyone who served a lord with a weapon could be deemed a samurai at that time. NotBartEhrman (talk) 07:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Which might or might not have applied to Yasuke which makes the possibility fairly useless as a deciding factor. Since he is not a cat and no primary sources refer to him as a samurai, the side of caution should prevail. Him being a samurai would add nothing to his character or the information presented by this article, other than a mistaken sense of value that only exists in a romanticized modern vision of how samurai are depicted. Yvan Part (talk) 10:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

『武士』制度に関する記述について／About the description of the "samurai" system

どうやら『アサシンクリード』シリーズに弥助が主人公の一人として登場したことにより、Wikipediaでも記述の是非について論争が起こっているようですね。 主な論点は「奴隷出身の身分であった弥助が武士や侍であったかどうか」であるようにお見受けします。参考までに、日本人としての意見もこちらに提示しておきましょう。

以下の記述は日本版のWikipedia『弥助』のページからの引用です（原文では参考文献も併記されていますが、ここでは省略します）。

本当に彼の肌が黒いことに納得した信長はこの黒人に大いに関心を示し、ヴァリニャーノに交渉して譲ってもらい、「弥助」と名付けて正式な武士の身分に取り立て、身近に置くことにしたと、イエズス会日本年報にあり、信長は弥助を気に入って、ゆくゆくは殿（城主）にしようとしていたという。また、金子拓によると、『信長公記』の筆者である太田牛一末裔の加賀大田家に伝わった自筆本の写しと推測される写本（尊経閣文庫所蔵）には、この黒人・弥助が私宅と腰刀を与えられ、時には道具持ちをしていたという記述があるという。

織田信長は南蛮文化に親しい武将であり、またとても革新的な人物であったと日本では知られています。 また、織田信長の家臣である松平家忠が記した『家忠日記』には、天正10年4月19日（1582年5月11日）付けの記述には、

「上様（信長）御ふち（扶持＝給与）候」

といったものがあります。即ちこれは弥助が扶持を与えられる身分の士官であったことを示しています。

「弥助が正式に侍と扱われたのかは定かではないが、事実上侍と同様の扱い（帯刀の許可や家の所有など）を受けていた人物である」というのが一番真実に近いでしょう。

翻訳ツールは充実しているでしょうから、文意がなるべくそのまま伝わるようにあえてこの文章は日本語のままで投稿します。 Since translation tools are probably well equipped, I am submitting this text in Japanese so that the intent of the text can be conveyed as it is. 240F:10F:5839:1:C46C:152B:C370:883 (talk) 08:15, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Adding translation here for ease of reference.

So it seems that Yasuke's appearance as one of the main characters in the Assassin's Creed series has sparked a debate on Wikipedia about the pros and cons of how he is described. The main point of contention appears to me to be whether or not Yasuke, who originally had the status of slave, was a bushi or a samurai. For reference, I present my opinion here as a Japanese person.:::

The description below is excerpted from the Japanese Wikipedia's Yasuke page (the original text also includes references, but I omit those here).

Nobunaga, convinced that his skin was actually black, showed great interest in this black man, and after negotiating with Valignano he got Yasuke given over to him; Nobunaga named him "Yasuke", giving him official status as a bushi, and kept him close by, according to the Jesuit Japan Annual Report; Nobunaga quite liked Yasuke and reportedly might have been thinking of eventually making him the lord of a castle (tono). Furthermore, according to Kaneko Hiraku, a manuscript presumed to be a handwritten copy made by Shinchō Kōki author Ōta Gyūichi himself, passed down by Kaga Ōta family descendants of Ōta Gyūichi, includes mention that this black man, Yasuke, was granted a private residence and a koshi-gatana [literally, "hip-sword", a kind of wakizashi short-sword with no tsuba or hilt-guard], and was sometimes in the role of weapon-bearer.

Oda Nobunaga is known in Japan as a military commander familiar with Western culture, and as someone who was very innovative. Also, Nobunaga vassal Matsudaira Ietada wrote in his "Ietada Nikki" the following description, dated April 19, 1582 [Julian calendar] (May 11, 1582 [Gregorian calendar]).

Ue-sama (Nobunaga) Go-fuchi (fuchi ["stipend"] = salary)

In other words, this indicates that Yasuke was an officer of a status to be granted a stipend.

It is probably closest to the truth as stated, that "It is not certain whether Yasuke was formally treated as a samurai, but he was in fact treated equivalently to a samurai (permission to wear a sword, owning a house, etc.)."

I'm sure there are plenty of translation tools available, so I'll purposely post this text in Japanese so that the meaning of the text can be conveyed as clearly as possible.

Any flaws in this translation are my own. @240F:10F:5839:1:C46C:152B:C370:883, please adjust as deemed appropriate. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:44, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

While I am not going to translate the entirety of this post because of Wikipedia:ENGLISHPLEASE and because my own skills are not amazing, I am noting that this user wrote,

"「弥助が正式に侍と扱われたのかは定かではないが、事実上侍と同様の扱い（帯刀の許可や家の所有など）を受けていた人物である」というのが一番真実に近いでしょう。"

"`Although it is unclear whether Yasuke was officially a samurai, he was virtually treated as one (permission to wear a sword-belt, homeownership, etc.)'' is probably the most true statement"

I defer to User:Eirikr, as your knowledge on the language is greater than my own. I am looking into this because of the ongoing discussion at the RfC and while the user present here did not present their comment in English, I still feel like between the two of us we should be capable of letting their voice be heard? X0n10ox (talk) 11:06, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

• One key question for me here is, what exactly was meant by 私宅 / "private residence"? Did Nobunaga outright give him a manor house and staff? Or was it more a matter of "you can stay in private quarters over there in the unused gardener's cottage, instead of bunking together in the servants' quarters"? It's not clear to me that there was any transfer of property ownership, and it sounds more like Nobunaga provided Yasuke with private lodging.
• Another issue that has been brought up by others as well is that receiving a 扶持 (fuchi, "stipend") really just meant you were on the household payroll, which itself doesn't necessarily imply any status as an officer or samurai. As I mentioned over at Talk:List of foreign-born samurai in Japan,

The Japanese Wikipedia page about Yasuke, at ja:弥助, does mention him receiving a stipend, but parenthetically comments that to call it "food": 「扶持（食べ物）を与えられ」 ("was granted a stipend (food)..."). This is sourced to this 2009 work, which I unfortunately do not have access to: https://books.google.com/books?id=LmRwQgAACAAJ (no preview available at Google Books).

That book is 織田信長という歴史　『信長記』の彼方へ (Oda Nobunaga to iu Rekishi: "Shinchōki no Kanata e, "The History of Oda Nobunaga: Beyond the Shinchōki"), by Kaneko Hiraku, who has been mentioned numerous times on this page. So apparently Professor Kaneko thinks that Yasuke's stipend was basically just food.

The housing and stipend thus look less like Nobunaga was making Yasuke into an enfeoffed manor lord, and more like Nobunaga was providing him with room and board. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:58, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Oh, I'm not making any sort of argument regarding this. I have no idea. I was just trying to relay to others what this particular user above was trying to say. I'm not going to attempt to argue their points or anything of that nature.

In terms of your one mention, though

• It's not clear to me that there was any transfer of property ownership, and it sounds more like Nobunaga provided Yasuke with private lodging.

In terms of the primary source, that falls into the realm of interpertation, where we aren't really allowed to go Per Wikipedia:NPV. I am not qualified to speculate what was meant by recording Nobunaga gave him "私宅", nor do I intend to try. If it's written in a primary source that Nobunaga gave him "私宅", and the meaning of what "私宅" is ambiguous and there are no reliable sources that can give us further context, I don't think it's a fruitful avenue of conversation. We're not allowed to make interpertations, even in terms of what is allowed in translation, the translation has to be translated faithfully. If it's unclear to us what the meaning is, the best we can do is notate that it's unclear what the exact meaning is unless we can find a source to provide some sort of context.

I don't know what the exact policies are on translation, but you could maybe consult with another expert and see if there's some sort of agreement to be had on the meaning? Either way, it's not a conversation for me to delve into. I don't even have access to the book which the Japanese Wiki editors have access to, so I cannot even verify the parentheticals exists much less what they mean. As an aside, I will note that the Japanese Wiki no longer contains an entry that says 『扶持（食べ物）』but contains an entry that says 『信長様が、扶持を与えたという、宣教師から進呈されたという、黒人を連れておられた。身は墨のようで、身長は約1.82メートル、名は弥助と云うそうだ』 X0n10ox (talk) 00:54, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

Ah, I seem to have gotten to the crux of the matter User:Eirikr, the parentheticals were first added here [2] on May 17th 2024. As you can also see in this version from March, the parentheticals were not there. The change was made, without any sort of discussion, by a singular user whose only activity is arguing about Yasuke ever since the Assassin's creed game came out was announced. In short, they're most probably vandalism at worst and Wikipedia:original research at best, and whose contributions include unfounded and unsourced assertions that Yasuke should be listed as not even a retainer, but a "労働従事者". The first appearance of the fuchi quote, likewise, does not have the parentheticals.

I think it is probably safe that we should disregard the parentheticals and keep to heart that Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a reliable source for this exact reason. Vandalism has had us scratching our heads and muddying the waters of interpertations. X0n10ox (talk) 01:25, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

Yasuke was nothing more than a retainer for a daimo.

I'm really disappointed with the way you all agreed to change history because of a videogame. Yasuke was brought from the Portuguese and given to a daimo. He was never called "samurai" because to be one you would need to either marry a samurai, get adopted to a samurai family, or be born into one, neither of them the person known as "Yasuke" did, and you noticed that he dosen't have a family name, like any other person of the period, he's just called "Yasuke,弥助" which means "the black one,” in Japanese. That's it. This is not my opinion i don't even care, this is factual history straight from the primary sources, and all the primary sources made in his life cast a general negative opinion on him, at most just being respectfully treated like an outsider. He was a mere sword retainer for a daimo, for 3 months,and he disappeared from history and alk primary sources after Mitsuhide's siege of Akechi castle. So why arM you picking him as a method to eYlarge him and his story and making it bigger than it was? 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 08:22, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

実のところ、侍や武士という身分がルールによって厳格に定められたものであるというアイデアはありがちな誤謬の一つです。

鎌倉時代や室町時代などの中央政権（幕府、朝廷など）が存在するような時代には確かにルールは存在しましたし、江戸時代には「士農工商」で知られるように厳格な身分制度が定められたりもしていますが、戦国時代には武士や侍についての明確な定義は存在しないというのが真実です。

戦国時代については、特定の主君に仕えていなくてもたとえば戦で大きな武功を挙げたりすることで、武士の上位階級である侍と認められていたのです。

そもそも戦国時代というのは日本国内で明確な中央政権が存在するものではなく、言わば「日本」という領地内に無数の国が乱立しているような状況ですから、明確な定義などありえないわけですね。 240F:10F:5839:1:C46C:152B:C370:883 (talk) 08:33, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

They were rules.

By that logic every slave or farmer is a "samurai" because there is no clear definition of it because there was diferent countries in what's now called "Japan".

Your logic dosen't do anything but obfuscate the fact that yasuke had no family name, and even if he was treated well by nobunaga, no one considered him a "samurai". 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 08:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

By that logic every slave or farmer is a "samurai" because there is no clear definition of it because there was diferent countries in what's now called "Japan".

実際ほとんどその通りですよ。戦国時代には、農民と武士の間に明確な区別はありません。実際に農民は足軽と呼ばれるような下級武士を兼任したりもしましたし、農民や商人出身とされる戦国武将も実在します（小西行長などがその一例です）。

Your logic dosen't do anything but obfuscate the fact that yasuke had no family name, and even if he was treated well by nobunaga, no one considered him a "samurai".

これについては明確な誤りです。

織田信長の家臣であった松平家忠が記した『家忠日記』には、弥助は下人や年季奉公人のような隷民ではなく扶持もちの士分であったとはっきり書かれています。 240F:10F:5839:1:C46C:152B:C370:883 (talk) 09:20, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

To be completely fair, historically, during the Sengoku Jidai the rules weren't as strict. The Four Castes weren't rigidly defined until Hideyoshi's reforms like the Sword Hunt. Prior to Hideyoshi's reforms, it was possible, although difficult, for non-hereditary Samurai to achieve the rank of Samurai. Even a peasant could become a Samurai, such as Hideoyshi himself, and it was especially true in the Sengoku Jidai. The term Gekokujō is used a lot in the Sengoku period for a reason. Likewise, the conferral of a surname is not guaranteed for Samurai. Take for example Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn, who was only given the Japanese name Yayōsu but was otherwise afforded all of the pomp and circumstance of being a Samurai (wearing Daisho) and was a hatamoto to the Tokugawa Shogun. It is not uncommon at all, especially for foreigners, to not be given a surname. Given the evidence, it's safe to say that lacking a surname does not necessairly mean Yasuke was never conferred status as a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 05:06, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Please read my section at Talk:Yasuke#Establish_a_clear_distinction_between_Bushi_and_Samurai. Samurai is often conflated with terms like Bushi and Hatamoto in English so it makes for a very confusing case if looking strictly from an English perspective. Hexenakte (talk) 05:21, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I mean this with the utmost respect possible, you are wrong. You are claiming I am looking at it "from an English perspective", but I'm not. Bushi, especially in modern language, is used interchangably with Samurai in Japanese. You can refer to my section at Talk:List_of_foreign-born_samurai_in_Japan#Yasuke wasn't a samurai X0n10ox (talk) 06:31, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

No there isn't really any suggestions of Yasuke being a Samurai, this is just speculation and to the Hideyoshi point, again you saying "they weren't as strict" is just not true otherwise they would've mentions Hideyoshi as a Samurai way before he married you can try and try and circumvent the as much as you want but we're sticking to the facts to reach a conclusion and those facts suggest Yasuke didn't really had anything other than the Shogun's liking.

"The term Gekokujō is used a lot in the Sengoku period for a reason"

Yea it's used not because tons of people who were commoners became Samurai, is because of the many fights that took place from families and clans looking for higher power/control on the hierarchy before the unification of Japan. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 05:55, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Yes, you'd be hard pressed to find someone referring to Hideyoshi as a Samurai prior to marrying his wife on account of he wasn't one for basically the entirety of said time prior to marrying his wife and he wasn't unwed for very long following being elevated. He married Kōdai-in, who was from a Samurai lineage, somewhere around 1561. In 1558, Hideoyshi was an Ashigaru to Oda Nobunaga, after the Battle of Okehazama in 1560, he was made a Samurai by Nobunaga, and in 1561 he was married to his first wife.

I suppose the most baffling part of your insistence that the Japanese caste system was so rigid and strict as to not allow people outside of specific families to become Samurai, but not so strict and rigid so as to prevent individuals of different castes from marrying into said caste. They weren't as strict is absolutely true. It is historical fact, it is a settled matter.

It was not until after Hideoyshi that the caste system became rigid and social mobility became impossible, a fact that the Tokugawa Government continued forward. Yes, Gekokujō also involved peasants and commoners becoming Samurai. Yes, Gekokujō is a listed reason for why Hideyoshi engages the sword-hunt policy to begin with, specifically to disarm the peasant caste and prevent them from being able to upend power. If Gekokujō was only concerned with Samurai, the Samurai wouldn't have been allowed to retain their military powers. X0n10ox (talk) 06:47, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I invite you to come up with individuals during the Sengoku period who became part of the warrior caste without ever being adopted or married into a noble family. In every example I found of samurai, they always had a claim on imperial lineage, this pattern cannot be diminished, it is clearly very important in determining who is a samurai and who is not.

You are absolutely correct that they weren't as strict, however the context here is important. Instead of thinking joining noble families is pointless (this is wrong), it's where it's actually easier to join said noble families to become samurai. Many people make this mistake and think the caste system fell apart when it did not. As an example, this is during the time that the Imperial Court was very poor and in need of money, so they were more willing to sell court titles to lords and samurai alike for a price, whereas they wouldn't have done this in the past. There is also the case that Hideyoshi threatening to destroy the Konoe family if they did not adopt him into their family, his military power certainly made it a lot easier.

The question is, why go through all of this effort if joining these families did not matter? The caste system supposedly fell apart during this time, so why did Hideyoshi waste his time with this? This explanation makes no sense once you consider these points, and especially once you notice the pattern of many other individual samurai and their ties to an imperial lineage. The de jure caste system was always there, it was just de facto easier to take advantage of it due to the unrest at the time. I don't think this is unreasonable to establish, in fact all evidence that I found points towards it (I address figures such as Konishi Yukinaga as an example).

There's a reason why I hinge so much on making it distinct between samurai and non-samurai, there are samurai who did not practice martial arts often (Imagawa Yoshimoto is known for this), and there are skilled warriors who never became samurai (William Adams was specifically named as a hatamoto, or shogunal retainer). There is also even the term jizamurai, which specifically makes the distinction that these are land-owning peasant warriors, and not samurai. These terms actually matter especially in feudal politics, you will see this a lot in Europe as well. Hexenakte (talk) 16:04, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Again, you're engaging in a lot of speculative Wikipedia:OR in your assertion, while providing 0 supporting evidence, even when what you are saying is contrary to what is known and by and large agreed upon by academic scholars. The question isn't whether being apart of the caste afforded someone status, because it did. The question at hand was whether or not social mobility was possible pre-Hideoyshi and the answer is definitively yes. It is only after the Sengoku Jidai that the Four Castes become a rigidly enforced structure.

The Sengoku Jidai had not only numerous instances of people changing their social caste, there is also instances of Samurai ceasing being Samurai. The very fact alone that Hideoyshi was able to become a Samurai at all or marry into a Samurai family demonstrates clearly that the castes were not so rigidly defined and separated. There is 0 possibility of a peasant doing what Hideyoshi did after Hideyoshi's reforms, and yet, Hideyoshi did what he did during the Sengoku Jidai. Likewise, there would have been next to little or no ability for Hideyoshi to do what he did if not for the Sengoku Jidai.

I present to you an academic source [3] that clearly demonstrating how Hideyoshi is responsible for a rigid enforcement of the caste system and froze social mobility. Sepcifically, Hideyoshi forbids in his edict Samurai (among others) from settling among the town and being farmers/townsmen, while also forbidding farming peasants from being anything other than farming peasants.

Hideyoshi wouldn't have needed to make edicts rigidly implementing the caste system if the caste system was being rigidly implemented. X0n10ox (talk) 22:26, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Where, exactly, do we call him a samurai in the article? ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 12:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The article was claiming that, don't gaslight me, i saw it. 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 12:27, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

In previous revisions yes, but that has now been removed. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 12:33, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yeah, there's a word for that. It's called "Samurai". There was a black samurai, get over it. Hawkatana (talk) 14:01, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Repeating a lie won't make it reality. Provide something to back up your claim or just stop spamming this page with falsehoods 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:06, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

We have. Repeatedly. You choosing to ignore it doesn't mean it's not there. Hawkatana (talk) 14:08, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

How am I deciding to ignore it? I'm here begging you for any source for your claims and still nothing. I have answered to every source I was provided.

Just remember that an ideology built on lies will never last, it's better for you to admit the truth instead of trying to maliciously vandalise Wikipedia articles for whatever you believe in 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

If it won't last, then why do you insist on peddling it? Hawkatana (talk) 14:18, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Was Yasuke a Samurai and what’s is the common consensus

It seems this who article has come under heavy fighting, and many times (Personal attack removed) remarks, over a man who by historical standards was at the least a respected retainer for Oda, alongside other samurai retainers, to a samurai. The truth is, Yasuke was truly a respected koshō, who served with other samurai koshō for Oda, he saw battle, had to surrender his sword after capture, and revived a stipend as was common among koshō samurai.

There is room for discussion over his status as a samurai, although most articles, journals, and books don’t take issue in calling him a samurai. But we must not ignore why this is controversial now. A certain small group of individuals are frustrated at seeing an African samurai, some for historical reasons and others for personal biases, and many (Personal attack removed) by some comments on here.

In Japan, Yasuke is a pretty common figure in anime, literature, and video games. He is almost always depicted as a samurai by Japanese people. This true in video games such as Nioh, or on YouTube such as the popular Japanese channel Let’s Ask Shogo in his videos “The 3 Foreign Samurai Who Are Still Famous and Praised Today”

On this article we should write the truth, and the consensus by most historians and Japanese scholars is that he was likely a samurai. The paragraph saying he is not needs to be removed. At the least it needs to be replaced saying there is current discussion. But it should not say he was not a samurai as that is not consensus among most scholars Mmsnjd (talk) 10:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Cite these supossed scholars.

Appeal to concensus does nothing if you don't actually share who is making this concensus. 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 10:55, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Here are some of many articles.

Smithsonian Magazine - This article provides a detailed account of Yasuke’s life and his service as a samurai under Oda Nobunaga. It discusses his possible origins and his unique position in Japanese history as the first Black samurai. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/who-was-yasuke-japans-first-black-samurai-180981416/

Academia.edu - A paper titled “African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, A Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan” offers an academic perspective on Yasuke’s life. It explores his journey from Africa to Japan and his role in the service of Oda Nobunaga, providing historical context and analysis.

https://www.academia.edu/116182001/African_Samurai_The_True_Story_of_Yasuke_A_Legendary_Black_Warrior_in_Feudal_Japan

History News Network - An article by Warren A. Stanislaus, a PhD candidate in modern Japanese history, discusses the significance of Yasuke in Japanese history. It provides insights into his impact and the scholarly debate surrounding his legacy

https://www.hnn.us/article/the-significance-of-yasuke-the-black-samurai Mmsnjd (talk) 11:04, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

@Mmsnjd We have already discussed those sources and they were deemed unreliable, but I can discuss them one by one if you wish.

As for the Smithsonian, you can refer to the above discussion "Information Sanctity" where it was deemed unreliable. It is pop press written by a reporter, and not someone who has studied the subject. It also uses Lockley as its source, which has also been discussed twice above, and was also deemed unreliable years ago.

As for your Acamedia article, did you even take the time to read past the title? It's a link to a history books review by Roger W. Purdy. It actually talks about why Lockley's book on the subject is unreliable. He was even quoted in an above discussion as to why we shouldn't use Lockley in this article.

Again, pop press article that uses Lockley as its sole source. Your second link actually is quite useful here because it says why this article should also not be used here, as it uses an unreliable source.

As I said earlier, please provide RELIABLE evidence or don't, but stop spamming a thousand pop articles based on an unreliable book. You are free to contest as to why Thomas Lockley is reliable but that's another discussion, beside the fact you accidentally provided articles claiming the opposite (because you would rather fight your ideological war than actually search for the truth). 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 11:39, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I am Japanese. Yasuke is not a samurai. He is depicted as one sometimes in fiction because it is entertaining, but that is all. Claiming that it is true is nothing more than (Personal attack removed) cultural appropriation. 27.84.15.217 (talk) 11:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

He quite literally was. The historical records of the time explicitly say as such. Also don't lie, that IP address is American. Hawkatana (talk) 14:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"The historical records of the time explicitly say as such"

Then I guess it wouldn't be hard for you to provide any evidence to back up that claim? Otherwise, go spread your lies elsewhere 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:13, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The ones explicitly on the page. There, that was the easiest thing ever. Hawkatana (talk) 14:19, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Amazing. You can't point to anything. I don't know what you try to achieve but any third party reading this can see that you refuse to provide any source but care enough to post multiple times, clearly showing you have no interest in telling the truth (beside also being wrong about the IP address from what I can see) 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

So pointing to evidence... isn't pointing to evidence? I don't think you understand how this works. Hawkatana (talk) 14:26, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Stop you're cluttering the page, if you have any source cite it please, all information points towards him just being a retainer not a Samurai. If you really want something maybe he could be addressed as a "Bushi" or Warrior but even that seems off due to him only allegedly fighting one time during Honne-ji incident. Otherwise the page will stay stating he was just a retainer, probably after some rework on the sandbox and the trolls get tired. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 14:24, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"Koshō/koshou" dosen't equal "Samurai".

They are different classifications on the social order that indicate different things. 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:97C:88A7:39D5:F9E0 (talk) 14:28, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I literally pointed them to the exact place where the evidence is. On that note, don't accuse me of "cluttering the page" when he (and also you) are doing the same thing. Hawkatana (talk) 14:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You didn't put any link, you just kept saying "I pointed it out there" we're not in person saying that isn't even helpful, again if you don't have anything please just leave you already got some of your replies marked as "Unhelpful" because you're just here not doing anything to provide something substantial. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 18:26, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Unhelpful.

The IP address is not American, it belongs to KDDI in Japan. Abandonee (talk) 14:21, 16 May 2024 (UTC) No it doesn't. That's a very blatantly American IP address. Hawkatana (talk) 14:27, 16 May 2024 (UTC) And how did you come to this conclusion? https://whois-referral.toolforge.org/gateway.py?lookup=true&ip=27.84.15.217 https://www.robtex.com/ip-lookup/27.84.15.217 https://whatismyipaddress.com/ip/27.84.15.217 https://db-ip.com/27.84.15.217 https://bgp.he.net/ip/27.84.15.217#_whois https://ipinfo.io/27.84.15.217 Abandonee (talk) 14:32, 16 May 2024 (UTC) I think it's useless to attempt to discuss with @Hawkatana, it will just further clutter the page. They don't seem to care about the truth. They have constantly refused to back any of their claims with any evidence. It's good to counter their lies with a comment to avoid third parties being tricked but any further discussion seems sterile. 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC) The word "lies" is doing some herculean legwork there. Hawkatana (talk) 14:45, 16 May 2024 (UTC) Well, you can always disprove that by showing those supposed sources at your fingerprint, but you won't. I wonder why 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:48, 16 May 2024 (UTC) You know, except for the fact that I did. Multiple times, even. Hawkatana (talk) 14:56, 16 May 2024 (UTC) I wish. You're always free to stop lying though. I'm always open on looking at new information if you change your mind 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC) There you go again by using the word "lying" to mean its literal opposite. Hawkatana (talk) 15:06, 16 May 2024 (UTC) Can you provide any reliable source to back up these claims? This has been discussed many times already and the current consensus here is that there is no evidence of him receiving the title or rank of samurai. You are free to provide things to prove the opposite but you have failed to provide any for now. You can't expect us to rewrite history because you asked nicely.

In Japan, Yasuke is a pretty common figure in anime, literature, and video games. He is almost always depicted as a samurai by Japanese people. This true in video games such as Nioh, or on YouTube such as the popular Japanese channel Let’s Ask Shogo in his videos “The 3 Foreign Samurai Who Are Still Famous and Praised Today”

This is also totally irrelevant. A youtube channel and video games as your source for him being a samurai? Seriously?

On this article we should write the truth, and the consensus by most historians and Japanese scholars is that he was likely a samurai. The paragraph saying he is not needs to be removed. At the least it needs to be replaced saying there is current discussion. But it should not say he was not a samurai as that is not consensus among most scholars

You are free to consult the previous discussions where these claims have been discussed. Yasuke was never referred to as a samurai, no primary source ever mentioned him receiving that title. If you are right though, it shouldn't be hard to find actual relevant papers claiming the contrary, but please avoid sending untrustworthy ones such as entertainment or literary works. If you send actual reliable papers, then we can discuss but you have failed to do so for now. 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 11:08, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I will look to provide further sources but for clarity, no one is look to “rewrite” history. More than anything, I believe the article would be most accurate without having a very opinionated and lacking credible sources saying boldly that he was not Samurai. As many here have mentioned already, a paragraph saying it’s open to discussion is much more genuine to reality. We can’t ignore the potential reasons why that specific paragraph was written, but moving past that, the genuine truth is that it’s open for discussion and not a conslusive fact that he wasn’t a samauria Mmsnjd (talk) 11:19, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There is literally only one source we have and he's not called "Samurai" in it.

So, no, you ARE indeed trying to rewrite history. 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 11:34, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

No there is not literally one. Here are some contemporary sources from the time of Yasuke.

1: Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga (Shinchōkōki)

2: Letter from Luis Frois, April 14, 1581

3: Letter from Lorenzo Mesia, October 8, 1581

4: Matsudaira Ietada's Diary, Tenshō 10, fourth month:

Nineteenth [May 11, 1582]

5: Luis Frois' report to Jesuit Society, November 5, 1582

These are all accounts of Yasuke from that time period. I don’t know what “one” source your are referring to but these are a few contemporary sources. Since you believe there is “one” source I don’t know if you review these contemporary accounts but they all talk about Yasuke, some about the wages he was paid, others of his life with Oda, others of his surrender of his sword. 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:43, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

He was talking about Yasuke's title as a samurai which was never discussed in any of the contemporary writings. No one here claims Yasuke did not exist 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 11:46, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That would be at best a single sentence reading something like "Yasuke might or might not have been a samurai but no sources can confirm or deny that he was." which seems rather superfluous. Yvan Part (talk) 11:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You should provide Japanese historian's opinions,not clearly politicaly biased from people with an agenda like the Smithsonian. 2A02:587:550E:100:693E:B07:E37A:D231 (talk) 11:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That Smithsonian article was also written by a journalist who has no background in studying history. Its only source was Lockley's book on the subject, which was deemed too unreliable for this article years ago. @Mmsnjd actually provided a source backing the claim that book is unreliable, because he has clear ideological motivations, and has no interest in reading the links he provide. 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 11:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Content within the above mentioned sources:

Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga (Shinchōkōki):

2nd Month 23rd Day [March 27, 1581]. A black monk* came from the Christian countries. He looks about 26-7 of age and his entire body black as a cow. He's body is really well-built, and furthermore has the strength of over ten men. The padre brought him here to see Lord Nobunaga.

I'm really grateful to be able to see such rare things among the three countries that's never been seen before, and in in such detail, all thanks to Lord Nobunaga's great influence. 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:45, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Letter from Luis Frois, April 14, 1581:

The Monday after Easter, Nobunaga was in the capital, but a great number of people gathered in front of our casa to see the cafre [black slave], creating such a ruckus that people were hurt and almost died from thrown rocks. Even though we had lots of guards at the gates, it was difficult holding people back from breaking it down. They all say if we showed for money, one would easily earn in a short time 8,000 to 10,000 cruzado. Nobunaga also wanted to see him, and so sent for him, so Padre Organtino brought him. With great fuss, he couldn't believe this was the natural colour and not by human means, so ordered him to take off all his clothes above his belt. Nobunaga's sons also called him over, and everyone was very happy. Nobunaga's nephew the current commander of Ōsaka also saw this and was so happy he gave him 10,000 coins. 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:46, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Luis Frois' report to Jesuit Society, November 5, 1582:

And the cafre the Visitador [Alessandro Valignano] gave to Nobunaga on his request, after his death went to the mansion of his heir and fought there for a long time, but when one of Akechi's vassals got close and asked him give up his sword, he handed it over. The vassals went and asked Akechi what to do with the cafre, he said the cafre is like an animal and knows nothing, and he's not Japanese so don't kill him and give him to the church of the Indian padre. With this we were a bit relieved. 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:47, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This is irrelevant to the discussion, we are discussing his rank as a samurai, not if he has existed or not. Please, read carefully the subject before posting.

Beside, you don't need to rewrite your sources here, you can provide a link for everyone to consult. This is just adding unnecessary blot to the discussion. Just provide a link instead of writing every individual letter here. You can write some excerpts of it though. 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 11:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Will do that in the future. Thank you 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:56, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Calling everyone (Personal attack removed) who demands to stay with the fact that Yasuke by all we know was NOT a samurai is extremely disgusting here on Wikipedia. You can believe whatever you want, but don't challenge differing viewpoints by ad homines.

People take issue with 3 things:

1.) Yasuke being framed as a samurai and changing historical facts, which would create an extremely dangerous precedent (relevant for Wikipedia)

2.) Ubisoft changing the originally plannd story featuring a Japanese hero to using literally the only black person back then, basically erasing Japanese representation. THAT is actual racism, to deny Japanese gamers to play as a Japanese hero ('b-but there's a female Japanese heroine!' - Syndicate, Odyssey and the Viking one had no issue featuring 2 heroes from the setting's country). There probably will now never be an Assassin's Creed-game featuring a Japanese hero. (not relevant for Wikipedia)

3.) The immense hypocrisy from (Personal attack removed). Had Ubisoft announced a game set in central Africa with a white hero amidst all-black npcs, THEY would be outraged and harass Ubisoft to change the game. (not relevant for Wikipedia)

Since this is Wikipedia, let's focus on 1). We should all be able to agree that it's utmost important to protect facts, even if some people are hurt by that, right? 178.24.249.92 (talk) 11:47, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Unhelpful

Sounds like you are the person with agenda, as 2 of your points very opinionated and completely irrelevant rants about a video game. We’re discussing history and the article in Wikipedia. I don’t think your personal grief that Yasuke was chosen as a samurai on a video game is not helpful or relevant at all. For all the talks about agendas, this is a very clear example of one 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC) Thank you for showing us what’s behind your discussion and your agenda. 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC) And it seems like facts might not be your main focus. Since most people that read the facts, as shown by most creíble articles and books on Yasuke, conclude he was a samurai. But I don’t think any facts except for an explicit mention of the word “samurai” would satisfy (it was rare to even attach this title in this period to people, even acknowledged samurai from today) 2603:8080:C400:2162:8057:616F:DC56:73C7 (talk) 11:54, 16 May 2024 (UTC) No, they don't. They call him koshō not "samurai". 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 11:58, 16 May 2024 (UTC) You are just as ideological as the person you are answering to. You are free to provide any reliable source about him being a samurai. For now, none of you have provided anything beside pop press articles and a book that was discussed here and deemed unreliable years ago. You are free to provide any source but please, read again the discussion here, because the same articles keep being presented and rejected. 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 11:58, 16 May 2024 (UTC) Yeah, it's almost like zi myself wrote un brackets 'not relevant for Wikipedia'. You're the one pushing an agenda here, friend. 178.24.249.92 (talk) 14:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Regarding Yasuke’s Social Status as SAMURAI

Koshō (小姓) and Kashindan (家臣団): Koshō (小姓) refers to attendants in Japan, typically young samurai in training who served high-ranking officials. Their duties often included personal service, such as carrying messages, assisting with daily routines, and providing security.

Kashindan (家臣団), on the other hand, was an institution comprised of the retainers (kashin) of a shogun or daimyo. This institution played a significant role in the feudal hierarchy of Japan, evolving into a distinct class of samurai. Notably, during the Sengoku period, Oda Nobunaga’s kashindan became prominent as a highly organized and loyal group of retainers who contributed to his military and administrative power.

The distinction between koshō and kashindan is essential in understanding historical ranks and roles. For instance, Yasuke, the African samurai who served Oda Nobunaga, is often mistakenly referred to as a koshō. However, Yasuke’s status and the reverence he received suggest he held a more significant position. While there is some debate over Yasuke's exact rank, it is clear he was not a typical koshō nor part of the kashindan. Instead, Yasuke is often celebrated as a samurai and, in some narratives, revered as a demi-god due to his extraordinary presence and service.

Overly simplified: retainer whos not samurai = kosho

Retainer who IS samurai = kashindan

Whether he is or isnt a samurai is up to interpretation. But in my humble opinion i think he MIGHT have been considering he was given land and a ceremonial sword. Is it not clear enough? Prophesized Savant (talk) 12:38, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Beside the clearly AI generated opening paragraphs, this kind of joke/bait/troll post is really not something that Wikipedia needs. This is just adding unnecessary blot to the talk section. 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 12:49, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It's not AI, he's clearly explaining the difference between Koshō and Kashindan and why it's relevant to this topic. 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 12:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You know what would great? A source. 81.170.216.212 (talk) 12:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25066328 2A0C:5A80:3C04:F400:4001:D069:D6A:8C0F (talk) 12:55, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I don't see anything relevant to his post in that article. If I missed it, you can always point to the exact excerpt. I doubt there is anything though 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 13:01, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"Instead, Yasuke is often celebrated as a samurai and, in some narratives, revered as a demi-god due to his extraordinary presence and service."

Does this really look serious to you? What he has written is clearly a troll post. And if it's not, I would love to have a source but I doubt that will happen 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 13:04, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You think it's a troll post? it's hard to tell. and if anything that makes it all the worse.

some people are dead serious with the craziest of lies and i've seen exactly that on other topics. some of them ten years old on this and all the evidence comes to the contrary. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:38, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Ill source it you dont worry. Not trolling Prophesized Savant (talk) 13:37, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

With what? how? and in what narrative?

we're here to deal in facts. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:39, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I think we all know why.

Good lord it's the same reason why critical theorists and Destantis are not liked. And it's for very good reason. people want to fudge up history and facts to suit some sort of purpose. Even if it is for the best intentions, it's still nefarious.

Good intentions lead to a hot hot place. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:46, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"The hand that holds the pen writes history."

100% it's nefarious. I bet you this is a battle as old as time. It's just never been as obvious as it is present day. 92.33.159.103 (talk) 14:34, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Gramsci. Critical race theory.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/12/24/nytr-d24.html even the world socialist website have spoken out against Critical Theory. and "different ways of knowing".

If you read between the lines of Gramcsi and the other efforts touted by some radicals it will make sense.

there's a reason people rail against a certian W word. or Political correctness because even Zizek calls it out. At least when the traditional jerk tries to censor they just identify what they don't like and who they don't like and put the hammer on them. the second kind guilts you in to compliance. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:46, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

and we all know how untrustworthy AIs are. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 13:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I made the 3 first paragraphs go through some AI detection website and got 100% AI while I couldn't break 10% with other comments. This is either a joke or clear malicious intent. 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 13:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

it is weird they're not putting this artical on semi protected. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:47, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

To clarify, the article is protected. I was actually talking about the original comment written by @Prophesized Savant. Most of his post is written by an AI, which is also why he cannot provide any source for his claims 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

yeah unless they provide sources for the second part. they said they could.

but if SOME HOW they're telling the truth i'd LOVE to see it. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:58, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

AI is going to be the end of us with how it lies.

Google Gemini being the most notable offender but they're all bad. it's malicious to lie. but if you dare say that Yasuke isn't a samurai or anything then you MUST be against BIPOC.

i keep telling you. there's a reason why people rail against a certain political camp MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:50, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

AI does indeed show a clear bias. If you make it take an online political test, it will show a clear bias, which is why it's not a valid source, in addition to the fact it hallucinates facts and informations on many occasions 2A02:2788:1094:8D:E80E:3BD1:F77E:67F6 (talk) 14:54, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

yep. and people were called insane for it. MisteOsoTruth (talk) 14:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Japanese Documentaries/TV Series that talk about him being Samurai

I dont know if both helps about being sources, but there has two documentaries and TV series, one made by NHK and another by TBS that talks about the links of him being a samurai, TBS one was from 2013 and NHK one was from 2021

Also have a Mainichi Shimbum news article about him around the same time as NHK Documentary Meganinja202 (talk) 15:54, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Documentaries are not hold to the same ethics or standards to journalism. Any documentary whatsoever is reliable to be used as reference.

This would be the same as using the Netflix documentary over Cleopatra as reliable source because someone's grandma said it so.

They are for entertainment. Unless you believe the Big Foot to be real you probably didn't hold documentaries as reliable in your past as well.

If you whiling to believe that some specific documentary has valuable information you are free to search the sources they used and pass on here. Even better if the source can be traced back to a valuable evidence to this conversation. 2804:1B3:ADC0:8744:59F2:26E2:A900:B0F1 (talk) 16:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Any documentary whatsoever is *not* reliable to be used as reference. 2804:1B3:ADC0:8744:59F2:26E2:A900:B0F1 (talk) 16:12, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"If you whiling to believe that some specific documentary has valuable information you are free to search the sources they used and pass on here. Even better if the source can be traced back to a valuable evidence to this conversation."

This why i am posting this on first place, so it can lead somehere, as documentaries tend to cite stuffs or have well known scolars on it Meganinja202 (talk) 16:35, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Establish a clear distinction between Bushi and Samurai

For those who don't study Japanese history, it should be established that the Japanese language is highly contextual, where the same kanji symbols can mean different things based off of how they're pronounced as an example. Samurai, Bushi, and Ashigaru are terms that have been used interchangeably in the Japanese language, but they mean different things based off of the context. It would not be fair at all to use modern, loose definitions of "samurai" when they do not apply in its historical usage of the term.

It's already been said in this Talk Page that the concept of bushi and samurai are very distinct, but I don't think it offers enough explanation for those unfamiliar with the system. Therefore I think it should be a mission for Wikipedia to solidify this distinction by using the strict definitions that are based off of the historical tradition of the Japanese nobility during this time.

To be more clear: The warrior aristocratic class known as the samurai began to rise in power with the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under the Minamoto lineage. Every single clan claims to be a descendant of an imperial lineage, whether it be the Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara, or smaller noble families like the Tachibana. This goes the same for samurai as well: The most popular example of a peasant becoming a samurai, Toyotomi Hideyoshi well established himself as a trusted retainer of Oda Nobunaga after the Battle of Okehazama and was given many privileges, but Nobunaga had never made him a "samurai". He officially became a samurai when he married his wife One, who came from a Minamoto background.

A "samurai" is not a rank. It is a social class, and there are plenty of examples of lords and samurai, such as Imagawa Yoshimoto, who did not practice martial arts extensively like warriors would typically do. Imagawa Yoshimoto was very well versed with practicing renga poetry and mastering tea ceremony, and spent little time on martial arts.

There seems to be no actual example of a warrior being "promoted" to samurai anywhere; even William Adams could be argued as not actually being a samurai, because he was given the rank of Hatamoto, which is more of a rank than a social status like how a samurai is, and also that the Japanese woman he married was not from any noble lineage (And this is particularly the case following Toyotomi Hideyoshi who ironically made it harder for peasants to rise to the status of samurai). Arguably - unless they have been adopted into a samurai lineage or married someone from that lineage (I can only speak for Yasuke and William Adams, let me know if I'm wrong on others) - "foreign born samurai" have never existed; they were all "bushi".

Fiefdom isn't enough to consider someone a samurai either, jizamurai (name is confusing of course) are land-owning "peasant" warriors, specifically warriors who are NOT samurai, these people were still subjects to samurai above them. If we want to get technical, William Adams would be considered a jizamurai, but not a samurai. It doesn't matter how many privileges you are given, how much you are paid, or how much land you have, you can't be a samurai unless you are part of a samurai lineage.

William Adams is a particular case because from what I know, the Japanese don't seem to care for him either just like they do with Yasuke, at least before 2020. The thing with Yasuke is that he only became mainstream since 2020/2021 which is where all this sparked interest came from, and then the pop articles that claim he was a "samurai" when he was not. Unless there is any proof that Yasuke had married a Japanese noble woman, he cannot and will not ever be considered "samurai", no matter how many battles hes in, the most he can claim is "bushi", same case for William Adams.

The reason why this matters so much is because the Japanese feudal system was obsessed with ancestral claims and ties, and titles that they could claim based off of that. Ieyasu changed his surname from Matsudaira to Tokugawa so he could claim to be a descendant from the Niita clan, a legendary clan that destroyed the Hojo regents and paved the way for the Ashikaga to take control. This was so he could have a stronger claim on the title of Mikawa-no-kami or "Lord of Mikawa [Province]".

The imperial court, despite being weakened during this period, was still very influential and that never really went away; these clans relied on the imperial court to give them these prestigious titles to further their own legitimacy, and sometimes they had to change names, be adopted into influential families (Toyotomi Hideyoshi threatened the Konoe clan of their destruction if they did not adopt him, he did this so he could claim Kampaku, the "Emperor's Chief Advisor" or regent), or make political marriages. The imperial court may not have had military power to back up demands, but they had the de jure legitimacy for it as backed by the Emperor.

The idea that the social structure fell apart during the Sengoku period is blatantly made up. It's simply the result of the conflation of the word "samurai" in place of the word "bushi", which are both synonymous but also distinct in the Japanese language. It is partially the fault of the Japanese language for being a very convoluted language, but it is also the fault of the English language for not recognizing this as such. These words have meanings and cannot be changed to fit a narrative.

Therefore, I ask that it be a mission for Wikipedia to make these two terms distinct in order to establish the true nature of our understanding of Japanese history, much of it is incredibly misunderstood in the English language and this is just one of many examples. Hexenakte (talk) 16:05, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This is interesting, but this is not the article where this should be settled as it's an article about a historical figure, not the terms themselves. I see that Bushi (warrior) is a redirect to samurai, and the Bushi disambiguation page describes bushi as "the Japanese word for 'warrior' often used to refer to Samurai". If you were to post this at Talk:Samurai you would probably get more insightful responses. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 16:16, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Late reply but I did repost it in Talk:Samurai, thanks for the suggestion. Hexenakte (talk) 18:50, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

"The thing with Yasuke is that he only became mainstream since 2020/2021 which is where all this sparked interest came from "

FYI There has lots of stuffs before 2020 that talks about he being samurai or about a black samurai being a thing, as i mentioned few mins ago there has a TBS TV Series from 2013 that talks about Yasuke being a Samurai, there has some books as well, but i was not able to find much beacuse pretty much most of pre-2010 japanese internet is full of lost media and i had foubnd only minor mentions of this material

I wont question about the rest of your point, i just wanted point out that this is not a new thing and predates 2020 stuffs Meganinja202 (talk) 16:30, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I will reiterate, I was referring to mainstream thought, and it is evident by the activity increase in this talk page since 2021 that it has become more mainstream over time. I was not discrediting any media sources made prior to 2020/2021. Hexenakte (talk) 17:17, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

A simple glance uptopic will demonstrate that there's been a steady stream of SPAs and anon IPs going back eighteen years now, and almost all of them doing their level best to discredit or downplay this otherwise obscure historical figure. I'm sure I don't need to belabor why they've been so heavily invested in doing so, but it's pretty tiresome. Ravenswing 16:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yea, its getting tiresome indeed, I had been avoid anything about it, but decided give my two cents beacuse it envolved wiki and want to help so this edit sengoku (can we call this edit war as it?) can finsh as soon as possible

Its just ironic that ja-jp wiki hasnt even close of this being a controversy as it seems to be here Meganinja202 (talk) 17:05, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

because people oftentimes don't like seeing things that break the norm. This being a perfect example of it. 𝙴𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝙴𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚛 (talk) 18:08, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This is something I would agree with, the problem with the Yasuke page is people were getting upset and getting defensive with the facts that Yasuke wasn't a Samurai, Talking about Williams his role as a diplomat and shogun's advisor arguably put more weight on him as a "Samurai" AND there is an actual book that can assert he got the title of "Samurai" by Tokugawa in this book meanwhile Yasuke's stories bearly have him doing anything meaningful pretty much he just chilled for like 15 months on Japan before the Honno-ji incident or of weight much less any record of anyone naming him a "Samurai" there is a CLEAR difference in these two, the problem here isn't videogames is the facts that need to remain faithfull and accurate, it doesn't matter what some denier wants to believe about a Yasuke was. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 17:03, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Addendum, sure Samurais became more, for a lack of a better word, political because the infighting in Japan subdued during the Edo period (obviously the battle of Sekigahara happened but it was a transitioning to a more Japan focused in itslef as a country entering the Meijin restoration approx 286 year after) and the Meijin Era where Japan starts to get involve with a few different countries. But in any case the point still stands that it was clear who had the Samurai title. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 17:16, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The warrior aristocratic class came from nobles, who were not necessarily warriors during the Heian period, and all have ties to Emperors which they claim to be a descendant from. This only came about when the Imperial Court was weakened and the rise of the Kamakura Shogunate which put more importance on warrior rule, so the imperial clans of Minamoto, Taira, and (somewhat) Fujiwara are what determines who is part of this class. I say somewhat because the Fujiwara are closer to becoming court nobles than warriors (and therefore considered more prestigious before the Tokugawa shogunate?), but many samurai clans claim to be a descendant of the Fujiwara so it is not unheard of.

Just to note: the Minamoto claim to have originated from Emperor Seiwa, where clans such as Tokugawa, Ashikaga, and Imagawa claim to be part of; this is considered the most "warrior" of the three. The Taira claim Emperor Kanmu as their origin, with clans such as Oda, Hatakeyama, and Nagao claim. And the Fujiwara claim special imperial rule to have descended from their god Ame-no-Koyane established by Fujiwara no Kamatari, and and was mainly dominated by aristocrat families rather than clans, but clans do claim to be related to the Fujiwara, like Oda, Toyotomi, and Tokugawa most notably. So you can imagine that yes, the nobility part matters a lot in what determines who is a samurai. These aren't particularly the most difficult to achieve since these lineages can be quite large, and you can marry into it, but it is still noble by nature. Hexenakte (talk) 17:32, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The thing is, there has facts apointing he was close enough with Nobunaga to be considered one, he had books at time pointing how he had faught directly in wars and also faught for his life after the Honno-ji incident, also historical records also show that he was given honour swords by Oda, considered by many a important step to become a samurai.

Most of responses agnaist the "He was a samurai" argument is mostly "He was just a dog that carried a stick around" or some variation of that, this vision is also FAR from truth as historical accounts point that he was very engaged among the Japanese during that time, hell there has even a suposed paint of him fighting sumo, a sport that that time was considered a royalty sport

Lets not mistake, there has pretty much a another side among the "Yasuke Samurai denialism" that only want to straight up force their vision of what they consider "history" to fill a modern political narrative about Japan that is far away from truth and more very akin to the noble salvage at that time. Meganinja202 (talk) 17:30, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The idea of Yasuke fighting in battles and being given special stipends is irrelevant to his status as a samurai. Material wealth and battle experience is not what determines who is samurai as I already have outlined above, it is first and foremost a social class and that alone. They tend to be skilled warriors, but not always (see Imagawa Yoshimoto). You can theoretically make a general out of a peasant and he would still be considered a non-samurai (see William Adams). There's a reason why Toyotomi Hideyoshi went through great lengths to be adopted into the Konoe family, because without that he would have never gotten the title of Kampaku. These things matter, especially in a feudal context, where claims of ancestry to important and noble figures is everything in a political sense. You cannot simply just rise to the warrior class through battle, you have to be related to the noble lineages that are part of it. There is not a single warrior who rose to the status of samurai for his fighting, it all began with the nobles.

Because of this its extremely inappropriate to refer to Yasuke as a samurai, because he never had the noble ties to become one, whether through adoption or marriage. Hexenakte (talk) 17:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Adding onto this, the typical way this would go is that if a warrior does become notable through battle, they can use that influence to leverage themselves into a noble family, whether through adoption or marriage. But it hinges on whether they do that or not. They could use military power or wealth to threaten or buy themselves into a family, but again, that relies on them actually making that act, which Toyotomi Hideyoshi did. Hexenakte (talk) 17:53, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

In this sense i do agree with the attachemnt with royalty, but how about the people that fighted in wars (besides Yauske) and used that armors that people nowadays seems to call as samurai? Isnt the same thing like Shinobi and Ninja, where they had earned a more recent wording and meaning among Westerns and Japanese that is different from what used to be in the past?

The issue here (besides politics) seems to be more about what people nowadays sees a samurai, even if was other person than Yasuke, the debate samurai vs not samurai would continue beacuse of what people nowadays seems what a samurai is or isnt. Meganinja202 (talk) 17:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This is unfortunately because of the modern representation and view of what a samurai is, and also the conflation of the terms "samurai" and "bushi" are often merged in the English language. The people saying that Yasuke is not a samurai are correct but for the wrong reasons, being a retainer isn't a reason why he isn't a samurai, it's because he never was part of a noble family. And unfortunately new dictionary definitions like Merriam Webster who now use a more loose definition alongside their secondary definition "a military retainer of a Japanese daimyo practicing the code of conduct of Bushido", this is just wrong, because there was no codified honor code for samurai until the Edo period, and it often varied by clan on what they considered honorable. Not only that but that disregards the most important aspect, the class part.

Just because we have new definitions for these words doesn't mean that changes the historical meaning of the term used in that context. It's why he's never referred to as a samurai in any of the primary sources. They don't even call him a bushi (warrior), they are often very brief and almost insignificant. The only recorded incident where he actually fought is Luis Frois' stating that he fought in Honno-ji but gave up his sword after, where Akechi says his famous words that "[he] is a beast and knows nothing," which most Japanese are familiar with most. This isn't a commentary about race, it's just a statement of the facts of how Yasuke was viewed during his time. There is a similar sentiment held with William Adams, it is apparent that the Japanese were not impressed with the original miniseries of Shogun from the 80s, so this mainly has to do with misunderstanding of what a samurai actually entails. Hexenakte (talk) 18:08, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

From what you talking, i think that we should use the word "Warrior" or "Sengoku Warrior" instead of Samurai, it fits closely the meaning of Bushi you had been trying to explain, explaining to average reader the difference between a royal fighter and a non-royal fighter

Also use Warrior or variants, instead of Bushi, would avoid the confusion with Bushido Code you had mentioned Meganinja202 (talk) 18:18, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I think this would be a good start, but I feel like it needs to be more clear that it is "non-samurai" but also not "peasant soldier" like how ashigaru are viewed. Retainer, Bushi, Ashigaru, etc. seem to be insufficient in driving this point, so it needs to be less vague and more concise in my opinion. Hexenakte (talk) 18:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I dont think that retainer should be used (in Yasuke case) since it is often used as way to imply by evil intentioned people to dehumaize/downplay him and imply that he was "only a pet animal that carries sword around", this also wasnt the case

I think that "Warrior" or any similar should be used for the lack of a better term, or at least his millitary rank in Japanese with a article about the rank that shows that he was high ranked even if wasnt propperly a SamuraI and shown why was seem as important and even as "samurai" even if really wasnt

Otherwise, i cant find a alternate middle-ground between the historical vision of what a samurai is with a modern vision of what a samurai is from avg reader Meganinja202 (talk) 18:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There's no title to go by, since none is mentioned in the primary sources. Attendant would describe him best, since he carried Nobunaga's tools sometimes. Even attendants fought in battles, they are not strictly non-combatative.

Now the issue with actual warriors who do it as a job, the terminology is still problematic if we're not going to use the samurai and bushi distinction. Bushi still means warrior and Samurai is the warrior class, so I still see it causing some confusion. Hexenakte (talk) 19:18, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Woah what? Retainer is literally the thin we got the most certainty, retainer absolutely should be included, I'd debate the "warrior" part because it just not state it anywhere other than that Honne-ji's incident written by Froi's and the language in japanese as far as my understanding goes doesn't even specify who went to Nobota's castle it just states "黒人奴隷が" which just translates to black slave, no specification what so ever. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 20:54, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Technically retainer is the most certainty, you are correct. The issue of the matter mostly lies with people affiliating all retainers as samurai, since they overlap a lot. Same with Bushi, that overlaps with Samurai. Attendant is the most correct term for Yasuke and doesn't seem to overlap, it drives the point forward, especially since he had no title and no proof that he was a warrior, even in his incident at Honno-ji.

The problem is going forward, with bushi non-samurai being referred to as samurai and so on, like William Adams (I talked about him above). Bushi is too closely connected to samurai and most people assume they are the same thing when they aren't. This entire talk page is evident of that, and it leads to back and forth arguing over semantics that they don't clearly understand. I think because of this it is necessary for the English language to discern the words Bushi and Samurai distinctly, since Bushi refers to all warriors who do it as a job, and Samurai refers to the hereditary noble warrior caste. There needs to be an effort to minimize mixing these terms up as the same thing when they aren't.

William Adams is still thought of as a samurai, despite having no nobility ties to any family. His Japanese wife is not from a noble family, and his rank given by Tokugawa Ieyasu "Hatamoto", is just precisely that, a rank. He was given a fief of 250 koku which is admittedly a generous amount, however land ownership doesn't make someone a samurai, as evidence by the fact that jizamurai refers to land-owning peasant warriors.

In other words the distinction is incredibly important to make and the longer that this is allowed the more damage is going to be done to understanding Japanese history. Whether that be with distinctly calling someone a Bushi or another term that doesn't overlap with Samurai but also doesn't suggest they are a peasant warrior either, i.e. ashigaru. It's funny because I read once that Akechi Mitsuhide was referred to as an ashigaru when he was a general, so it gets really confusing for English. Hexenakte (talk) 21:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That point with William Adams is what people are getting at. If William Adams is counted as a samurai, despite not being adopted or marrying into a noble family, which many people do, then Yasuke should also count as one as well. Theozilla (talk) 21:28, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The thing is, he isn't a samurai, it's conflated just like Yasuke. He was given the rank of hatamoto, which is a highly trusted retainer title for the Tokugawa shogunate, but it's nothing indicative of being a samurai. It's a rank. I do see the arguments that Adams has a much stronger claim to being a samurai, but the fact is it either has to be one way or the other. There's no meeting in the middle, there is nothing arbitrary, it has to be directly tied to a noble family. Privileges, stipend, and battle experience are not arguments for determining who is a samurai. Hexenakte (talk) 21:34, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

And this is the crux of issue, not every historian is in consensus with your narrower definition of samurai requiring a direct tie (birth, adoption, marriage) to nobility to be categorized a samurai. Japanese figures like Katakura Kojuro, or Konishi Yukinaga and the entire Kuroda Clan are categorized as samurai despite not having those types of direct ties. The precedent for the broader standard is well-established. Theozilla (talk) 21:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Other "historians" can suggest whatever they want, but the fact of the matter is that in every recorded case where this specific circumstance arises, it always leads to them joining a noble family. This is how feudal politics work, you may not like that but that's the reality. Toyotomi Hideyoshi is the example that is brought up a lot and historians specifically say he was not a samurai when he was under Nobunaga, he was an ashigaru and sandal bearer, a very prestigious title, but nonetheless it doesn't make him a samurai. He can only be considered a samurai when he marries his wife, One, in 1561. If you cannot come up with an individual that goes against this condition that is repeated very, very often, then there is no more to be said. This isn't based off of what was considered "fair", it's reality. A lot of Japanese warriors never become a samurai in their lifetime, in spite of how much they contribute. Hexenakte (talk) 22:00, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Checking the Katakura Clan, they claim to be descendants of Fujiwara no Toshito. Nothing more to be said, they got the claims.

For Konishi Yukinaga, the earliest point in which he became a samurai was when he was adopted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and used the Toyotomi surname. I'm unable to find his stay in Ukita and if he became a samurai then, but nevertheless he has the claim by the time he's under Toyotomi since Toyotomi was considered a samurai by then.

The claims for the Kuroda Clan are a bit shifty, claims of forgery and that they were actually descendant from the Fujiwara clan, it's difficult to say without a more elaborate analysis, but if they do originate from the Fujiwara, they would definitely be samurai. Hexenakte (talk) 22:14, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The fact that people like Williams Adams or Konishi Yukinaga are consistently called samurai despite not directly becoming part of a noble family are the examples that show that condition isn’t the universal standard definition. Theozilla (talk) 22:18, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

That's the fault of the English language conflating the two terms, not cause of the Japanese terms itself. They were never called Samurai (侍), usually it is Bushi (武士), these terms mean different things. I don't know why you keep bringing up "well people say this...", that's not the point, they're wrong if they say that. Just cause they are called samurai by most people's understanding doesn't mean it's true. That's why I started this entire section in the first place. Hexenakte (talk) 22:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Made a mistake, Konishi Yukinaga would be considered one since he had the Toyotomi surname, mainly referring to William Adams here. Hexenakte (talk) 22:24, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Konishi Yukinaga was already considered a samurai before he was given the right to use the Toyotomi surname though.

Anyways the greater point is that the conflation and broadening of the term samurai didn’t occur exclusively in English, the broader usage occurs in Japanese as well.

Like the fact of the matter is that there is a broader more informal and colloquial definition of samurai that is recognized and used. Thus referring to individuals like Yasuke, Williams Adams, Yukinaga (before he was granted surname rights), and other non-samurai family nobility as “samurai” isn’t a inaccurate standard practice.

A perfectly accurate description of individuals like Yasuke and Adams would be to say that they were informal samurai vassals/retainers/attendants but never directly became part of any samurai noble families (or granted use of a nobility surname). Theozilla (talk) 22:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

1) Yukinaga was not a samurai during his time with the Ukita clan, a quick look at jp:小西行長 shows them use the term Bushi (武士). It was very likely that Yukinaga was a retainer that was recognized for his prowress which allowed him to be trusted by the Ukita, but this is speculation on my part and there isn't enough information on it for me to know, I'd have to research more about him since I am not very familiar. We can say, however, that when he was given the surname Toyotomi in 1585, that he was officially a "samurai". We should move on from this.

2) Why are you still calling William Adams a samurai? Again, the jp:ウィリアム・アダムス only calls him a Bushi (武士). The only mention of Samurai (侍) is from a title of a book related to him, but that isn't proof that he is one. The specific title he is awarded by Tokugawa Ieyasu is not samurai, but hatamoto (旗本, shogunal retainer). This is omitted from his English page, replaced with the term "samurai", showing that the term samurai in English is conflated while the Japanese language gives us a more clear picture.

3) For fun I decided to look at certain samurai individuals and to avoid using lords to serve as a control point, in the jp:馬場信春 of Baba Noboharu, they omit the term Bushi (武士), but included Samurai Daishō (侍大将 Samurai General, not to be confused with Daishō (大小), "large and small" referring to the tachi/katana and wakizashi pair that samurai must wear). The Baba Clan claims descendant from Minamoto no Nakamasa, so he is a samurai.

Another example, Akiyama Nobutomo jp:秋山虎繁 also omits the word Bushi (武士) in his description, only shown in a reference that covers all of the 24 Takeda Generals. It also omits Samurai (侍), instead referring to him as a Bushō (武将 Military Commander), which is a historical term that is specific to a general. We can say he is a samurai because his father was Akiyama Nobutou, who was a descendant of Takeda Mitsuotomo. He is related directly to the Takeda clan, so that makes him a samurai.

Again. Every single example you find of actual samurai, they always tie to nobility. Because that's the requirement to become one. Hexenakte (talk) 02:06, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Alright we're getting closer, I would say Williams having the title of "Samurai" has at least more weight because of his help on the civil war of Sekigahara, if you want to say his title is worthless I mean sure it is in some capacity because he wasn't from nobility, but it cannot be argued that he was seen as one by the shogun something on the same level as one that cannot be said on Yasuke case (I would love to hear your inside on this), but to be honest it's deviating from the point, we can at least all agree that he was a retainer that should remain in, now talking directly about the "warrior" part, I would be inclined to agree but I'm a part of me doesn't because it just feels like the Japanese never saw him as a warrior nor did he acted as one, from all the writings he seems pretty honest, relaxed & loyal. and I want everyone's input here, do we believe he's worthy of the title of "Warrior" other than because Nobunaga thought of Yasuke as "Exotic" and not because he thought of him as someone who could fight for him? Hopefull Innformer (talk) 21:50, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yasuke would fit most with the title of "Attendant", because he has no title and was not necessarily hired to be a warrior, if any, lack of that being suggested. Hexenakte (talk) 21:54, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Okay at least there a reasonably similarity in the understanding that a retainer very much like Hideyoshi who was carrying Nobunaga's sandals is very similar to our understanding of the word Attendant, right?

Also god, I was glancing at the reddit links and *sigh* I wish I had the energy to argue in some points because it's annoying how this guy confidently saying "Yasuke was an armed soldier" good god uugh. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 22:01, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It's different with Toyotomi since he was distinctively an ashigaru, he was there to fight as a warrior. With Yasuke we cannot tell, so Attendant is the most appropriate based off the information we are given. Hexenakte (talk) 22:16, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I think I found a compromise term to use in place of Bushi. Bujin (武人) refers specifically to warrior, soldier, military man, etc. But it is not conflated with samurai like how Bushi is. What do you think of this? I think it makes a proper middle man term between the peasant warriors and the aristocratic warriors. Hexenakte (talk) 03:03, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Alright this term could work, if it's not conflated with Samurai it seems like a fair middle ground. But still makes me wonder how we're using the word warrior or military man because again we just have stories of Yasuke just haging around and not engaging in any form of training or anything but regardless I would be fine with calling him a Bujin(武人) under Nobunaga. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 05:37, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Do note that I was referring to non-samurai warriors that also aren't peasants as a general rule (for example William Adams). Yasuke would not count for this, I would still call him an attendant. Hexenakte (talk) 05:41, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Oh fascinating that fits Yasuke more appropriately, you're knowledge has been wonderful and super Helpful Hexe I really take my hat off, appreciate it. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 06:03, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I am once again reminding you Wikipedia:No original research. Beyond that, if you look at the dictionary entry for your proposed "Bujin" you'll find that it lists "侍" as a synonym. And on the dictionary page for 侍 you will find that it is a synonym for 武士 (Bushi). This is because ever since the Meiji Period, 武士 and 侍 mean the same thing. Bujin, Samurai, and Bushi, in Modern Japanese usage all mean the same thing. It does not matter if they did or did not historically mean the same thing because Wikipedia is written in modern language. X0n10ox (talk) 00:24, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

WP:NOR "...does not apply to talk pages and other pages which evaluate article content and sources" Marcus Markup (talk) 00:40, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

WP:NOR does apply to articles though. Thibaut (talk) 07:48, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

My mention of WP:NOR was entirely because they are proposing a middle-man category of "Bujin" based on their own beliefs rather than anything relating to a source. X0n10ox (talk) 08:13, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Side note: I've engaged with him some, but it doesn't seem that he's arguing entirely in good faith: at any rate, he's making numerous logical errors and mistaken assumptions. Claiming that 扶持 was somehow only paid to samurai, and that since Yasuke was paid a 扶持 that necessarily implies samurai status; stating that Yasuke "was mobilized and followed Nobunaga on the Takeda campaign of 1582 and remained by Nobunaga's side even after Nobunaga dismissed all his “ordinary soldiers”", implying that Yasuke was thus a soldier of non-ordinary status and somehow that means he must be a samurai; etc. It's a bit frustrating too how many Reddit post-voters are suckered in. Ah, well... ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:03, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

I mean is readdit, I think Hexe showed how he's contradicting himself to what he was saying months ago, but you don't go to reddit to have a "good faith" conversation I think is very known how reddit doesnt' care about that. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 00:26, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

If you were in a clan's Kashindan (which Yasuke was by being a Kosho to Oda Nobunaga), you were considered a samurai. Samurai during the Sengoku Period basically just meant anyone who was in a full-time retainer/vassal/soldier-adjacent position. The idea of samurai as being a rigid military caste that you *had* to be born into is an invention of the Edo Period. Theozilla (talk) 18:23, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for demonstrating that you cannot read. Please go do your own research and show me any single individual who came from a common/peasant background, became a samurai without joining a noble family, and this must be demonstrated with what word and context the Japanese actually used. They don't exist because the entire Japanese feudal system hinges on the influence of the Emperor and his Imperial Court. That goes for all clans. If it didn't matter, then there would've been no reason to spend so much effort trying to claim descendant from influential noble figures to establish more legitimacy. This is the core aspect of any feudal society, especially demonstrated in Europe as well.

Also on another note, there is not a single primary source that says that Yasuke is a Kashindan, this is made up. There is no primary source that says he is a weapons bearer, this is made up. There is even no primary source that says he is a page, this is made up. There is not a single title listed in any of the primary sources, which by the way, is all listed in the Wikipedia article (that's literally all of them). The only thing mentioned is that he "sometimes carried Nobunaga's tools" without any clarification as to what tools they were, and that he was paid a stipend and given a short sword (a wakizashi most likely). No title mentioned. Even if this weren't the case, it's not sufficient enough to say he is a samurai for the reasons I already stated. Hexenakte (talk) 18:38, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Please just knock it off already, this page is for discussing the article, not the topic of the article. Nobody cares about the opinions of Wikipedia editors so we don't include editors' opinions in articles. If you want the article to reflect some view then you need reliable sources attesting to said view, not long winded diatribes about why you're really really sure something is true. XeCyranium (talk) 18:55, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The question here is the terminolgy we should use in the article, it is a important part of what to do with the article right now since it would help sane most of the edit war happening right now Meganinja202 (talk) 18:59, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Then provide sources. Those will decide the terminology, not a discussion between the greatest minds of the Wikipedia culture war editors. XeCyranium (talk) 22:47, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

These are not my opinions, I don't know where you see any opinionated statement in what I wrote. If there was actual proof of Yasuke being a samurai I would retract what I say, but there simply isn't. Hexenakte (talk) 19:08, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The Maeda Clan version of the Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga describes Yasuke as a weapons-bearer, and if he was a weapons-bearer it would be accurate to categorize him as as kosho 小姓. And since many historians consider kosho 小姓 as a type of samurai, then Yasuke can be considered a samurai. Which many historians do. Theozilla (talk) 18:58, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Well, this dispute would be pretty easy to clear up if someone would cite the primary source in Japanese. Meeepmep (talk) 19:06, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This guy went and tracked down the primary source and also gave analyze to the context of the term "stipend" used in the source https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1css0ye/comment/l4bghbu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 Theozilla (talk) 19:09, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Again, this doesn't even acknowledge the part where you're suppose to be part of a noble family. The terms samurai and bushi are conflated and even many on Japanese subreddits (which I am not using as a source but as an example since you brought it up) demonstrate that samurai and bushi are often used synonymously but they mean different things. Stipends, land, and privileges do not determine samurai status, which you seem to be completely avoiding without any contradictory proof otherwise.

I will ask again, show me a single individual where they became part of the warrior aristocracy class (samurai) without ever joining a noble family, as a peasant or outsider, because you're going to find nothing. English is not enough to understand this, you need to know how the Japanese wrote and contextualize it, which is where this problem stems from. Hexenakte (talk) 19:14, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Because not all historians agree that the definition of "samurai" is some rigid military caste that you could only either be born (or formally adopted) into and/or marry into, and that said notion is a retroactive invention of the Edo Period. Many historians also argue that the concept of samurai actually predates the concept of samurai clans/families (with the first samurai clans that emerged during the Heian Period being just full time soldiers who became nobles).

To quote the guy who tracked down the primary source:

"Leaving aside the actual fluidity of the word "knight," there was never a formalized requirement of a "samurai-ing" ceremony. At this point in time a samurai was basically anyone who 1) went to war armed and ready to fight and 2) either a) awarded/inherited an estate with enough income capable of supporting at least a family plus hire some followers, b) paid a stipend which was "permanent" (as in not just for the duration of the task) of about that value, or c) had enough property to be some sort of community leader so could be called upon for war. In the mid-sixteenth century the legal privileges of using his family name on official documentations and wearing two swords in public and having these be inheritable would be formalized. But that was many decades past Yasuke's time, and even then things were a lot more fluid than most people realize.

Actual titles were something else entirely, though many samurai of the time liked to self-style said titles, so those not officially recognized and recorded had little value. Looking through the list of names killed at Honnōji and Nijō, like Yasuke most did not have titles (officially recognized or self-styled) or if they did they were not known by the titles."

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1css0ye/comment/l4crdq3/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

And then as he says here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1css0ye/comment/l4bghbu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Ever since previously people have been arguing with me that "stipend" could be given to anyone, not just samurai, without considering the word’s meaning in Japanese. I have already mentioned how the word was used in Japanese history. Let’s look then specifically at how Ōta Gyūichi, the author of the chronicles, used it. Here are all the other entries that mention the word "stipend" (specifically 扶持), each with link to the exact page of the Shinchōkōki. I will also quote the translation by J. P. Lamers, so this time the translation is academically published.

Shiba Yoshikane in 1553 – son of the previous and soon to be the next de jure lord of Owari, before Nobunaga ran him out of town.

若武衛様は川狩より直にゆかたひらのあたてにて信長を御憑み候て那古野へ御出すなはち貳百人扶持被仰付天王坊に置申され候

Lord Buei the Younger fled directly from his fishing spot on the river to Nagoya, dressed only in a bathrobe, to call on Nobunaga’s help. Accordingly, Nobunaga assigned him a stipend sufficient to maintain a retinue of two hundred men and installed him in the Tennōbō temple.

2. Saitō Dōsan. Recent research suggest this story is inaccurate, but I’m just demonstrating how Ōta Gyūichi uses the word.

斎藤山城道三は元來山城國西岡の松波と云者也一年下國候て美濃國長井藤左衛門を憑み扶持を請余力をも付られ候

The original family name of Saitō Yamashiro Dōsan was Matsunami. He was a native of the Western Hills of Yamashiro Province. One year, he left the Kyoto area for the provinces and called on the help of Nagai Tōzaemon of Mino, who granted him a stipend and assigned auxiliaries to him.

3. Nobunaga remonstrating Ashikaga Yoshiaki in 1573 for not giving out stipend properly.

一 諸侯の衆方々御届申忠節無踈略輩には似相の御恩賞不被宛行今々の指者にもあらさるには被加御扶持候さ樣に候ては忠不忠も不入に罷成候諸人のおもはく不可然事

Item [3] You have failed to make appropriate awards to a number of lords who have attended you faithfully and have never been remiss in their loyal service to you. Instead, you have awarded stipends to newcomers with nothing much to their credit. That being so, the distinction between loyal and disloyal becomes irrelevant. In people’s opinion, this is improper.

...

一 無恙致奉公何の科も御座候はね共不被加御扶助京都の堪忍不屆者共信長にたより歎申候定て私言上候はゝ何そ御憐も可在之かと存候ての事候間且は不便に存知且は公儀御爲と存候て御扶持の義申上候ヘ共一人も無御許容候餘文緊なる御諚共候間其身に對しても無面目存候勸(觀歟)世與左衛門古田可兵衛上野紀伊守類の事

Item [7] Men who have given you steadfast and blameless service but have not been awarded a stipend by you find themselves in dire need in Kyoto. They turned to Nobunaga with a heavy heart. If I were to say a few words in their behalf, they assumed, then surely you would take pity on them. On the one hand, I felt sorry for them; on the other, I thought it would be in the interest of the public authority (kōgi no ontame; sc., to your benefit). So I put the matter of their stipends before you, but you did not assent in even one case. Your hard-heartedness, excessive as it is, puts me out of countenance before these men. I refer to the likes of Kanze Yozaemon [Kunihiro], Furuta Kahyōe, and Ueno Kii no Kami [Hidetame].

4. A samurai captured in 1573 who would rather die than submit to Nobunaga.

御尋に依て前後の始末申上之處神妙の働無是非の間致忠節候はゝ一命可被成御助と御諚候爰にて印牧申樣に朝倉に對し日比遺恨雖深重の事候今此刻歷々討死候處に述懷を申立生殘御忠節不叶時者當座を申たると思召御扶持も無之候へは實儀も外聞も見苦敷候はんの間腹を可仕と申乞生害前代未聞の働名譽名不及是非

When Kanemaki, on being questioned by Nobunaga, gave a rough account of his career, Nobunaga commented that it would be a shame to lose a man with such marvelous accomplishments to his credit and stated that his life would be spared, were he to pledge his loyal service to Nobunaga. To this Kanemaki replied that he had harbored a deep grudge against the Asakura for a long time. Now that so many warriors of standing had been killed, however, he could not permit himself to stay alive by giving vent to his resentment. The moment he was remiss in his loyal service, Nobunaga would surely think that whatever he might have said at this juncture was just an expedient to save his skin and would cancel his stipend. Then Kanemaki would be unable to live with himself and with what people would say about him. He would therefore cut his own belly now. Having made this plea, he took his own life. His heroism was unprecedented, and his glory was beyond dispute.

5. Nobunaga to his own "companions" (think of Alexander’s foot and horse companions) in 1575 because he was feeling generous that day and had just given a bunch of cloth to a beggar and then felt like also rewarding his men who were supposedly moved to tears by the former act of generosity.

御伴之上下皆落淚也御伴衆何れも々々被加御扶持難有仕合無申計樣体也如此御慈悲深き故に諸天の有御冥利而御家門長久にに御座候と感申也

All of Nobunaga’s companions, those of high as of low rank, also shed tears. Each and every one of his companions had his stipend increased, and it goes without saying that they felt fortunate and thankful. It is because Nobunaga was so compassionate, everyone felt, that the heavens shed their blessings upon him and that the fortunes of his house would long endure.

6. Kuki Yoshitaka and Takigawa Kazumasu in 1578 for building big ships.

九鬼右馬允被召寄黃金二十枚並御服十菱喰折二行拜領其上千人つヽ御扶持被仰

Nobunaga summoned Kuki Uma no Jō and presented him with twenty pieces of gold as well as ten garments and two boxes containing wild duck. In addition, Nobunaga rewarded Kuki Uma no Jō and Takikawa Sakon with stipends adequate to maintaining a thousand men each.

7. A young samurai in 1579 for being a good wrestler, since Nobunaga loves wrestling.

甲賀の伴正林と申者年齡十八九に候歟能相撲七番打仕候次日又御相撲有此時も取すぐり則御扶持人に被召出鐵炮屋與四郞折節御折檻にて籠へ被入置彼與四郞私宅資財雜具共に御知行百石熨斗付の太刀脇指大小二ツ御小袖御馬皆具其に拜領名譽の次第也

A man from Kōka whose name was Tomo Shōrin, some eighteen or nineteen years old, showed good skills and scored seven wins. The next day, too, Nobunaga put on sumo matches, and Tomo again outclassed the others. As a result, Nobunaga selected Tomo to become his stipendiary. At about that time Nobunaga had to take disciplinary measures against a gunsmith by the name of Yoshirō, whom he locked up in a cage. Now Tomo Shōrin received the private residence, household goods, and other possessions of this Yoshirō. Nobunaga also gave him an estate of one hundred koku, a sword and a dagger with gold-encrusted sheaths, a lined silk garment, and a horse with a complete set of gear—glorious recognition for Tomo.

8. As part of his order in his newly conquered provinces in 1582, Nobunaga ordered his vassals to hire good local samurai.

一 國諸侍に懇扱さすか無由斷樣可氣遣事

一 第一慾を構に付て諸人爲不足之條內儀相續にをひては皆々に令支配人數を可拘事

一 本國より奉公望之者有之者相改まへ拘候ものゝかたへ相屆於其上可扶持之事

Item [5] Treat the provincial samurai with courtesy. For all that, never be remiss in your vigilance.

Item [6] When the top man is greedy, his retainers do not get enough. Upon succeeding to domains, apportion them to all your retainers and take new men into your service.

Item [7] Should there be any men from your home province who wish to enter your service, investigate their provenance, contact their previous employers, and only then grant them a stipend.

So Ōta Gyūichi used the word from time to time, and it was not a one-off usage. Every single usage of the word stipend by Ōta Gyūichi was, without exception, either giving it to samurai, some of whom were incredibly high ranked, or used in the context of hiring samurai or samurai’s salary. This includes a young sumo wrestler who may or may not have been a samurai, but was definitely hired by Nobunaga as his personal samurai. There is therefore no reason to think Gyūichi was using the term in Yasuke's context any differently. In fact we might even draw a slight parallel to Tomo Shōrin. Yasuke was said to have had the strength of ten men, meaning he must have demonstrated that strength and it’s certainly possible he demonstrated it through wrestling and beating everyone. Nobunaga loved wrestling, loved exotic stuff, and as shown above loved to demonstrate his generosity. So, it would certainly make sense on meeting Yasuke (coincidentally at Honnōji) for Nobunaga to make give Yasuke, who was exotic and might have been good at wrestling, a samurai’s stipend, a decorated sword, and a residence. Incidentally Tomo Shōrin was also at Honnōji when Akechi Mitsuhide attacked, though unlike Yasuke he did not survive. Theozilla (talk) 20:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There are problems with that Reddit poster's line of reasoning: he seems to rest his entire argument positing Yasuke's "samurai-ness" on the fact that Nobunaga paid him a 扶持 (fuchi), glossed as "stipend".

This is a logical failing, as this word was also used to refer to the "stipend" or "salary" that households would pay to their regular servants, such as the cooks and maids. If you can read Japanese, see also the page at Kotobank providing definitions of this 扶持 term over history: https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%89%B6%E6%8C%81-124992. Someone receiving a fuchi says nothing about their status as samurai. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 20:21, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

By your own admission, in item 5, where it describes Nobunaga's companions (御伴), if we look closer at this term, this is a term that is used for attendants/followers, so these attendants were being given these stipends that you claim to make them samurai, however it does not actually mention them as samurai. Also, if we're going to talk about Oda Nobunaga specifically, he is well known for his generosity towards his ashigaru, often with stories how he would treat his ashigaru better than his samurai, and this essentially proves that. A stipend isn't indicative of someone being a samurai. In fact, the term samurai (侍) is only mentioned once. The individuals with family names are possible samurai, however I can't prove it without further research since Toyotomi Hideyoshi's first coming of age name, Kinoshita Tokichiro, was made when he was under the Imagawa, well before he was even under the Oda and considered samurai. Hexenakte (talk) 20:44, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

But the redditor claimed the author Ōta Gyūichi used the word 'stipend' 8 other times in total and all of them were payment to a samurai. Lifterus (talk) 06:44, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

The item clearly goes out of its way to specify attendants, as in low ranks (even established in his translation), these are not samurai. Only one item (item 8) mentions samurai (侍). The others I cannot say for certainty if we rule out the lords/heirs (1, 2), I don't know if these individuals named are actually samurai or not, but the fact that there is a confirmation that one of these aren't samurai just shows that this stipend was not reserved for samurai only.

On another note I've heard this claim before, and I never have seen any evidence that has supported it, it is not clarified on any Japanese dictionary either that suggests that (扶持) is only for samurai. I don't know where this claim came from. Hexenakte (talk) 15:27, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I trust Lockley's translation, and it does seem he was a retainer. But how can you be certain that he was given the specific rank of "Kosho" from "given a stipend, a private residence, etc., and was given a short sword with a decorative sheath. He is sometimes seen in the role of weapon bearer."? Is this mentioned in any scholarly sources or is it a Wiki editor/online journalists' interpretation. Meeepmep (talk) 19:17, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

He was mentioned in a primary source with given a stipend, a house, and a short sword (a wakizashi). These things we do know, however they are not conditions for being a samurai. Historians went out of their way to specifically mention that Toyotomi was NOT a samurai despite being a sandal-bearer for Nobunaga, which is actually a prestigious role to have and shows Nobunaga's trust in him. He only became a samurai after marrying his wife, One, who comes from a noble background that claims descent from the Minamoto. Hexenakte (talk) 19:21, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Is there a source that Toyotomi wasn't considered a samurai until he got married? And if it's true you can only become a samurai through lineage or marriage, how did William Adams become a samurai? Lifterus (talk) 06:46, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Before his marriage to One in 1561, he was specifically referred to as not a samurai despite his privileges and trust status by Oda Nobunaga as a sandal-bearer. We can reasonably say that because of this - and this is further evidenced by Hideyoshi's efforts to get adopted into the Konoe family to have Fujiwara claims over the title of Kampaku in the Imperial Court - that his marriage with a noble woman of Minamoto background automatically made him a samurai of social status.

William Adams is also a confused topic since it is assumed by many that he is a samurai. I have asserted that he isn't for this reason, and the jp:ウィリアム・アダムス page shows that he was not granted samurai (侍), but hatamoto (旗本), which does not necessarily mean it makes him a samurai. On another note, he is referred to as a Bushi (武士). If you look above about my numbered statements towards Theozilla, you will find that in every case, someone is a samurai because of their imperial lineage background to these ancestor clans (Minamoto, Taira, Fujiwara, Tachibana, etc). William Adams, however, never married a noble woman, nor was adopted into a noble family, therefore it cannot be said that he was a samurai. I have come up with compromise terms such as Bujin (武人, warrior, soldier) to describe those who were non-samurai warriors but also didn't fit the representation as a peasant warrior (i.e. ashigaru) either. Basically wealthy non-samurai or non-samurai given lots of privileges that is expected for samurai to receive (Konishi Yukinaga fit this description until he was given the surname Toyotomi in 1585, so by all means that makes him a samurai then). It is up to debate however if this term would be accepted, but the conflation of the terms is extremely problematic for English learners of Japanese history. Hexenakte (talk) 15:39, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Lockley is not necessarily a good translator.

The source text:

• 然に彼黒坊被成御扶持、名をハ号弥助と、さや巻之のし付幷私宅等迄被仰付、依時御道具なともたさせられ候、

Lockley's text:

• This black man called Yasuke was given a stipend, a private residence, etc., and was given a short sword with a decorative sheath. He is sometimes seen in the role of weapon bearer.

Word-for-word:

• thusly he black man received stipend, name given Hachigō Yasuke, scabbard-winding with also private residence etc. even received, sometimes tools etc. he was allowed to carry,

Granted, word-for-word is also a bad translation, but it should help illustrate where Lockley's rendering strays a bit from the source text. The "scabbard-winding" bit refers to a specific kind of short-sword with decorative winding. More important is the "tools" bit: this term could have a broader meaning that includes "weaponry", but it could just as easily have referred to calligraphy materials or hammers; the earliest citation I'm currently finding for 道具 (dōgu, "tools") used to explicitly mean "weaponry" is the early 1600s, too late for this context. (Entry at Kotobank: https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%81%93%E5%85%B7-103395.) Even if the citation post-dates such usage, the term 道具 was much broader than just weapons. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 20:35, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Wonderful find, it just seems even under Lockley's translations none of this suggests Yasuke was ever a samurai, but there is definitely a stray from the original here. Also agree on the tools part. Hexenakte (talk) 20:51, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Arguing that the context of the “tools” Yasuke carried being stuff other than weapons goes against Occam’s Razor’s, it’s arguing for the less likely meaning. And since Yasuke was described as a weapon’s bearer, that can be fairly described as a kosho. Theozilla (talk) 21:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

There is no mention of kosho (小姓, page) on jp:弥助, this is incredibly wrong to say. There is no mention of it on the original source text either, these arguments are not appropriate. The only mention of that term comes from a modern Japanese pop article that omits any primary source text they got it from. It's unreliable, he has no title. Hexenakte (talk) 21:14, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yeah I know the primary source doesn’t use the specific term, but the term kosho is what best describes his role as a weapon’s bearer to Nobunaga. It’s a justified designation based on the description from the primary source. Theozilla (talk) 21:22, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You cannot just give Yasuke a title based off of a description, these things have formality and they matter. By being recognized as a kosho, he would have some form of significance recognized by Nobunaga. Even with this title, it doesn't make him a samurai, when we allude to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, he was a sandal bearer for Nobunaga as an ashigaru, not a samurai. The title is irrelevant to that status, but even then he has no title. Hexenakte (talk) 21:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Historical figures being described with formal title terms based on their description is done all the time in the categorization of historical figures and things.

And by your narrower standards numerous other minor figures in Japanese history (foreign and native-born) would be disqualified from being considered samurai or other things. Theozilla (talk) 21:46, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Foreign born, as far as I know, yes because none of them I am aware of were adopted or married into a noble family. They would be considered Bushi instead. I can only speak for Yasuke and William Adams tho.

Native, no, I gave you Toyotomi Hideyoshi as an example many many times. He is not disqualified because he married into nobility. Hexenakte (talk) 22:20, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I'm curious as to why your personal word-for-word translation (which is a poor way of translating Japanese) is somehow more reliable than the guy who is an "Associate Professor at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo". Your assertion that the Lockley is an inadequate source/translation seems to stem entirely on the fact that, in your personal opinion, the translation is bad. The definition you list to for "道具" literally says: "武家で槍。また、その他の武具。

※狂歌・新撰狂歌集（１７Ｃ前）下「ゆうさいより長原殿へ当麻のやりををくられける時 お道具をしぜんたえまに持せつつおもひやりをぞ奉りける」", which you are representing as meaning the first occurence of the world being used that way is from "the early 1600s", but what that entry actually says is more akin to: "A spear in a samurai family. Also, other weapons" followed by a citation of the "Shinsenkyokashu", which was indeed first published around 1633, but that doesn't make the usage of the word "The early 1600s". How do we know this? Because the "１７Ｃ前" is indicating that, since it means "Before the 17th Century", which would be the entire 1600s. Also importantly, the "新撰狂歌集" which it is referring to as a source is a collection of poems, some of which demonstrably date back to the Kamakura period. The source is, quite literally, the "New Collection of Kyōka Poems". That means that everything inside of that book published in 1633, almost assuredly pre-dates the 1600s. X0n10ox (talk) 06:07, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

@X0n10ox, I'll simply comment that the "XXC前" notation in the 日本国語大辞典 dictionary is used to mean "early in the XX century". If it meant "before the 17th century", it would refer to the 16th century, which is the 1500s. Much like the 20th century was the 1900s.

By way of comparison, see the entry for 修多羅 (https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%BF%AE%E5%A4%9A%E7%BE%85-77835), which gives a citation sourced to the 法華義疏 and dated as （７Ｃ前）. The 法華義疏 or Hokke Gisho is dated to 615, or "early in the 7th century". ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:18, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Please demonstrate due process and actually show these sources, because I have read the Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga, there is nothing there mentioning a title about it. Hexenakte (talk) 19:10, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The guy I quoted literally links to the primary sources https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1css0ye/comment/l4bghbu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 Theozilla (talk) 20:13, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

None of his primary sources state that Yasuke is a samurai. His sources are all in service of his contention that the granting of a 扶持 (fuchi, "stipend") is somehow indicative of the receiver necessarily being a samurai, a contention that is logically flawed and easily refuted by other resources, such as the Kotobank dictionary entry for 扶持 (https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%89%B6%E6%8C%81-124992, in Japanese), which defines this more as a regular salary that was paid to household employees — be they samurai or maids. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 20:38, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

You are once again being disingenious with your argumentation here. The second definition there literally says 「２ 主君から家臣に給与した俸禄。江戸時代には、一人1日玄米5合を標準と」, "a stipend paid by a lord to his vassals". Furthermore, the user on Reddit you are saying is wrong points out that the author of the text in question only used 扶持 when referring to Samurai affairs. The second entry of possible definitions also includes 「(━する) 俸祿を与えて家臣とすること。扶持米を与えて臣下として抱え置くこと。」, again "To make a person a vassal by giving him a stipend.". And if you continue reading down to the section that reads 「扶持 (ふち)

助ける，援助するの意から転じて，武士が米などを支給して家来や奉公人を抱え置くこと，またはその支給する米をいう。」

Again, it says: "Fuchi,

From the meaning of “to help” or “to support,” it refers to the samurai's provision of rice to keep retainers and servants, or to the rice provided to such a retainer".

It also states that it was commonly used in the Warring States period to refer to the provision of rice given to retainers. X0n10ox (talk) 06:25, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

@Hexenakte has already pointed out further above in this very thread that the Reddit poster's own quotes from the Shinchō Kōki include a description of 扶持 paid to non-samurai.

...in item 5 [of the Reddit poster's quotes], where it describes Nobunaga's companions (御伴), if we look closer at this term, this is a term that is used for attendants/followers, so these attendants were being given these stipends that you claim to make them samurai, however it does not actually mention them as samurai. Also, if we're going to talk about Oda Nobunaga specifically, he is well known for his generosity towards his ashigaru, often with stories how he would treat his ashigaru better than his samurai, and this essentially proves that. A stipend isn't indicative of someone being a samurai. [...]

[...] The item clearly goes out of its way to specify attendants, as in low ranks (even established in his translation), these are not samurai. [...]

‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:32, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Yeah, that's great, but there is absolutely 0 reason as to why Hexenakte's response makes them not Samurai. It literally says all of Nobunaga's companions of high and low rank were given increases to their stipend. Which, again, every other instance of "Fuchi" used in that document refers to Samurai. The "御" is an honorific prefix to show respect and which can and has been translated as "Royal" or "Imperial" while 伴 can have the meaning of "attendant" or "retinue". I am once again directing you both to Wikipedia:NOR, it is not the duty of any Wikipedia editor to be attempting to interpert a primary source unsubstantiated by a reliable secondary source, even if you're attempting to correct a translation. There is nothing in the primary source's texts that indicates the "companions" mentioned were not Samurai. Specifically, I direct you to Wikipedia:RSUEQ which states, and I quote, "Translations published by reliable sources are preferred over translations by Wikipedians". There is nothing at all in the primary text that suggests the "companions" referred to weren't Samurai. Whereas, again, there are published secondary sources that have referred to Yasuke as a Samurai. What Hexenakte's interpertation of a translation is is frankly of no consequence. X0n10ox (talk) 07:18, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

• “The "御" is an honorific prefix to show respect and which can and has been translated as "Royal" or "Imperial"”

It's also used in the words 御茶 (ocha, "tea"), and 御酒 (osake, "aloholic drink"), and 御冷 (ohiya, "cold drinking water"). "Royal" or "imperial" really doesn't have anything inherent to do with this prefix: again, context is important.

• “伴 can have the meaning of "attendant" or "retinue".”

Yes. This term is not limited in scope to just samurai, this is basically anyone in the traveling party. And, as @Hexenakte pointed out, the term 御伴 (otomo, "companion, attendant, retinue") in the quote from the Shinchō Kōki was further described as 御伴衆何れも々々被加御扶持: "the otomo, each and every one, had their fuchi increased". The text uses repeated 何れも (izure mo, "every which one"), emphasizing that aspect.

• “There is nothing at all in the primary text that suggests the "companions" referred to weren't Samurai.”

Nor is there anything in the primary text that states that the "companions" were samurai.

• “Whereas, again, there are published secondary sources that have referred to Yasuke as a Samurai.”

I have seen mention of various published secondary sources that refer to Yasuke using the term "samurai", but I have not seen any yet that are reliable. Unsourced articles in pop-culture magazines might be secondary sources, but they are not reliable, nor verifiable. Lockley and Girard's African Samurai appears to have similar problems of reliability and verifiability. Etc.

The primary materials themselves do not appear to ever say that Yasuke was a samurai, nor that Yasuke was a koshō (page boy), nor that Yasuke engaged in any combat outside of the Honnō-ji Incident. Nor do they expressly say the opposite, that he was not a samurai, not a koshō, and participated in multiple military engagements.

We cannot prove a negative, and absence of evidence is not evidence of absence — it is entirely possible that Yasuke was a samurai, was specifically appointed as koshō in Nobunaga's household, and fought in other battles. But none of that appears to be recorded anywhere. Various secondary sources have made these claims, but without any primary sources to back them up.

To boil all of this down to its core issue, we (Wikipedia) have no business making statements of fact based on flawed secondary sources. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 09:53, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Something to point out, the original Redditor ParallelPain who suggested that fuchi (扶持) means it's given to only samurai has gone out and conceded that this is not the case, that a stipend isn't evidence of someone being a samurai. Check at the bottom of his first post that he edited. So this whole argument that he was making that the term meant a stipend given only to samurai has already gone out the window.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1css0ye/comment/l4bghbu/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button Hexenakte (talk) 21:42, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

That doesn't seem to be what he's saying. He's saying "fuchi" (扶持) only being granted to samurai is one of several circumstantial evidence that together present a strong case that Yasuke was, in his opinion, a samurai. _dk (talk) 00:17, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

I know what he said, but that was not his original point. The entire point he was making of the long list of items was that all of them were tied to "samurai", indicating that it was something only samurai were given. He doesn't go into the other conditions until much later, in fact it's said in passing as if it was something extra. His point falls apart when he included item 5 which describes giving the same stipend to his attendants/companions (御伴), and even in the academic translation (his own words) that he uses it makes it very clear that it was disregarding rank, "those of high rank as of low rank". That means everyone in his party, including the non-samurai servants and attendants.

What he originally stipulated was that the stipend was enough to consider automatic samurai status, and this is exactly how everyone else interpreted it (the conversation just above is evidence of that). See below:

"So Ōta Gyūichi used the word from time to time, and it was not a one-off usage. Every single usage of the word stipend by Ōta Gyūichi was, without exception, either giving it to samurai, some of whom were incredibly high ranked, or used in the context of hiring samurai or samurai’s salary. This includes a young sumo wrestler who may or may not have been a samurai, but was definitely hired by Nobunaga as his personal samurai. There is therefore no reason to think Gyūichi was using the term in Yasuke's context any differently." (Emphasis mine)

Right off the spot, just like that, he was hired to be his personal samurai regardless of his previous status as a samurai or non-samurai, according to ParallelPain. He was saying exactly this. He was wrong, and now the goalpost is being moved, where its one of several conditions instead of being a standalone condition. For the last addition, it may be described as a stipend enough for a samurai, but that doesn't mean anything; Oda Nobunaga is known for his generosity, he is famous for treating his ashigaru as well if not better than his samurai. There are many folk tales and legends talking about this, and it's especially present in the evidence that ParallelPain posted.

Just to really drive home the point, he doesn't reiterate the other gifts the sumo wrestler Tomo Shorin was given, which is a whole lot more than what Yasuke was given. But no, he only focused on his stipend. Hexenakte (talk) 01:59, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

I think if you're gonna cast aspersions at ParallelPain like that, you could at least ask him about it on Reddit than here. You seem convinced that the mention of "rank" in his item 5 proved that he was wrong about there only being samurai in his companions, but samurai themselves also had ranks, and it is just as valid a read to say he gave the stipend to all his companions in his party regardless of rank as samurai. In any case, ParallelPain's comment on /r/AskHistorians and your personal views about whether or not Yasuke was a samurai are irrelevant, since we cannot use either as sources on the Wikipedia article. At the very least, ParallelPain's suggestion that his detractors "should post an academic level publication from a PhD level researcher arguing Yasuke wasn't a samurai" is appropriate here, since that would be something we can cite for the Wiki article. _dk (talk) 08:46, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Whether or not you believe he originally meant it this way in spite of my explanation is honestly irrelevant, since the point others were making here in this talk page was that the stipend alone was a standalone indicator, when that was in fact, not the case, and ParallelPain states that himself. I am completely aware of what ParallelPain said, it doesn't change the fact that it was not explained in his original point, since he omits Tomo Shorin's gifts as an indicator (private residence, land of 100 koku, notably two swords (大小, Daisho) - one long sword (太刀, Tachi) and one short sword (脇指, wakizashi) - a kosode (小袖, kosode, basically a short but wide sleeve version (and predecessor) of the kimono) and a horse (馬, Uma) with a set of armor/gear (皆具, Kaigu)) which is way more than what Yasuke was given, but instead of pointing this out he opted to only point out his stipend. I am not saying it was intentional, but I am saying that it was not explained in his original post, which is a true statement.

And there are no personal opinions or views being displayed here, I am going by the facts of what has defined a samurai during the Sengoku period as well as what was historically practiced and documented during this period that supports the idea of a samurai status. If that isn't a good enough explanation, I don't know what to tell you. If you have doubts about my claims, please address them directly, because I can't read minds about what others think I said were wrong, which seems to be a pattern in this talk page. Hexenakte (talk) 18:08, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

The problem with saying "We've developed a consensus that the Lockley is unreliable", is that the only people who agree to that are a small group of vocal people who are invested in an outside agenda and then yourself. There is nothing outside of your own feelings of the translation that mark the Lockley as unacceptable for use on Wikipedia, and you're dismissing all other secondary sources almost entirely on the premise that they use the Lockley. The basis presented for Lockley being unreliable is that it's "popular", a discussion page from the past that did not find the Lockley an unacceptable source, and your own translation coupled with select other people parroting those lines.

However, I have already demonstrated that the Lockley meets the official criteria for being an acceptable source on Wikipeida by policy and by Wikipedia:HISTRS. While WP:HISTRS is not Wikipedia policy, it does provide insightful guidelines for measuring historic sources. I am once again reiterating that the Lockley was reviewed in a peer reviewed journal by a Historian who did not dismiss the work. He criticized a lack of in-text citations, but was specific in saying that this was not a comment on the veracity of the scholarship. Furthermore, he still recommended the book, but said the lens provided wouldn't be detailed enough for an Academic. That is not discrediting the book for the purposes of Wikipedia.

Wikipedia:ENCYCLOPEDIC "Information should not be included in this encyclopedia solely because it is true or useful. A Wikipedia article should not be a complete exposition of all possible details, but a summary of accepted knowledge regarding its subject. Verifiable and sourced statements should be treated with appropriate weight."

Wikipedia:NOTTEXTBOOK "Textbooks and annotated texts: the purpose of Wikipedia is to summarize accepted knowledge, not to teach subject matter. Articles should not read like textbooks, with leading questions and systematic problem solutions as examples. These belong on our sister projects, such as Wikibooks, Wikisource, and Wikiversity. However, examples intended to inform rather than to instruct, may be appropriate for inclusion in Wikipedia articles."

WP:NPOV "representing fairly, proportionately, and, as far as possible, without editorial bias, all the significant views that have been published by reliable sources on a topic."

Wikipedia:RS "Wikipedia articles should be based on reliable, published sources, making sure that all majority and significant minority views that have appeared in those sources are covered" X0n10ox (talk) 02:23, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

@X0n10ox: As I mentioned in my reply to your other post, the review does question the veracity, adding a "but..." to the end of the phrase you cited and saying without specific references, details often seem like creative embellishments, rather than historical narrative. They explicitly state the importance for citations later, writing Perhaps the most important reason for citing, however, is to confirm events. The reviewer also points out that Although African Samurai might tell a good story, it needs documentation. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 02:59, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Since you are so worked up on Wikipedia rules and policies and borderline WP:LAWYERING in an effort to go against what is essentially undeniable and against current consensus (downplaying it even), that Lockley is clearly making up 90% of the content in his book, I point you to, 1) my lengthy post below replying to _dk at Talk:Yasuke#Samurai status on why Lockley is such a bad secondary source, 2) WP:NOTFALSE, you should not be pedaling false information that is undeniably false to pass it off as true, regardless if you consider Lockley to be reliable, 3) WP:COMMONSENSE, it is clear the moment you read Lockley's book or hear how his process was that it is not truth, but speculative fiction, 4) WP:5P5, there are no firm rules on Wikipedia, especially in a circumstance such as this where this is the only actual "comprehensive" secondary source on Yasuke, and 5) WP:IAR, because these rules you keep pushing are against current consensus and are damaging the reliability of the article by diminishing the confirmed accounts on Yasuke in favor for historical fiction by making him into something he is not. There simply isn't enough information on Yasuke to justify what Lockley has written, and that's why we need to take exception to that, because he has demonstrated that in his own interview on the book,[4] that he is clearly making fabrications, assumptions, and conjectures into a fictional narrative story of Yasuke and passing it as truth at face value (and I timestamped these moments in my linked post). He has admitted these things. This is not helping anyone, I do not know why you have to speak on behalf of Lockley, because he clearly can speak for himself. I seriously implore you to watch for yourself, the full interview, and not just what I'm saying here.

Also you have been doing nothing but accusing us that we have an outside agenda, or being disingenuous, or arguing in bad faith the entire time, while also knowingly stating above that the book isn't academic in any shape or form despite previously purporting it as academic ("He has published numerous academic articles about Japan, including a version of the book that is written and published in Japanese."), never asking for clarification or sources other than in a condescending manner or just outright dismissing anything we say demonstrates that you are not arguing in good faith. I have not intended anything ill will towards you and I have apologized earlier about not understanding the need for secondary sources previously, which I am now correcting, but this is not helping. If you are going to claim something we did wrong, or said wrong, do so in a respectful manner, and not make baseless claims about our motives that you have repeatedly made throughout this page. Hexenakte (talk) 04:42, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

No, I have called translations "disingenuous" because they have left out important context and have been borderline and blatantly Wikipedia:OR at times. I have also stated that there are people who were working for an outside agenda because numerous people have been banned from Wikipedia for a variety of different reasons. As for the "undeniability" of the reliability of the Lockley text, it is hardly undeniable.

You can accuse me of not asking for "sources" and "clarification" all that you want, but it doesn't change the fact that the basis of arguments against sources have been based on (a) personal translations and interpertations and (b) no supported sources at all. Even when multiple sources have been pointed to that declare Yasuke a Samurai, there has been no evidence provided to the contrary outside of "the primary source does not definitively say he was" and "this translation which I myself have furnished disagrees with the translation provided in a secondary source".

And I am, once again, noting that Wikipedia does not require sources to be academic. Being an academic source only contributes to its reliability. Furthermore, claiming I am "diminishing the confirmed accounts on Yasuke in favor for historical fiction by making him into something he is not. There simply isn't enough information on Yasuke to justify what Lockley has written" is not only a personal attack, it is a bit if a laughable claim to make and the say I am arguging against consensus when Lockley's has been cited on this page since 2017 continuing into 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 and 2023. To argue that I am going against consensus for arguing that the Lockley shouldn't be dismissed when it has been used on the page for seven years now through multiple discussions and revisions of the article is strange. Is Lockley somehow reliable for everything else it says, but not for calling Yasuke a Samurai?

Is every source that relied on Lockley unreliable, but I am "hurting the reliability" of the page that has, itself, used Lockley for seven years? If Lockley was really so unreliable and unacceptable of a source, why across multiple discussions was Lockley not removed? It was explicitly discussed here and it was not removed from the Article, and likewise it was discussed here and it was also not removed. In fact, in the talk page archive Talk:Yasuke/Archive_1#Slave or Servant, there is a quote

Lockley disputes it, and while you may not agree, he still is a published scholar, even if you don't like him.
— User:Eccekevin
— Talk:Yasuke/Archive_1#Slave_or_Servant 00:44, 16 November 2021 (UTC)

X0n10ox (talk) 07:45, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

I'm sorry this is just inaccurate, nobility mattered 100% and that adds up to the fact that Yasuke never really fight, never had any training, he was just not Samurai, his only battle was just at the the Honno-ji incident, which sure he tried but is not even a conclusive evidence about this whole ordeal. I saw someone mentioning the painting of appears to be a Black person and a Sumo wresting but that is just not reliable, nothing that shows that it was anything more than just a mouth to mouth recounting of someone talking about someone with dark skin and someone just coming up with that scenario. I don't think Theozilla is being sincere here let's focus, reddit is not a source.

Also I agree part of the problem is most likely the translations to English and the unkemptness of the translation and the lack of work to distinguish between Kosho and Samurai and the looseness if it. It's something so simple. *sigh* Hopefull Innformer (talk) 20:39, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I am not being insincere I am just quoting other people who who are more well read than me and also disagree with the narrower definition of samurai that some of you guys prescribe to.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/s/TiA1cYFTCE

that narrower definition would disqualify many other Japanese historical figures that are widely counted as being samurai. Theozilla (talk) 21:16, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Clarification on what "koshō" means in the lead?

I don't want to get into the argument of whether or not he was a "samurai" by some technical definition, but it's beyond dispute he was retained as a "koshō", a term which most Western readers have never heard of. Shouldn't the lead at least clarify what that means beyond a link to the article on "Page". Meeepmep (talk) 18:54, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I just was thinking on it, maybe we should make a page about Kosho or similar Japanese ranks that he probally could had and start from that Meganinja202 (talk) 19:02, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It is mentioned briefly that Yasuke was a "page" according to 2 Japanese articles which do not list or source any primary source, so these are unreliable. In the actual primary sources listed (which is all of them that mention Yasuke), there is no mention of a title, so it is not appropriate to call him a Kosho or page. Hexenakte (talk) 19:05, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

It does seem that the JP wiki doesn't use the term 小姓 either. Meeepmep (talk) 19:07, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I think it's bit sketchy to be throwing around Japanese titles when no scholarly translations or articles refer to him as such. The only source cited that calls him Kosho is in a very short clickbaity article by the "Japaaan" magazine. Meeepmep (talk) 19:32, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Unfortunately a lot of these claims are done in bad faith and disregard any form of primary source in favor for their stipulations on what a "samurai actually is", despite showing no understanding of Japanese history themselves. They will continue to use modern sources that don't define or cite anything, like the Britannica or Smithsonian articles. I mean one of them cites the HuffPost. A modern perspective or claim doesn't prove anything, if anything it makes the case look extremely weak. Hexenakte (talk) 19:40, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

jpwiki does have a jp:小姓 article, and wikt:小姓 also defines it as "page". Is there a better article we could link the term to, or is it just not accurate? Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 20:17, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

He's referring to the fact that the jp:弥助 article on Yasuke does not mention the term (小姓), in fact it doesn't mention any title he had at all. Hexenakte (talk) 20:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Is just overal unfortunate yea but at least I think we're starting to get somewhere and coming together in some aspects. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 21:05, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Samurai status

He wasn't just a page, he was promoted to a full samurai.

Nobunaga was impressed by the well-built African man such that he requested Valignano to leave him in his care. He gave him a Japanese name, Yasuke. He was described as “black as a bull and of fine character” (Russell, 2007:24). Some writers described him as “stronger than ten powerful men” (Tsujiuchi, 1998:95). Nobunaga appointed him his body guard and allowed him to dine with him at his table. Yasuke also received some payment from Nobunaga and his brothers. He was later promoted to a samurai (warrior), and stationed at Nobunaga’s Azuchi Castle, where he distinguished himself by gallantly fighting to defend his new master (Tsujiuchi, 1998; Russell, 2007; Weiner, 2009).

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Boga-Manatsha/publication/369693451_Historicising_Japan-Africa_relations/links/642843ca315dfb4ccec54d88/Historicising-Japan-Africa-relations.pdf

Citing

Tsujiuchi, M. (1998). Historical context of Black Studies in Japan. Hitotsubashi Journal of Social Studies, 30 (2), 95-100

Russell, J. G. (2007). Excluded presence: Shoguns, minstrels, bodyguards, and Japan’s encounters with the Black Other. Zinbun, 40, 15-51.

Weiner, M. (2009). Japan’s Minorities: The Illusion of Homogeneity. Sheffield Centre for Japanese Studies, Shefield: Routledge

--- Fangz (talk) 20:39, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

This is the ninth thread currently visible on the page discussing Yasuke's samurai status. Could you add your source to one of those instead of starting another separate discussion? Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 20:42, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

The other threads seem heavily fixated with doing a lot of WP:OR. I'd rather not engage in that mess. Fangz (talk) 20:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Weiner didn't have a single mention of Yasuke being a samurai. Tsujiuchi mentioned absolutely nothing about Yasuke becoming a samurai. Russell didn't have a single mention of Yasuke being a samurai. Did you even go through the sources? It seems the researchgate article you sourced made a claim that was unsubstantiated from the get-go. Interestingly enough, all of those articles repeated a paragraph that was near-identical to one another. Tisthefirstletter (talk) 21:52, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I've viewed two of the references listed in the Research Gate article, and agree fully with @Tisthefirstletter that the Research Gate article is making claims that are unsubstantiated by the references that they themselves give.

The entirety of Tsujiuchi's text that discusses Yasuke, as accessed via JStor (https://www.jstor.org/stable/43294431?read-now=1&seq=2#page_scan_tab_contents):

Another episode showing the curiosity of the Japanese regarding the Blacks can be gleaned from Shincho Ko ki. When Padre Alessandro Valignani brought a Negro to Kyoto, Oda Nobunaga, the prime mover of Japan's 16th-century reunification after a hundred years of strife, could not wait until the designated date to meet with the missionary. The news about the black man's arrival instantly spread throughout Kyoto and its vicinity. Hearing the news, many people congregated in the city, threw stones, and pulled down walls and gates to get a glimpse of the Negro. When Nobunaga saw him, he ordered the kokudo (black fellow) to take off his clothes suspecting that his black skin color was painted. After a short conversation with the missionary, he decided to take the kokudo with him and gave him a Japanese name Yasuke.

The perception of the Negro in mid- 16th-century Japan, however, cannot be judged totally full of contempt for the Negro. It is true that Yasuke was regarded as a beast and not a human being. But he was nevertheless released after the assassination of Nobunaga. In general, black people were viewed with curiosity rather than contempt rooted in the belief of racial hierarchy. In fact, Yasuke was described in Shincho Ko ki as follows:

A black man came from a Christian country. His age seems somewhere around 26 or 27. He is as black as a cow, and looks healthy and talented. He is stronger than ten powerful men.

No mention of samurai-ness.

Russell's text discussing Yasuke, as accessed via Academia.edu (https://www.academia.edu/3834263/Excluded_Presence_Shoguns_Minstrels_Bodyguards_and_Japans_Encounters_with_the_Black_Other):

Beginning in the 16th century, one obtains documented evidence of Japanese contact with Africans. In 1546 Portuguese captain Jorge Alvarez brought Africans to Japan. According to Alvarez, Japanese initial reaction to them was primarily one of curiosity: "They like seeing black people," he wrote in 1547, "especially Africans, and they will come 15 leagues just to see them and entertain them for three or four days" (Cooper, 66). The most well-documented case is that Yasuke, a Mozambican brought to Japan by the Italian Jesuit Alessandro Valignano (1537 —1606) who was presented to daingO Oda Nobunaga in 1581. The first Japanese refer- ence to Yasuke appears in Ota Gyfichi's (1527 — 1613) Shinchō Kōki (Chronicle of the Life of Oda Nobunaga, 1600),wherein he is described as a robust young man of around sixteen or seventeen years of age, black as a bull, and of fine character (Fujita 1987a). An account of Japanese reaction to Yasuke written in 1584 by the Portuguese Jesuit Luis Frois (1532 — 1597), who accompanied Valignano to Kyoto, describes an incident in which the townspeople, clamoring for a glimpse of the African, broke down the doors of a Jesuit residence, the ensuing melee resulting in the death and injury of several of the participants. Upon seeing the African Nobunaga had him stripped and bathed to determine for himself if his skin color was natural (Cooper, 71). Perhaps more extraordinary is that Yasuke's story does not end here. Retained as an attendant by Nobunaga, he later accompanied him into battle against the rival lord Akechi Mitsuhide (1528? —1582)who upon defeating Nobunaga at Horyuji, spared the African and subsequently released him.¹¹

Tohoku University professor Fujita Midori places the number of Africans temporarily residing in Japan during the 16th century at several hundred. Some came to Japan as slaves, servants, valets, sailors, soldiers, and interpreters. Their roles were not limited to serving Europeans. Like Yasuke, a number of Africans were employed by daimy6 in various capacities, as soldiers, gunners, drummers, and entertainers... [paragraph continues, no more mention of Yasuke]

¹¹Endō Shrisaku's novel Kurombō (Nigger, 1973) offers a comical retelling of Yasuke's narrative in which the titular character (renamed Tsumpa) is reduced to a cowardly, infantile buffoon.

Again, no mention of samurai-ness.

I don't have time at the moment to dig up Weiner's text; I may add that later, time allowing. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:16, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree with this. It should be requested that Yasuke's title of Kosho (小姓, page) be removed from the article. There is no proof that he had any title, and this title is not mentioned in the Japanese article jp:弥助. He should be referred to as an "attendant" for clarification, and this is an accurate description of what he was based off of the information we know (its even mentioned in Russell's text that you quoted). This way it shows that Yasuke cannot be mistaken to be a samurai, as terms like "retainer" or titles often conflate with the term samurai. Hexenakte (talk) 02:35, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Here is more evidence that kosho is an accurate descriptor of Yasuke’s status

Primary sources are extensively listed in the link below

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/s/AcRWevl3I0 Theozilla (talk) 04:26, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

This isn't proof that Yasuke specifically was a page, or had any form of title. This is all speculative, even if he was part of Nobunaga's campaign, there is no documentation of what he did that warrants him any title. You see, typically in a Sengoku army, a significant portion is dedicated a variety of attendants. Some would carry weapons, some would carry food, armor, groomed horses, and so on. It was sometimes more than the actual army. Since you are using a Reddit link by ParallelPain, I will show you another post he replied to. Ironically he actually makes the distinction between ashigaru and samurai in this one, so it is odd to see him contradict himself.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/5372df/how_many_samurais_where_there_in_a_standard/

We cannot say for certain what specific role Yasuke had, let alone a title. We have no idea what tools he was carrying. And most of all, he was absolutely not samurai. And by the way, attendants can serve combative means despite being non-combative in purpose, but it doesn't make them warriors. Here is the same ParallelPain explaining that:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/17c5yvo/for_japanese_armies_in_the_sengoku_is_it_true/

Now getting this information from him is kind of problematic since its assumed that a page title (which falls under the role of attendant) would not be enough to consider Yasuke as a samurai, since he directly contradicts himself here and the link you have posted. Hexenakte (talk) 04:52, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

It’s inference based on evidence. Like it doesn’t make sense for the tools for Yasuke to be carrying to have been anything but weapons, it’s literally counterintuitive to infer otherwise. Theozilla (talk) 05:20, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Please check the muster rolls, it can range from lanterns to armor to weapons, food, supplies, etc. There was no single attendant who did all of these jobs. Inference simply isn't enough in historical context, it has to be concrete, especially when there are so many roles just for attendants alone.

By the way I would not rely on ParallelPain's judgement since he seem to have flopped definitions on what a samurai is.

Also this still does not mean that he was a warrior. Attendants filled in combative roles but were not trained like full-time warriors were, so they cannot be considered Bushi. There's nothing to suggest he received any training, and that he did any fighting except for Honno-ji. And even in Honno-ji it is unclear on exact details of what went on.

I'm signing off for tonight. Hexenakte (talk) 05:29, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Hexe gave already a response but I may add, Yasuke having to carry weapons doesn't even mean he actually had the capacity or knowledge to use or bear any of those for himself, We know he was gifted a Wakizashi (decorated one) but there is no record of him using it or even saying that Wakizashi was intended for something other than "showing off" the shogun gave his retainer a new shiny sword. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 06:00, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Are there, like, records confirming that he is a samurai? If not then this is kind of a waste of time. We're just going off of things and events that make him SEEM like a samurai. If he was one then I'm sure there must be records for it. There is nearly no historical source that claims he is one.Tisthefirstletter (talk) 06:15, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

The problem is partly stemming from the unkemptness of the English language, there isn't specifically Yasuke being refer to as a samurai the most we have is him being a Kosho, but english people are getting the terms mixed with Samurai, again like we discuss Japanese people took this, seemingly small differences, very seriously but like Hexe, I think, said these type of manners weren't really codify because literaly everybody knew what they were talking about because there weren't people who weren't from Japan who thought, "Hmm Bushi, Samurai, Kosho, Ashigaru, etc are word that kinda mean similar things right? Why don't we try to come up with something more standardized that explains a little bit better what every title?" lol but Japanese people really didn't need that because in between clans these terms application varied because there wasn't a rubric or standard to base it off just from word from word and looking and observing at other clans armies and battles. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 08:21, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

How can you claim he absolutely was not samurai? Is there conclusive evidence he was not? Lifterus (talk) 06:56, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

There is plenty of evidence and link of us explaining how he most likely wasn't, it is actually the opposite, there is really not conclusive evidence he was a "Samurai" like no battles only once we know for sure he fought and surrendered, some claim that he "fought" on the a Nobunaga's conquest but we don't have any retails of such a thing and if Yasuke was brought it was most likely, as in the primary source stated, was just there carrying the weapons of the Shogun and other appliances, if you go to twitter there's people stating "Samurai" is basically a full time solider LMAO which is a super super gross oversimplification which is stemming, again, from the English language lax attitude with the Japanese language because they obviously don't care that much, because realistically why would they? It's not their country, and again that is not going to change anything from that fictional game is coming out. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 08:28, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Nothing you said is evidence he wasn't a samurai. You're making baseless assumptions. What we do know about him is that contemporary sources described him as a 'vassal' who received a stipend and a decorative short sword. That alone is strong evidence he may have been one. We also know the writer who said 'stipend' used that term exclusively in his writings 8 other times, and all described payment to samurai. We know he was fighting Akechi attackers when they convinced him to surrender and he was returned to the Portuguese. His story mirrors William Adams. Adams obviously had no samruai lineage and he never married into one. Yet he is described as a samurai without much controversy. There is more than enough circumstantial evidence for everyday English speakers and even historians to presume Yasuke was a samurai and refer to him as such, especially in the context of pop culture.

I understand Wikipedia needs more than this circumstantial evidence. For the article to call him a samurai there should be records showing he clearly met what is considered strict definition of samurai at the time (even though nobody seems to agree on what that is). So it's probably correct for the article not to say he was a samurai (which it didn't before the edit war). But to claim Yasuke was unequivocally not a samurai in the face of all this circumstantial evidence is even more presumptuous than the claims that he definitely was one. Lifterus (talk) 09:18, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

"we do know about him is that contemporary sources described him as a 'vassal' who received a stipend and a decorative short sword. That alone is strong evidence he may have been one."

No it is not, the fact that he received those thing were not because he proved his usefulness to the shogun in any way, those were gift from the Shogun because he was very clearly interested in him and your own statement you literally stated strong evidence he MAY, that is not true and is just a speculation, the word 'vassal' isn't even indicative he was a Samurai if anything it's a closer to the word 'retainer' or 'Kosho', not Samurai.

"We know he was fighting Akechi attackers when they convinced him to surrender and he was returned to the Portuguese"

Yes but in the writing of Froi's, as I stated before in this page, the writing's never specified who went to the aid of Nobunaga's son, the writing only states '黒人奴隷が' which translates to Black slave not '弥助' (assuming it was Yasuke which is not reliable based on the account).

"His story mirrors William Adams"

I'm sorry but that is just not true in anyway, arguably Williams was of more help than Yasuke ever was, he aid on the civil war of Sekigahara and train the troops of the Shogun in firing cannon and work under him as a key advisor, and listen in this very page arguable we mostly agreed that he isn't really a Samurai either but the evidence is stronger since he received the title of jikatatori hatamoto and in the highlight I provided stated that Tokugawa explicitly gave him the "title of Samurai" but still he really wasn't one he didn't have the nobility nor the lands for it, it was just a friendly thanks for his job, from the very few recountings we have from Yasuke he never obtained the same title other than retainer or "Kosho" and is stated that most of the time he was of company for the Nobunaga, we do have some kind of painting (which is arguable of who's the black person fighting against a sumo for entertainment as the Jesuits never really specified how many salves they brought, I do think the theory is he brough either two or three but we don't have a detailed accounting of it.

"Yet he is described as a samurai without much controversy. There is more than enough circumstantial evidence for everyday English speakers and even historians to presume Yasuke was a samurai and refer to him as such, especially in the context of pop culture."

Yea he's described as such because people don't care about Japanese culture nor do they understand the nuance of it. There is not "enough circumstantial evidence to claim "he was a Samurai" I'm sorry but that is just wishful thinking and a oversimplification of the Japanese feudal system as many believe "Samurai" were just people who were "full-time soldiers" which is not accurate in any way, and the Historian who "presume" he was a "Samurai" like Lockley is not a reliable source, his book "African Samurai" is literally 90% percent baseless speculations and I'm not joking when I tell you it's not good, literally in his book he claims "Yasuke had descendants" with literally zero proof at all and that is most of his book, he also is guilty of being too lax with the use of the words like Bushi/Samurai interchangeably which they shouldn't be. Finally it shouldn't be important that Yasuke is portrayed in media as a Samurai or if the people want to "believe is true", anime literally gender-bend historical figures as cute anime girls like Tesla, King Arthur and other figures and nobody is angry at it but the problem is if people started to see those anime girls and try to argue, "See? Tesla was a woman he wasn't a man history was changed because of Misogyny, Tesla was a woman!" people are trying to rewrite history and trying to pass speculations and very little evidence as "definitive proof" that Yasuke was a Samurai, which evidence shows he wasn't, again I understand if you don't like that but we cannot change Wikipedia to suit a narrative, we need an unbiased look at history and situations like these are dangerous if we don't abide by the facts.

"I understand Wikipedia needs more than this circumstantial evidence. For the article to call him a samurai there should be records showing he clearly met what is considered strict definition of samurai at the time(even though nobody seems to agree on what that is)."

But we do have the records and it evidence shows he wasn't a Samurai and he did not met that "strict definition" on any way, he just became a retainer because Oda Nobunaga too a liking to him, I'm sorry.

"...But to claim Yasuke was unequivocally not a samurai in the face of all this circumstantial evidence is even more presumptuous than the claims that he definitely was one."

Again I'm sorry but you cannot claim "it's probably correct to say he wasn't a Samurai" and follow it up with "to claim Yasuke was unequivocally not a Samurai in the face of all theis circumstantial evidence is even more presumptuous", the circumstantial evidence and all the stories show, he was not a Samurai Don't say I'm being presumptuous I'm just sticking to the facts we mostly have. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 12:12, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

You're arguing about the inaccuracy of calling Yasuke a Samurai while in the same breath referring to Nobunaga as "the Shogun". Nobunaga never had the title of Shogun. The highest rank Nobunaga held while he was alive was Udaijin. Never once was Nobunaga given or held the title of Shogun.

And while everything you say sounds great in terms of:

"There is plenty of evidence and link of us explaining how he most likely wasn't"

There isn't. Until you can produce reputably published material that explicitly says that Yasuke was not a Samurai, you cannot definitively state that he was not a Samurai no matter how much you might feel that there is a mountain of evidence to suggest he isn't, the fact remains that until you can provide sources that definitively state he was not a Samurai, you are merely engaging in specultation and Wikipedia:OR. You may not interpert primary sources in your work on Wikipedia, see: "Any interpretation of primary source material requires a reliable secondary source for that interpretation"

In terms of evidence for Yasuke being a Samurai, Lockley's book is still a reliable secondary source, regardless of if certain users of Wikipedia feel that the translation Lockley makes of the primary text is poorly done. Lockley is a known scholar and Associate Professor at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo. He has published numerous academic articles about Japan, including a version of the book that is written and published in Japanese.

You have done nothing in the case of arguing that Yasuke isn't a Samurai beyond doing a whole lot of Wikipedia:OR. You also contend that "he's described as such because people don't care about Japanese culture nor do they understand the nuance of it", which is fallacious at best. The Japanese editors on the Japanese Wikipedia have had no problem including Yasuke as a Samurai. There are numerous Japanese productions which depict Yasuke as a Samurai, dating all the way back to the 90s with the Nobunaga's Ambition video games. There are Japanese content creators who have created videos speaking about Yasuke as "the most famous foreign Samurai". For someone who claims that only people ignorant of Japanese culture are saying that Yasuke was a Samurai, you seem awfully content to ignore the large amount of Japanese individuals that say he was a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 22:04, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Yea you're right Nobunaga was never really a Shogun it was super late it's my mistake.

"Until you can produce reputably published material that explicitly says that Yasuke was not a Samurai, you cannot definitively state that he was not a SamuraI"

I never say "definitely" in all of this page I've say that all the evidence we have is pointing towards the direction of him not being a Samurai, I'm not speculating on anything.

"Lockley's book is still a reliable secondary source"

One of his books (I haven't checked all of his books) African Samurai he literally states Yasuke had descendants with literally 0 evidence to support it, a person careless enough to make statements like that is not a reliable source, I'm sorry.

"including a version of the book that is written and published in Japanese."

Having a book published doesn't mean anything to be honest with you, "Irreversible Damage" was published in Japan too.

" Lockley is a known scholar and Associate Professor at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo."

Being a 'known scholar' doesn't exempt you from being arguably wrong in some areas.

"There are Japanese content creators who have created videos speaking about Yasuke as "the most famous foreign Samurai"

Okay you clearly came for twitter, listen is okay if you like Yasuke but again, we've been discussing this for days and all these threads, Primary source and the recounting point to Yasuke not being really a Samurai. Japanese shows showing Yasuke as a Samurai is the same thing, they made a Movie with Tom cruise about as Williams no? He wasn't really a Samurai either, never did I claimed either Japanese people cared either about the person in history who most likely not know anything about the facts either, and I'm not saying they should, what we are saying is that most of the info we have point to Yasuke not being a Samurai and his page should stay unbiased. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 00:12, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Yes, his book speculates about the possible fate of Yasuke and if he had descendants, in a section of the book that is quite plainly delineated as specultation and "What If", as opposed to the sections of the book that are presented with sources. I'll also advise you kindly Wikipedia:No personal attacks. Once again, none of the primary sources explicitly state that Yasuke is not a Samurai. You have furnished no secondary sources to support your argument that Yasuke is not a Samurai. You are engaging in Wikipedia:OR by going "Primary source and the recounting point to Yasuke not being really a Samurai". We, as Wikipedia editors, are not allowed to interpert primary sources. Untill you can find a published, reliable, source that substantiates your claim that "Primary source and the recounting point to Yasuke not being really a Samurai", your feeling or understanding or reading of the primary source material is irrelevant. As I have said already, there are already reliable secondary sources which refer to Yasuke as a Samurai.

I am, once again, directing you to Wikipedia:RELIABILITY as well as Wikipedia:FORUM. X0n10ox (talk) 08:37, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

“We, as Wikipedia editors, are not allowed to interpert primary sources.”

I think you might have misunderstood something. You seem to be stating that we should not look at primary sources at all. This would be a mistake: one must look at primary sources to evaluate the reliability and verifiability of any secondary sources.

From WP:PSTS (emphasis mine):

• Wikipedia articles should be based on reliable, published secondary sources, and to a lesser extent, on tertiary sources and primary sources. Secondary or tertiary sources are needed to establish the topic's notability and avoid novel interpretations of primary sources. All analyses and interpretive or synthetic claims about primary sources must be referenced to a secondary or tertiary source and must not be an original analysis of the primary-source material by Wikipedia editors.

Appropriate sourcing can be a complicated issue, and these are general rules. Deciding whether primary, secondary, or tertiary sources are appropriate in any given instance is a matter of good editorial judgment and common sense, and should be discussed on article talk pages.

So far, all of the secondary sources describing Yasuke as samurai or koshō (page boy) are not backed by any primary sources. This makes such claims problematic. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 10:07, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

No, I am not implying that you should not look at primary sources. I am saying, however, that looking at a primary source and using your own interpertation of the primary source to discredit scholarly research is a violation of Wikipedia:NOR. As you so kindly mentioned Wikipedia:PSTS, allow me to provide my own emphasis:

"Any interpretation of primary source material requires a reliable secondary source for that interpretation. While a primary source is generally the best source for its own contents, even over a summary of the primary source elsewhere, do not put undue weight on its contents.."

People making sweeping interpertations that the primary sources indicate that Yasuke was not a Samurai is factually unsupported by the texts themselves and likewise unsubstantiated by any secondary source. Meanwhile, there are plenty of Secondary Sources which fit the criteria of reliability for Wikipedia which do state Yasuke was a Samurai.

You are, in essence, arguing against other, published works such as Lockley's book that do work from primary sources and that do say that Yasuke was a Samurai and discounting them because you believe that your own translation and own interpertation of the primary source is "more correct". That is Wikipedia:OR

"Wikipedia articles must not contain original research. On Wikipedia, original research means material—such as facts, allegations, and ideas—for which no reliable, published source exists. This includes any analysis or synthesis of published material that reaches or implies a conclusion not stated by the sources. To demonstrate that you are not adding original research, you must be able to cite reliable, published sources that are directly related to the topic of the article and directly support"

You cannot imply or reach a conclusion that is not supported by published material nor can you imply or reach a conclusion which is not stated by the sources. None of the primary sources say that Yasuke was not a Samurai. You all have provided no secondary sources that say Yasuke was not a Samurai. All you have done is tout your own translation as a means to discredit sources which do not agree with you while also drawing the conclusion that Yasuke was not a Samurai, something which is, again, not stated by any source that isn't, well, yourself and your compatriots. X0n10ox (talk) 10:45, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Once again, there is quite literally a primary source written by a contemporary of Yasuke's who describes him as being a retainer by virtue of describing him receiving 扶持 from Nobunaga. Again, by definition, 扶持 refers strictly to the stipend paid to retain retainers in the Sengoku era. You cannot simply declare that Yasuke wasn't a retainer of Nobunaga's just because it does not fit your narrative. Furthermore, in terms of Secondary Sources, the Lockley is currently being discounted on account of one singular interpertation of the translation that is, itself, flawed. I would remind everyone that Wikipedia:NOR states: "Any interpretation of primary source material requires a reliable secondary source for that interpretation [Emphasis mine]. While a primary source is generally the best source for its own contents, even over a summary of the primary source elsewhere, do not put undue weight on its contents". As the user in question is discounting a reliable source by way of his own translation of the primary source text, it is inadmissible because it constitutes original research. Until a secondary source is adequately provided to dismiss the Lockley piece, it remains a credible source. X0n10ox (talk) 21:42, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I think we’re getting away from the point. The fact is we don’t know if Yasuke was or wasn’t a samurai with 100% certainty. But it is not our job to interpret sources with anecdotal evidence. If there are conflicting sources on the topic then the article should present all significant viewpoints both for and against.—TriiipleThreat (talk) 10:57, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I don't think that's fair or helpful. That would be dishonest. There are no reliable historical sources so far calling him a samurai. He's only depicted as samurai in some fiction and we already have a Popular culture section. Fiction and history are not equally reputable when it comes to facts about a historical figure. Wikipedia is not a blog for historical speculation. DemianStratford (talk) 14:23, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

It's not fair to say that it is "up in the air" whether he is a samurai or not, this is just lazy and unacceptable in an academic view in a historical context. There is nothing even suggesting he is a warrior, let alone a samurai. The only job that is described he was doing was carrying tools, so it is very likely he was an attendant. There is no specificity on what tools he carried, so he can't be given a title such as Kosho, these things have formality and they matter in feudal politics. You cannot speculate something like a title such as kosho because they are often de jure given as a form of a recognition, such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi being the sandal-bearer for Nobunaga, a very prestigious role for an ashigaru (also historians have gone out of their way to say that Hideyoshi was not a samurai during this time and we cannot say he was a samurai until he married his wife One in 1561, since she was from a Minamoto background).

Fighting in Honno-ji does not equate to him being a warrior, because even attendants were expected to fill in combative roles, the difference between that and full-time warriors is that the warriors (ashigaru, samurai, anyone in between) were trained whereas the attendants weren't. There is no evidence that Yasuke was trained, in fact 15 months is considerably low to consider that. Hexenakte (talk) 15:18, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Coming in as nothing more than a casual watcher of this page (been in my watchlist for years) and no stake in whether Yasuke should be considered a samurai, I can't help but notice that you often speak of "historians" making definitions about the samurai (such as samurai being a hereditary social class and individuals not being samurai until they married into nobility) and thus that they don't consider Yasuke as a samurai. Can you provide your sources, especially those that define "samurainess" in the Sengoku period this way? _dk (talk) 21:22, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Before I start this explanation I just want to start with an apology; it seems I missed the memo that secondary sources were mandatory to support my point and that I couldn't use primary sources as justification. This is my fault, since I am new on the Wikipedia and did not realize this until @X0n10ox pointed it out. I am not used to arguing with secondary sources since I typically default to primary sources for evidence because they typically provide more insight than secondary sources could, although I do use secondary sources for extra research in case if I missed something. I just don't typically use it for evidence due to its potential unreliability, and none of the claims that I make are mine alone, they typically are supported by others way before me. So with that out of the way, I will use secondary sources that support my claims from now on, although I hope that those on this page will forgive me if I also use primary source evidence to further support the claims alongside those secondary sources, if this is not an issue. None of this is meant to be in bad faith, it was a misunderstanding on my part.

Now, when I was referring to "other historians" regarding Toyotomi Hideyoshi, I made the wrong assumption that this was common knowledge; that he was a sandal-bearer while also being a peasant ashigaru, and notably not a samurai. [5] This page mentions this, but it seems to get the order of events mixed up such as him meeting his wife in 1573 instead of 1561, and even what name he had at the time. But this point in time is still before he officially became samurai, in fact when reading again, there seems to be a mix of theories surrounding him (notably from the jp:豊臣秀吉 page) and nothing is really concrete before he became Hashiba Hideyoshi. The surname is really important in determining someone's aristocratic status, and it seems unclear (At least to me right now, I will need to look into this more at a later time) when these names appear or where they came from. It is understood that when Hideyoshi had married his wife, he was considered the son-in-law of Asano Nagakatsu, and was closely related to Asano Nagamasa. It is really difficult to find exact details about the surname change within the marriage which is why I am perplexed. To put it into perspective:

There are claims, such as in the Taiko Soseiki, that his father's name was Kinoshita Yaemon, and that Hideyoshi was known as Tokichiro Kinoshita, but then it is also claimed that Kinoshita is actually his wife's maternal surname. Whatever the case may be, I am not in a position to answer which one is correct for right now because I have no idea. When he was Hashiba Hideyoshi - a name that is claimed to be the combination of Niwa Nagahide and Shibata Katsuie, two senior vassals of Oda Nobunaga, supposedly given by Nobunaga himself in 1573 - is the earliest guarantee we can consider him a samurai, since when he gave out the name Hashiba to his retainers, it was treated as a family name, and also because of just how unknown his overall history is before 1570, but this is not discrediting his marriage, it's just a lot of conflicting information that I cannot guarantee confirmation at the moment. He claimed an imperial lineage from the Taira clan (either a forgery or as part of his connection to the Oda Clan, as the Oda descended from the Taira) in 1583 writing his name as "TAIRA no Hideyoshi" (taken from jp:豊臣氏 where they list the Kugyo Bunin, unfortunately I have not had enough time to find it), then in 1585 when he was adopted into the Konoe family, specifically the former Kampaku Konoe Sakihisa, it changed to "FUJIWARA no Hideyoshi", then finally changed to "TOYOTOMI no Hideyoshi" when bestowed by the Emperor by imperial proclamation in 1586.[6]

When we're talking about surnames themselves as a way of determining who would be a samurai, [7] this covers how surnames often were privileges of aristocracy (true surnames (aristocrats/samurai) vs bynames (peasants)). True surnames were recognized as part of their actual name whereas bynames were used more to disambiguate between individuals, but were not officially recognized (and therefore would be referred to by their given name in a official manner). The first chart (bigger chart here [8] but not fully comprehensive) show samurai clan surnames, and the second chart (kuge surnames) show the surnames of kuge, which were the aristocratic families part of the kugyo that were above samurai.

Here's a more direct one. [9] This one specifically indicates the nobility of the samurai class and why it is distinct from other bushi, such as jizamurai:

"Originally, this was a term for the class of low-ranking technical palace officials up to the sixth rank who worked for aristocracy and Shodaibu (aristocracy lower than Kugyo), but eventually was used to define the bushi, who were technical palace officials with military skills. The position of bushi originally had two classes, the militaristic aristocracy with the position of shodaibu, and the ordinary bushi with the position of samurai.

As time passed, the range of bushi class was expanded and jizamurai (local samurai) with positions lower than samurai were also considered bushi while the term samurai began to indicate upper class bushi. For example, "the Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam" (Nipojisho, Japanese-Portuguese Dictionary), published in early seventeen century, gave the meaning of the terms Buxi and Mononofu as 'bujin' (warrior) and 'gunjin' (military man), respectively, however, Saburai was translated as 'a nobleman or person to be respected', suggesting that samurai were special people within the bushi class.

Strictly speaking, upper class bushi indicates the class of bushi who had the right to fight on horseback, which had been used to define bushi since the beginning of the bushi class."

And look there, I suggested Bujin (武人) up above as a term to refer to non-samurai bushi, and it is corroborated here as well. The Nipojisho was published in 1603, the same year the Tokugawa shogunate had established itself and made the kachi-gumi (foot soldier team specifically denoted to be distinguished warriors above ashigaru but also were non-samurai),[10] however when looking at the dictionary,[11] I could find no such word (checking for Aprendizes ("Apprentices") translated from Kachi (徒士), this term did not appear and neither did Kachi or similar, although I am open to those who could find it), so it is safe to assume that this applies to pre-Edo period terminology, and therefore before Ieyasu codified the class system to be more distinct.

There is the claim that Toyotomi Hideyoshi made the class system more rigid, this is supported as denoted by his Separation Edict in 1591. Although this may seem like it, it seems that it was not heavily enforced as (once again using ParallelPain to show he originally had this viewpoint, although he seems to mix up bushi and samurai, but its likely just demonstrating its referring to the wakato (若党, foot soldier))[12] this post explains - which he lists his source as (平井上総. 兵農分離はあったのか. 2017; if anyone could find this source for further analysis this would be great) - that Toyotomi Hideyoshi's main concern was preparing for the invasions into Korea, where it is documented that there were several desertions made by the buke hokonin (warrior servants) in spite of the Separation Edict, and that Hideyoshi wanted to ensure a steady tax revenue from the peasantry. and this also corroborates with the Wikipedia article that details the section about Shosaku Takagi (Shosaku Takagi, 日本近世国家史の硏究 (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1990), 279). So, it was not entirely enforced as Hideyoshi had alot of matters on his hands.

That being said, this would not be enforced until the Edo period under the Tokugawa Shogunate, which as I mentioned the denoting between Kachi and Samurai (they use Kishi (騎士)). However we are not talking about the Edo period, which set the class structure in stone, we are talking about strictly from the Sengoku period, where it was more fluid, however, the class structure was de jure already there (as ParallelPain notes), and it was maintained well into the Edo period, the main difference being made was the classification of these groups were not always the same, but the groups always had existed, and it was always referring to "samurai status".

Now the entire point I am making is that, yes, the class structure existed before Hideyoshi, and it existed well into the Edo period. It never actually changed as far as status goes, the only thing that changed was de facto how easy or how hard it would be to raise or lower your status, which during the Sengoku period, it was relatively weak as demonstrated by the Imperial Court sending out a lot more titles in this period (most likely for a price),[13] and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but he still had to go through the hoops of changing his surname to account for it, meaning he had to get adopted, married, etc.[14]

And if you want additional information on how far the imperial and even divine lineages these clans claim through genealogical records (and this is visible on the Japanese clans page, plus descendants of Fujiwara, Taira, Minamoto, Tachibana, etc).[15] Do note that most clans have their own genealogical records to prove (genuine or forged) these ancestral lineages, and they will make it very apparent when visiting these clan pages.

Ok, so this took a lot longer to write out than I had initially planned, I had started this last night and it ended up taking several hours to write out, so I want to use this opportunity to go over the current secondary source (Lockley) being used to justify Yasuke as samurai, and anything else under one big post since I have to wrap this up. The idea of academic sources missing the mark on Japanese history is relatively apparent. As an example, Stephen Turnbull, arguably the most well known English source on Japanese History, is notorious for being wrong or using outdated information,[16][17][18] and to this day still insists on using this information. The fact that English Wikipedia still largely uses Stephen Turnbull as the main source of most of our understanding of Japanese history just goes to show the rigidness of Wikipedia, and why there is such a large disconnect between English and Japanese Wikipedia on Japanese History.

For Lockley's case, we see a similar problem. One big red flag is that his book on Yasuke is 480 pages long. His Japanese edition is much slimmer, however it seems to be just as speculative as evidenced by Japanese reviewers here.[19] We only have a handful of primary sources on Yasuke directly, and very little indirectly (as demonstrated above in ParallelPain's defense of Yasuke). Here in this full interview of Thomas Lockley on his book[20], you can see that he admits a lot of creative liberty based off of speculation and assumptions. I will timestamp the following:

5:30 he admits there are only a few paragraphs or a couple pages of primary sources actually talking about Yasuke.

6:30 he admits that he started it as a fictional historical account on Yasuke.

8:35 he again states that his book is a "narrative" story while the Japanese edition is more "factual", so English readers aren't even getting the "correct" story by his own words (the jp:弥助 shows that the Japanese are using the USA "narrative" version).

12:55 he again shows the Japanese version as the "academic" version (which appears to still be speculative) while the English version is the "narrative" version, obviously indicating it was not meant to be looked at academically.

20:40 he makes a very poor attempt to define why Yasuke is a samurai stating "[He] was employed, he was given a sword [wakizashi], he was given a residence, he was given servants of his own (no proof indicating this), he was given a stipend...basically being a samurai, you're Japanese...there were no formal laws about that, but that's the assumption" (Emphasis mine, and he is incorrect about laws indicating it, the Shoidabu[21] specifically refers to what we know as the "samurai class" as an aristocracy under the original Ritsuryo system, and even in the abandonment of the Ritsuryo system in the Heian Period (that is, enforced), the nobles under this class were extremely powerful as provincial governors and were responsible for the weakening of the Imperial Court in the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate.)

25:05 it is suggested that just after a month of meeting Nobunaga, Yasuke became a samurai (From the beginning of his service under the Oda it took Toyotomi Hideyoshi 3 years to become one if we go by his marriage (likely), or 15 years if we go by his surname change to Hashiba).

29:00 he states that he used sources of other unknown Africans in Japan that were described in other sources where the identity was not confirmed, but suggested it was under the assumption that they were "possibly Yasuke".

29:45 he states that he made "research-based assumptions" for his work, including one about his efforts with the Jesuits in a "different battle" without specifying.

The rest of the video is discussing the contents in the book and reasons for justifying it by using outside examples but none of them are tied to Yasuke himself, so it is merely speculation.

And this is not even covering the contents of the book itself, these are the author's words, which some excerpts are mentioned that are completely fabricated in the book and treated as fact. It's even mentioned in this talk page how he is coming up with speculative theories about how Yasuke had descendants that lived in Japan, despite no proof suggesting it, and I do not see how this is considered academic in any slightest. I really suggest watching this full interview, it is eye-opening the kind of thought process that was used to justify the stuff that is written in his book, baffling. It is, at best, historical fiction. There is absolutely no way this can be taken as a reliable academic source with it being heavily fiction in this manner, none of it can be proven beyond what is described in the primary sources we have access to. As far as I know, since primary sources have been used as sources in Wikipedia articles (Ota Gyuichi's Chronicles of Lord Nobunaga is directly cited as a standalone source in Uesugi Kenshin's page and the Shincho Koki is cited as a standalone source in Oda Nobutada's page as examples), there is no reason to believe that we have to have a secondary source if that secondary source is blatantly false, we have to go by what is verifiable.

I think I have spent enough time explaining my case and I hope this is a sufficient explanation, and I do ask that @X0n10ox not claim that I am being disingenuous or arguing in bad faith, none of what I argued previously was from my own original thoughts, they were often supported by others as well, even the Bujin claim which I saw was suggested by a Japanese user. I will need to step out for a while due to being very busy in my life, but I will return if requested. Hexenakte (talk) 18:54, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

You've made a well reasoned post and supported it with evidence. My initial response Re: Bujin is that kicking around an unsubstantiated claim is not applicable to Wikipedia. And as well researched and thought out as this reply is, the fact does still remain that there is scholarship which refers to Yasuke as a Samurai in English. Moreover, the understanding of what a Samurai is in English encapsulates what you would consider to be Bushi or Bujin. As a case in point, Bushi on Wikipedia disambiguates to Samurai. In English, most people think of "Bushido" as "The Way of the Samurai", not "The Way of the Bushi", etc.

I am not saying "LIST YASUKE AS A SAMURAI, HE HAS TO BE A SAMURAI", I am saying that per the mission of Wikipedia we have to include majority as well as minority views that exist in Published work. This resolution was even agreed upon in the past discussions about Yasuke's Samurai status, with solutions being offered (but never enacted), that it be mentioned certain historians claim he was a Samurai or otherwise to denote that the usage of Samurai in the English understanding of the world versus the hereditary understanding. See: Samurai#Changing_the_definitions_of_"samurai"_and_"bushi" which notes "Since the Meiji era, samurai and bushi have been used synonymously". X0n10ox (talk) 11:04, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

It is really not appropriate to use modern definitions for words or concepts distinctly different in a historical time period, a term that actually has a lot of weight behind it. Wikipedia has used historical terms to describe other people or concepts because modern definitions simply did not fit and it would be inappropriate (See: Uji (clan), Omi (title), Muraji, Taikun, Jizamurai etc.).

There is no reason to suggest the same for the hereditary-established warrior aristocracy since it was a term established under the Ritsuryo system but became affiliated with the samurai under the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate (Lords/Daimyo were typically "Shodaibu" (Fourth or Fifth Rank Nobles (from the shii (四位, fourth rank) or goi (五位, fifth rank), considered "high rank samurai"), below Kugyo)[22], and figures such as the Minamoto and Taira lines have came from the Shodaibu ranking). Those below the Shodaibu would form the main samurai class, however they were still officially recognized by the Ritsuryo system and therefore considered a lesser noble (地下,jige) as Rokui (六位, sixth rank) or lower.[23][24][25][26]

In many cases, while a lot more fluid under the Sengoku Period,[27][28][29] they still operated under the rankings of the Ritsuryo system, the main problem was that it was not often checked or enforced beyond immediate adoption or marriage, which is why Toyotomi Hideyoshi managed to rise to the highest aristocrat rank of Kampaku in such little time. This wouldn't change until the Edo Period when the Tokugawa made it where regardless of court rank, the samurai would have to approach the shogun before they can approach the Imperial Court.

That being said, a lot of this stems from those being under the adoption of another high-ranking samurai, which happened often during the Sengoku period. Surnames are practically a requirement (true aristocratic surnames as contrasted by bynames as I pointed out above) to be considered of samurai status, which Yasuke was never given.

If we want to get even more technical, the original pronunciation of the word was "Saburai" as evidenced by the Nipojisho dictionary above, as well as the kanji term (侍, historically pronounced as さぶらい "Saburai"), which was referred to as a noble person (specifically warrior). The fact that you say "[since] the Meiji era, samurai and bushi have been used synonymously" shows that it was a different meaning prior to the Meiji era, and is not accurate in the historical context of the terms.

If we really have to, it is not unreasonable to set these terms to be more specific to the historical period, considering we already have multiple wikipedia articles doing this as I pointed out above (not that it has to be under separate articles but that it be clearly delineated to match the time period). And to get to your point on bushi/bujin disambiguating to samurai, people will see the term "Jizamurai" and think "Oh that means samurai", yet it is given its own article specifically denoting that it is not part of the samurai status (and this is supported by the fact they were largely affiliated with the Ikko-Ikki).

.

Now to get back to the point regarding Lockley (and this is going to be a response to your posts from earlier before I woke up), just because Lockley remains the main source on Yasuke for this article for 7 years does not have any bearing on his reliability, in many cases (and also in my case) people were not aware of Lockley or his work until recently when Yasuke started becoming more of a mainstream figure. It's not reasonable to suggest that status quo, credentials or publications is a reason to keep Lockley's book as a secondary source here. If there must be a mention on Lockley's work, it should be presented, at most, as a "theory", just like how Uesugi Kenshin has the Female Uesugi Kenshin theory. As to presenting both sides, you can have Lockley claim that he is a Samurai, but it should be noted how most of Lockley's claims are based on conjecture or assumptions and not based on the evidence given, which is true by Lockley's own words stated in his interview. Considering very few academic sources are on Yasuke who claim he is a Samurai, this would easily be considered a "significant minority".

As for the Lopez-Vera academic source, I have not looked into that, but usually in the case of Yasuke, who I also looked at Danny Chaplin here,[30] they tend to come out of thin air with their own imagination:

"In fact, it seems that the belief that Yasuke was a samurai comes from a children’s book called Kuro-suke. Published in 1968, the children’s book tells the story of Yasuke’s life and ends after the death of Nobunaga, where Yasuke finds himself at a temple, dreams of his parents in Africa and weeps.(10) This story slowly evolved into becoming fact when there is little to prove otherwise."

You can have 50 academic sources all claiming this, but if they are as wrong as Lockley, then there is no business in including it, as a principle by the essay WP:NOTFALSE ("If five reliable sources repeat an incorrect fact, then that does not justify repeating a known falsehood"). Hexenakte (talk) 20:26, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

Yes, "Wikipedia has used historical terms to describe other people or concepts because modern definitions simply did not fit and it would be inappropriate (See: Uji (clan), Omi (title), Muraji, Taikun, Jizamurai etc.)."

Wikipedia has used those, and you'll note that all of those things have their own Wikipedia page. Now, then, I direct you to the Wikipedia page on Bushi. Bushi (warrior), which just redirects to Samurai. Again, Wikipedia:Use_plain_English , Wikipedia:Use modern language and, Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use English) applies to this discourse on whether to use "Bushi" or "Samurai" because the existing consensus on Wikipeida is that Bushi is synonymous with Samurai.

If you want to go out and completely change the way Wikipedia currently functions re: Bushi vs Samurai, you're more than welcome to go try and do that. But as it presently stands, for all intents and purposs, Bushi and Samurai mean the same thing on Wikipedia. Directing you once again to Samurai#Changing_the_definitions_of_"samurai"_and_"bushi" and reiterating that the page on Yasuke is not the place to redefine what Bushi or Samurai mean in terms of its usage on Wikipedia.

If you want to proceed on a basis massively overhauling Wikipedia to create a more nuanced definition between Bushi and Samurai, you're more than free to attempt that undertaking, of course, but as it stands presently in the conversation, there is no distinction between a Bushi and a Samurai on Wikipedia.

As for your soruce , this source is dubious at best, see Wikipedia:SPS. Your source of "Danny Chaplin" is actually a blog by some other person who briefly quotes Danny Chaplin, writing "Another member of [Nobunaga’s] entourage whom we have not yet spoken of up until now was Nobunaga’s remarkable 6’ 2” coloured page, attired somewhat incongruously in full samurai armour, whose name was Yasuke."

The section which you have highlighted, comes not from a quote from Danny Chaplin, but rather, the personal opinion of the blog owner who had previously cited Chaplin. I am sure that is just an innocent mistake on your part, but it is important with how stringently you are seeming to scour sources, to make sure the sources you are providing you are accurately citing.

And in terms of Wikipedia:NOTFALSE, it beehoves me to mention "True to the present" is likewise listed as things which an article should maintain. Which, again, if by modern understanding of the facts Yasuke is considered a Samurai, than there is no reason not to include that on the article.

Furthermore, this article which predates Lockley's work refers to Yasuke as a Samurai. And I will again contend,Wikipedia:Verifiability, not truth.

"Editors may not add information to articles simply because they believe it to be true, nor even if they know it to be true"

It does in fact matter if there are 50+ Academic Sources claiming something that is "just as wrong as Lockley", because there are no substantiated sources that oppose it. You, as an editor, are not allowed to censor or gatekeep the article based upon what you feel to be true or factual. Again, per Wikipedia:Verifiability,_not_truth#Why not? "Because truth is not always something as clear and unquestionable as we may desire. In many cases, such as in many questions related to social sciences, there is no "truth" but simply opinions and assumptions.

Per Wikipedia:NPOV it absolutely matters if there are 50+ Academic sources that all say Yasuke was a Samurai, even if you or others consider them to be historically incorrect. Re: NPOV, "This policy is non-negotiable". To maintain neutrality, it must necessairly represent what exists in published works, and simply ignoring that a bunch of sources say Yasuke was a Samurai is not maintaining NPOV. The problem with the essay you cited is the phrase "known falsehoods".

If I were to say the Titanic never sank, and I then somehow published that in a book, that would constitute a "known falsehood", because we know it is not true.

Saying Yasuke is a Samurai does not demonstrate a known falsehood. As has been repeatedly argued on this page, the primary documents do not explicitly say that he was and they do not say that he wasn't. There is nothing but competing interpertations of the primary materials, where some are interperting the primary source as showing Yasuke was a Samurai and others are interperting the primary materials to say that it doesn't explicitly say he was a Samurai.

Arguing that "no historical document officially lists him as a Samurai" is not establishing that calling Yasuke a Samurai is a known falsehood. and to direct you to the conclusion of that essay, "We should consider if the text is true enough to be in Wikipedia, based on common-sense notions of the truth, and true balance, of current information as viewed by people educated about a topic."

There is no way to definitiely demonstrate that Yasuke being a Samurai is a "known falsehood", because there is no definitive historical record of him being one, or not being one, and that should be represented on the article if there are scholars who are interperting the primary texts to say Yasuke was probably a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 00:49, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

The section at Samurai#Changing_the_definitions_of_"samurai"_and_"bushi" had previously included the statement that, "Since the Meiji era, samurai and bushi have been used synonymously." However, neither of the two references given to back this statement make any such claim:

• 武士と侍（サムライ）の違い (in Japanese). The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Nagoya Touken World. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
• 武士の上位階級 侍とは (in Japanese). The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum Nagoya Touken World. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2024.

Consequently, I have removed this statement. I would not be opposed to its readdition, with two caveats: 1) any such readdition includes references that actually back up this contention, and 2) any such readdition clarifies that this conflation of the terms "samurai" and "bushi" applies to modern casual use (since historians, etc. still use the terms with specific, non-conflated meanings). ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 19:15, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

I second this, the issue with the conflation of the terms in a historical context must be addressed if it is to be readded. Hexenakte (talk) 19:30, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Are you just assuming it doesn't say that? Did you not read the sources? それでは、武士と侍の間に、このような決定的な違いがあるのにもかかわらず、現代ではなぜ、同じような意味を持つ言葉として認識されているのでしょうか。is in the first section of the first source. I'll restore the edit under the assumption you didn't bother reading it. XeCyranium (talk) 23:01, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

@XeCyranium, mea culpa. I've re-read both, and the second source should remain omitted, but you are correct that the first source does include that line. When re-adding, please add a note that this conflation is limited to casual modern use. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:40, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Should this not be on Talk:Samurai rather than here? X0n10ox (talk) 22:45, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

I second this, the evidence is just not there, and again the Wikipedia page is not gonna stop media portraying Yasuke as a Samurai in any way, we need the page to stay unbiased and mentioning "Historian 'largely agree'" isn't really relevant because most of the time is people citing Lockley which we already discussed is not a reliable source and most historian most likely use the words in a lax since they don't get pushback on using the word Samurai/Warrior interchangeably. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:32, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

To say the only job that was described for Yasuke was "carrying tools" is a great oversimplification of what that word actually means in the context of the Sengoku period, wherein a Samurai's spear was called their tool. The word used for "tools" also referred to a Samurai's weapons, meaning that Yasuke was a weapon-bearer for Oda Nobunaga. The only actual criticism of Lockley's book as a source that has been presented has been original research or an academic book review that was linked to, wherein the reviewer does not discredit Lockley's book as being uncredible but simply complains that Lockley does not use citations in-text and instead concludes the chapters with a bibliography. Nonethless, the reviewer does not recommend against the book, and in fact, wrote "Although this lens may not be detailed enough for the academic, African Samurai’s lively writing style does offer the reader of popular history and historical fiction a glimpse of

samurai values from late sixteenth century Japan". R. W. Purdy also writes in his review, "The omission of citations is not necessarily a question a veracity of the scholarship".

I present to you, secondary sources:

• Jozuka, Emiko (2019-05-20). "The legacy of feudal Japan's African samurai". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-18.Wikipedia:RSPCNN
• Magazine, Smithsonian; Germain, Jacquelyne (2023-01-10). "Who Was Yasuke, Japan's First Black Samurai?". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-18.Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 141#Smithsonian Magazine And for good measure, since I know you will try to dispute the reliability of the Smithsonian piece, I direct you to this real quickly.
• Moon, Kat (2021-04-30). "The True Story of Yasuke, the Legendary Black Samurai Behind Netflix's New Anime Series". TIME. Retrieved 2024-05-18. Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 109#TIME magazine
• Mohamud, Naima (2019-10-13). "Yasuke: The mysterious African samurai". BBC Home. Retrieved 2024-05-18.WP:RSPBBC
• Lockley, Thomas; Girard, Geoffrey (2019). African Samurai. ISBN 1-335-14102-2. Wikipedia:SCHOLARSHIP
• Manatsha, Boga Thura (2019-12-12). "Historicising Japan-Africa relations". Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies. Retrieved 2024-05-18. Wikipedia:SCHOLARSHIP It's a peer reviewed Academic journal which refers to Yasuke as a Samurai.

Lockley's book has been cited in academic articles in works in both Japanese and English:

• Manabu Koiso. "Siddhis, an African ethnic group in South Asia: Research notes." Bulletin of Kobe Yamate University 20 (2018): 173-189.
• Jayasuriya, Shihan de Silva. "African Slavery in Asia: Epistemologies across Temporalities and Space." 関西大学経済論集 72.特集 (2023): 9-39.
• Adem, Seifudein. "Making Sense of Japan’s Diplomacy in Africa." Africa’s Quest for Modernity: Lessons from Japan and China. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023. 113-127.

Given as Lockley's book is credible enough to be cited in multiple different peer-reviewed academic journals in both Japanese and English, it meets the criteria for Wikipedia:SCHOLARSHIP on the bases of being (1) A Secondary Source (2) A book published by a reputable publishing company (Hanover Square Press) and (3) It has been cited and thus entered academic discourse and (4) It was reviewed as part of a scholarly book review that found no major fault with the book, only a preference for in-text citations.

Another source reads: "It is worth pointing out that henceforth he was no longer a slave, since he received a salary for being in the daimyō’s service and enjoyed the same comforts as other vassals. He was granted the rank of samurai and occasionally even shared a table with Nobunaga himself, a privilege few of his trusted vassals were afforded" (109).

• Lopez-Vera, Jonathan (2020-06-02). A History of the Samurai. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-2134-8.

Dr. Jonathan Lopez-Vera, holds a PhD in Japanese History and an MA in World History from Pompeu Fabra University.

So, there you are. A whole bevy of secondary sources which conform to Wikipedia's reliability requirements, all of which say Yasuke is a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 10:24, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Again as Wikipedians we do not need to make any definite claims but X0n10ox has presented enough sources to neutrally word this viewpoint in the article per WP:V. Ignoring that this viewpoint exists is disingenuous at best and WP:OR at worst.—TriiipleThreat (talk) 16:41, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

See also WP:Verifiability, not truth. Thibaut (talk) 17:01, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree regarding policy, but just a few observations.

1. I may have misread the reliable sources policy, but for the BBC doesn't it have to be from the BBC History site to qualify as reliable on historical issues? The 2019 article appears from the general/news website.

2. Similarly the entry for CNN refers to "news broadcast". It's silent on historical issues.

3. The Smithsonian article has quotations from Natalia Doan but I can't see that she says Yasuke was a samurai.

4. I don't see why an article in Time magazine is relevant. It repeats Lockley's views. Did it go further than that in some way.

5. I know nothing about Pula and how reliable it is. My only concern would be that it appears to be a tertiary source. Is that allowed? John Smith's (talk) 13:46, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

According to the BBC Reliability, no, it doesn't have to be BBC History.

"This includes BBC News, BBC documentaries, and the BBC History site"

The BBC Piece is "By Naima Mohamud, BBC News"

CNN Is shaky.

The Smithsonian doesn't require Doan saying Yasuke is a Samurai for it to be a reliable source.

Again, Lockley being dismissed out of hand is not a foregone conclusion. Lockley has been cited, persistently, on the Yasuke page since at least 2017. Lockley has remained cited on "Yasuke" 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Through discussions on Lockley's credibility in the archive, Lockley remained on the page. If a consensus is developed that Lockley is an unreliable source, I am rather curious as to the rationale about why Lockley calling Yasuke a Samurai is unreliable, but the other citations referencing Lockley are not, and if Lockley is reliable enough for the other citations on Yasuke, why are sources that use Lockley dismissed out of hand?

And at the end of the day, there still remains

• Lopez-Vera, Jonathan (2020-06-02). A History of the Samurai. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-2134-8.

Dr. Jonathan Lopez-Vera's original spanish book has been cited at least 20 times in Spanish Academia, and the English version has been academically cited as well, which has a passage about Yasuke and refers to him as a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 07:59, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

I don't think that's how I read the reliability guide on the BBC. Otherwise, why is CNN limited just to broadcast news but anything the BBC reports about is immediately trustworthy? Do you have some sort of arbcom decision that confirms your position? Otherwise I think it must be read as saying that BBC History articles are reliable sources on historical issues, which is one reason it's specified (otherwise why mention BBC History at all).

As for the Smithsonian article, it was you that brought up the academic taking part in the interview. If she doesn't need to say that Yasuke is a samurai, then her involvement is irrelevant. You have to pick a consistent position. John Smith's (talk) 11:35, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

I don't have some sort of arbcom decision that confirms my position. I am merely stating what is written on Wikipedia:RSPBBC which reads:

BBC is a British publicly funded broadcaster. It is considered generally reliable. This includes BBC News, BBC documentaries, and the BBC History site (on BBC Online). However, this excludes BBC projects that incorporate user-generated content (such as h2g2 and the BBC Domesday Project) and BBC publications with reduced editorial oversight (such as Collective). Statements of opinion should conform to the corresponding guideline.

While Wikipedia:RSPCNN says:

There is consensus that news broadcast or published by CNN is generally reliable. However, iReport consists solely of user-generated content, and talk show content should be treated as opinion pieces. Some editors consider CNN biased, though not to the extent that it affects reliability.

The ruling on BBC is saying that "BBC News", "BBC Documentaries", and the "BBC History Site" are considered reliable sources outside of specific BBC projects which the BBC article does not fall into.

As for bringing up the Academic, I brought her up in response to someone that the article was just "written by a journalist who has no background in studying history" to point out that there was an actual historian involved in the Article, to the extent that it was touted as an interview by the academic's institution. I am not being inconsistent in saying that whether she made a statement about Yasuke being a Samurai is irrelevant. There were individuals who were painting the Source as entirely dismissable because it was "just written by some journalist", which I still find ironic considering how many of the cited sources on this article that they haven't complained about are also just written by journalists. X0n10ox (talk) 12:57, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

Sources Discussion

As it has been said to me multiple times that the consensus of the editors is that Thomas Lockley is an unreliable source and that sources which rely on Lockley as a reference are thus equally unreliable, then there needs to be some work done on the current sources used in this article. For instance, these citations in particular all use Lockley as a Reference and should be equally removed if Lockley and things derived from Lockley are unreliable.

• https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/yasuke_jp_609347f7e4b09cce6c26a9b2 [References Lockely] [・ロックリー・トーマス著、不二淑子訳 『信長と弥助――本能寺を生き延びた黒人侍――』 太田出版]
• https://bushoojapan.com/bushoo/oda/2024/02/22/14969 [Reference is Lockely and the Wikpedia article for Yasuke] | "【参考】 ロックリー トーマス／不二淑子『信長と弥助 本能寺を生き延びた黒人侍』（→amazon） 弥助／wikipedia" and appears to be some sort of blog?
• https://dot.asahi.com/articles/-/83724 | [References Lockley in Article | "　そう語るのは、日本大学法学部准教授で『信長と弥助　本能寺を生き延びた黒人侍』の著者、ロックリー・トーマスさんだ。自らと同じ外国人が、なんと戦国時代の日本で活躍したことに興味を抱き、弥助の研究を続けている。" and Lockley is mentioned on all three pages of the article, rendered as "ロックリー・トーマス"
• https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/05/02/the-real-yasuke-is-far-more-interesting-than-his-netflix-show/ | Article states "Yasuke was the subject of an excellent popular biography by Thomas Lockley and Geoffrey Girard titled African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan. Published in 2019, the book (which provided a wealth of information for this article) "

The following sources can also use some looking into, really, and I have annotated my reasons for their inclusion:

• https://www.ndl.go.jp/kaleido/entry/14/2.html | This source has an English equivalent, https://www.ndl.go.jp/kaleido/e/entry/14/2.html which we should probably use instead.
• https://www.huffingtonpost.jp/entry/yasuke_jp_609347f7e4b09cce6c26a9b2 | Not only does it reference Lockley, it appears to be about the Netflix Anime primarily or in response to the anime. Is this source actually credible even without the Lockley citation?
• https://web.archive.org/web/20150210020451/http://www.tbs.co.jp/f-hakken/bknm/20130608/p_1.html This is taken from a website affiliated a Japanese gameshow called Mystery Hunter, a Japanese Variety TV Show, which I don't know if this could be considered a reliable source?

And the following sources could do with some notation if anyone knows / wants to:

• Crasset, Jean (1925). 日本教会史 (Histoire de l'eglise du Japon) (in Japanese). 太陽堂書店 (Taiyōdō Bookshop)
• "Yasuke: le premier samouraï étranger était africain". Rfi.fr (in French). 2 January 2015. Archived from the original on 14 January 2020.
• Solier, François (9 May 2024). Histoire ecclésiastique des isles et royaumes du Japon [Ecclesiastical History of the Isles and Kingdoms of Japan] (in French). Vol. 1. p. 444.

The Crasset, "Yasuke", and Solier are all cited at the end of the paragraph and there is no clear notation as to what is being translated from which source. While not exactly a demand, but a request for the sake of clarity, .

X0n10ox (talk) 12:46, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

Japanese variety shows work like a sort of tabloid journalism. Here they are using the word "samurai" for entertainment effect, which is the same thing that the video game is doing (and certainly proof of the obvious fact that Japanese people are not reluctant to call Yasuke a samurai), but some people will not like it. NotBartEhrman (talk) 23:50, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

This is not a topic for discussing the validity of the term "Samurai" and whether or not it is applicable to Yasuke. This discussion thread is about the verifiability of sources currently in use on the page. If the consensus is that Lockley is unreliable, and sources that rely on Lockley should not be used, than the four sources I listed that relied on Lockley should likewise be removed.

As for the Variety Show, again, I'm questioning the reliability of it i.e if it is "a sort of tabloid journalism", that does not qualify as a reliable source as far as I am aware, and it should be removed. X0n10ox (talk) 00:12, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

I looked into the ndl site and while it doesn't have a lot to say about Yasuke, it can serve as a translated source for some information.

For the huffington post article, it uncomfortably mixes direct quotes from primary sources, commentary by the journalist, dramatization and mentions of derivative works so probably best to avoid unless we strictly stick to the quotes.

The tbs source is indeed not reliable. The person interviewed seems to be an actress and entertainer so probably not the best available.

I had already looked into the rfi article and it was a bit of a head scratcher. Most of its sources seems to come from wikipedia with some pretty dubious claims such as saying he was a slave and that his real name was Yasufe according to "recent studies" which they don't link to or give any precisions about.

I also looked into the book by Jean Crasset but couldn't find anything about Yasuke at the cited page in the original french so there might be discrepancies in the page count in the translation that is being cited. I'll try looking into it some more to find the original text but judging from the uses of the citations in the article it seems rather minor information, mostly about Yasuke being from Mozambique and coming to Japan with Jesuit missionaries which is already sourced elsewhere.

The Francois Solier book is a primary source and though I understand that our original research isn't a valid source, I'll translate some relevant bits from page 444 to help aim the search for sources and relevant quotes. It mentions "Father Alexandre" (Alessandro Valignano) having a moor servant native from Mozambique, a "cafre". When he arrived, the whole town ran to see him. Father Organtin took him to Nobunaga who had a great feast/celebration* for him and refused to believe his (skin) color was natural and that he had been painted to *please Nobunaga*. They had him stripped to the belt and after examining him closely, Nobunaga admitted that it was true and assigned Father Alexandre to take care of him.

So, it can probably be cited a bit more in the article if proper quotes or translations are found. Yvan Part (talk) 00:35, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

We cannot interpert, but Wikipedia rules do allow for a translation by editors if a published one is not available. I believe the requirements there are to include the original text along with the editors translation, so that it can be disputed if need be? Uncertain, but I do remember explicitly that Wikipedia says translating is not in and of itself original research so long as it is reliably translated. X0n10ox (talk) 01:06, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Well, I have made a very rough translation, mostly just to get the important points across nor do I know the finer details and subtleties of 16th century french. The original text already leaves a lot of room for interpretation so ideally someone a bit more qualified should do it. Yvan Part (talk) 01:15, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Would it be worthwhile to see if Wikipedia:Translators_available#French-to-English might be able to assist? X0n10ox (talk) 05:37, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Non-Google link: French National Library (BNF).

Transcript:

Or auoit le Pere Alexandre mené avec soy des Indes vn valet More, auſſi noir que ſont les Ethiopiens de la Guinee, mais natif du Mozambic, & de ceux qu'on nomme proprement Cafres, habitans vers le Cap de Bonne eſperace. Soudain qu'il fut arriué chez nous, toute le ville courut pour le voir. Le Pere Organtin le mena a Nobunanga, qui luy fit grand feſte, & ne pouuoit croire que ceſte couleur fut naturelle, ains tenoit qu'on l'auoit fait ainſi peindre pour plaiſir. Mais apres l'auoir fait deſpoüiller tout nud iuſques à la ceinture, & mieux examiné le tout, il recogneut la vérité, puis aſſisgna iour au Pere Alexandre pour l'entretenir.

As a native French speaker, Yvan Part's translation looks ok, I'm still not sure about the meaning of ains tenoit qu'on l'auoit fait ainſi peindre pour plaiſir though, I'll ask editors from French Wikisource to see if they can help. –Thibaut (talk) 10:02, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

In this context, I think that ains in Middle French could be translated as but or rather : Nobunaga "couldn't believe that the color (of the man's skin) was natural, but rather thought (the man's skin) had been painted for fun". Not sure about to say that exactly in English. Here, ains is an opposition between the affirmation that is negated in the first sentence (the color is natural) and the second sentence (he thought the man's skin had been painted for fun). The difference between mais and ains is so subtle that ains disappeared soon after and was replaced by mais. Seudo (talk) 12:00, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Besides, Jean Crasset's book tells the story with exactly the same terms here : maybe he copied Solier (or a common source) since he gives less details. Crasset says : Le Pere Valignan "avoit amené des Indes un valet More. Aussi-tost qu'il parut dans la Ville tout le monde courut pour le voir. Le Pere Organtin le presenta à Nobunanga, qui en fut surpris et ne pouvait croire que cette couleur fût naturelle ; Mais il se persuadoit qu'on l'avoit peint de la sorte, ce qui obligea le More de se dépouiller jusqu'à la ceinture. Après l'avoir bien examiné il en demeura convaincu." Seudo (talk) 12:19, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Thanks for your assistance! X0n10ox (talk) 09:31, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Academic interactions with Lockley

In addition to the "highly recommended" review in Library Journal, above:

• Review in History: Reviews of New Books, vol.49 - positive on Lockley's interpretation of historical sources, calls Yasuke a samurai, makes note that Yasuke's rather minor role in history is being embellished by non-Japanese writers.
• Citation in "Christian–Muslim Relations in China and Japan in the Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries" - makes heavy use of Lockley's book as a reliable source. However this article notes that Yasuke's name is likely not derived from any African word, as Lockley claimed, but from yakko 奴 meaning servant; and suke is a male suffix for samurai and others.
• New Books Network interview - New Books Network is not a peer review but allows academic writers to elaborate on their theses

Lockley's reputation seems fairly strong despite the book being a trade publication. NotBartEhrman (talk) 09:54, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

The Review in History: Reviews of New Books, vol.49 appears to be the same one discussed further above in the #Was Yasuke a Samurai and what’s is the common consensus section. I had trouble accessing the review at the link provided earlier; I had better luck with this one via The Wikipedia Library: https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=4b941285-852d-4c56-8a90-b836c12ce894%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=lkh&AN=143382431

While the reviewer does call Yasuke a samurai, it is not entirely clear if that is the reviewer's own contention, or if they are merely repeating the claims made by Lockley. In context, it sounds to me like Purdy is just repeating Lockley.

Also, the earlier discussion of the review pointed out that Purdy was more critical; reading the review myself, I too see criticism of Lockley's approach, such as Purdy's statement that "Although African Samurai might tell a good story, it needs documentation." (bolding as in the original) ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 19:23, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

As I've argued, perhaps to death, all academic book reviews are usually critical of the book they are reviewing in some manner. However, Purdy does state in his review that the lack of citations is not a comment on the veracity of the scholarship. At the end of the review, Purdy still recommends the book, though he laments it does not provide as deep a lens as Academics would find helpful. Purdy's chief criticism of the book is that it does not make a good source for other Academics to jump off from, that the lack of in-text citations makes it difficult to know what is being drawn from what source. Purdy writes "The book is clearly intended for the reader of popular history. The authors’ intention in writing about a black African in sixteenth-century Japan is to bring him out of obscurity and to make him, as Lockley, a lecturer at Nihon University College of Law, writes in his author’s note, “a source of inspiration for all who meet him” (402)"

The Reviewer also does specify that the final chapter, "Legend", is purely speculative (which the author also admits).

Preceding his criticism, Purdy states: "The book is clearly intended as popular history, and, while it might be unfair to judge a book by what is it not", I.E, there is no expectation for a book of popular history to contain in-text citations as are expected of fully academic books.

The section of his review that reads "there is no discussion of the evidence that explains how, in just fifteen months, Yasuke and Nobunaga developed such a close relationship" is followed by "Presumably, much of this might come from Frois or be based on reasonable speculation, but, without specific references, details often seem like creative embellishments, rather than historical narrative", the operative word here is "seem". Purdy is not outright accusing Lockley of fabriacting the details, merely stating that the lack of in-text citations makes it difficult to verify because it does not point directly to a source, which makes it seem like embellishment.

Frankly, the increased scrutiny on Lockley for this one article is surprising to me, because the source would be deemed reliable on just about any other page, and I am confused as to why the page of Yasuke it is such a hotly contested item, though it seems to stem from a group of users trying to uphold a rigid definition of what a Samurai is that Wikipedia itself does not even adhere to.

For instance, Frederick Townsend Ward utilized the source The Devil Soldier: The Story of Frederick Townsend Ward, which is written in much the same mode as Lockley's African Samurai. Moreover, both books lack in-text citations. In fact, The Devil Soldier is described by Thomas A Breslin in this review as "revisionist biography" and that "Carr is increasingly less reliable the farther his story gets from Shanghai". Reviewed here by "David G. Egler", Egler writes "Carr is highly biased in favor of his subject, his narrative is full of digressions, and the book contains no bibliography. Although some major sources are discussed in the text itself, the notes cite only direct quotations. However, the work is valuable for the military historian and for early modern Chinese history".

Arguably, these reviews are far, far more damning than Purdy's review of the Lockley. Why is an objectively far more rigorous standard of reliability being applied to the Lockley piece to justify its exclusion, and the exclusion of all other sources related to it? X0n10ox (talk) 22:59, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

"Why is an objectively far more rigorous standard of reliability being applied to the Lockley piece to justify its exclusion, and the exclusion of all other sources related to it?"

Take that up with the editors of the Frederick Townsend Ward page.

Meanwhile, here, discussion so far of Lockley even includes video of the author's own description of the book published in English and written together with Girard as "narrative", which he contrasts with the book published in Japanese as "factual", practically in the same sentence (it's spoken and a bit run-on, might be parsed as two sentences next to each other). See here for that snippet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFbL9pf08ec&t=505s

I would be fine for the [[Yasuke]] article to include mention of Lockley and note that Lockley describes him as a samurai in his book, and also that there does not appear to be any definitive historical source that does so. But I don't think we (Wikipedia editors) have any solid grounds for stating that Yasuke was a samurai, as a matter of historical established fact. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:55, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

To your point in which he describes the Japanese book as "factual" and the English as "Narrative", I will also note that the Japanese book is titled "信長と弥助 本能寺を生き延びた黒人侍 " which still calls Yasuke "た黒人侍" in the title. Moreover, the English book does, by admission of the author, include a third section called "Legend" that is purely speculation. Again, I am not saying we need to state that Yasuke was a Samurai as a matter of historical fact, only that we cannot ignore that there are scholars that call him a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 00:28, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

What does the Japanese book say about Yasuke's rank? Nowhere man (talk) 21:12, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

It does not seem to be available as an ebook or in digital format and, frankly, I am not going to purchase a book to be shipped from Japan just for the sake of debating about whether someone is a Samurai on Wikipedia. The point remains, though, that the title of the book is still "Kokujin Samurai" with "黒人侍", "Black Samurai". Even if the Japanese book is "factual" and the English book is "narrative", the "factual" book still carries the title "信長と弥助 本能寺を生き延びた黒人侍", "Nobunaga to Yasuke Honnouji o ikinobita kokujin samurai", "Nobunaga and Yasuke: The black samurai who survived Honnoji Temple". It would be highly unusual to name your "factual book" that and come to a conclusion within the book that Yasuke wasn't a Samurai, would it not? X0n10ox (talk) 22:05, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

I would also note in an addendum to this conversation, that while you state "I don't think we (Wikipedia editors) have any solid grounds for stating that Yasuke was a Samurai"

Per the essay Wikipedia:Verifiability, not truth "If there's indeed an accuracy dispute between scholars, it is described without taking part. If there's an almost universally accepted viewpoint and a tiny minority one, the minority opinion may be ignored in favor of the viewpoint held by the majority, and the majority viewpoint will be described as fact."

If we have 0 reliable sources saying he was not a Samurai, and sources that say he was a Samurai, it's hardly us as editors stating it as a fact so much as it seems to be the overall understanding of the situation. If we do not have any sources that actively contend the description, I do not understand why we are trying to represent it as a significant view. X0n10ox (talk) 22:42, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

I find this argument a bit odd.

We have two authors stating Yasuke was a samurai, one of which is in question as above (Lockley). We have various other primary and secondary sources who don't say that Yasuke wasn't a samurai, but also don't say that he was a samurai. That said, samurai status was important at the time, so the omission of any mention of this in historical documents is significant.

As an analogy, imagine if an author came out and said that Mori Ranmaru was actually one of Nobunaga's generals, but without any clear primary-source backing. Then, as argued here, we (Wikipedia) could say that this is the "majority argument", since no one else has stated clearly that Mori Ranmaru wasn't a general.

Does no one else find that logically flawed?

I can support our [[Yasuke]] article stating that Lockley and Lopez-Vera describe Yasuke as a samurai. I cannot support any statement that would read that Yasuke was a samurai, as a matter of established fact (instead of clearly specified as the view of certain authors). ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 17:40, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

This is essentially the argument that I am seeing, and even when presented with a dissenting scholarly review on Lockley, it was dismissed as not being contentious, despite the criticism it received. I do not see how this is being honest knowingly putting in contentious claims without criticism when there is not only a mainstream divide on the topic but also those within this talk page with ample reasonable evidence contending against the idea, and I know that Wikipedia editors cannot be used as critique points but simply omitting it altogether is extremely dishonest. To take reliability of academic sources at face value without considering the content is another thing that seems to be an issue here.

I already stated that I do not think that the article should make an assertive claim that he was or wasn't a samurai, and proposed an alternative solution where it is presented as a theory because there simply is not enough information to justify it. And because of that there is little reason to make a "counter" academic source specifically on Yasuke not being a samurai because there is not enough information to justify that either, (and I said this prior) you would have a lot easier time contending the definition of a samurai of this period from an academic source to say that Yasuke would not meet those conditions than you would on a paper specifically contending the individual Yasuke as not being a samurai, it's because of this that I do not understand why this entire thing is being overruled by what is essentially a loophole technicality.

Also for the Lopez-Vera History of the Samurai source, I am unable to see it so whoever does have it that states Yasuke is a samurai for whatever reason or according to what evidence I want to see it, it's hard to judge reliability based off of its face value alone. Hexenakte (talk) 17:54, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

RfC: Should the view that Yasuke was a samurai be added to the article

Should the viewpoint of Lockley (and others), that Yasuke was a samurai, be presented as a significant minority view at or towards the bottom of the Documented life in Japan section? RomeshKubajali (talk) 23:13, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Survey

• Yes There has been extensive discussion about whether Yasuke was a samurai over the past five or six days but despite this there is still no consensus for any changes relating to the samurai title. While the article should not explicitly state in the article lede that Yasuke was a samurai, there is a significant minority viewpoint that he was (Lockley, Rfi, CNN, Smithsonian, Time) which must be represented in the article; All majority and significant minority views should be covered in an article (WP:RS). As for why the viewpoint should be at or near the bottom of the Documented life in Japan section: 1. The article should not give the viewpoint undue weight through prominence of placement (WP:DUE) and, 2. Placement near the bottom of the section makes the most sense for the flow of the article. RomeshKubajali (talk) 23:14, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

  As discussed further above, the CNN, Smithsonian, Radio France, and Time sources do not appear to be usable -- they either lack sources themselves (Radio France), or appear to simply be repeating Lockley.

  Should we add any such content, I agree with the suggestion of placing such a mention towards the bottom, as we have been finding no historical source materials that unambiguously state that Yasuke was a samurai. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:00, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  Third option, as discussed below, I think the best would be a compromise that some consider him a samurai but uncertainty remains.

  Of the sources cited by @Loki, though apparently well liked and often mentioned together, they have some reliability issues, most of all the BBC article citing "historian" Lawrence Winkler. I still think the Lockley book and most sources citing it are also unreliable because it is impossible to draw the line between academic work and embellishments.

  The Lopez-Vera book is the only one I would consider reliable as he does not use Lockley in his references.

  Overall, one of the big problem is that Yasuke's depiction in popular culture muddied the waters and it became something akin to the Mandela effect. Yvan Part (talk) 10:18, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

• Yes, as stated elsewhere I agree that it should be represented that while the primary historical documents are inconclusive, there are some scholars who interpert the primary sources to say that Yasuke is a Samurai. Discounting the Lockley entirely, there is still the Lopez-Vera which does state Yasuke was a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 00:18, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  Yes, as a majority view. As more time has gone by and more research and discussion has unfolded, I can no longer reasonably assent to the notion that it should be a minority view. Those who are opposed to its inclusion, and those that believe it should be a minority view, have had ample time in the past week to furnish any reliable source that would substantiate their claims. Instead, the most that we have had happen is attempts to define a Samurai by a strict, hereditary caste definition that may not have necessairly been applicable during the Warring States Period coupled with borderline Wikipedia:No original research in terms of interperting the intentions of other sources which do not conclusively state he was or was not a samurai as evidence that he was not a Samurai. Per Wikipedia:!TRUTHFINDERS " This process involves editors who are not making claims that they have found truth, but that they have found someone else who is making claims that they have found truth. If there is more than one set of facts or explanations for the facts in the article, there's a guideline for that where multiple points of view (Wikipedia's term for versions of truth) are included Wikipedia editors are not indifferent to truth, but as a collaborative project written primarily by amateurs, its editors are not making judgments as to what is true and what is false, but what can be verified in a reliable source" and Wikipedia:WEIGHT "If you can prove a theory that few or none believe, Wikipedia is not the place to present such proof. Once it has been presented and discussed in sources that are reliable, it may be appropriately included" and Wikipedia:Neutral point of view "Uncontested and uncontroversial factual assertions made by reliable sources should normally be directly stated in Wikipedia's voice, for example the sky is blue not [name of source] believes the sky is blue. Unless a topic specifically deals with a disagreement over otherwise uncontested information, there is no need for specific attribution for the assertion". The absence of any reliable sources contesting the concept of Yasuke as a samurai makes describing it as a minority view point seemingly run afoul of Wikipedia's guidelines for NPOV. A book produced by a scholar which was vetted by an editorial board at a University has asserted that Yasuke was a samurai, along with many other secondary and tertiary sources which make the same assertion. These assertions have been made for over a decade now, and if the aspect of Yasuke being a samurai was controversial or contentious in a serious way, there would be some reliable source which actually contests the claim. The inability of opponents of noting Yasuke as a samurai to produce a single reliable source to substantiate their claim across multiple years of discourse (going back to 2021, even, in the archives) is frankly telling. Either the sources do not exist or the editors who oppose the change have been expending their energy on everything but finding the sources.

  In my personal opinion do I think Yasuke should be considered a samurai? Probably not. Does my personal opinion matter for the contents of a wikipedia article? Absolutely not. I have searched every academic library that I personally have access to to try and find any source to substantiate a view that is strictly opposed to the notion of Yasuke being a samurai and I have found none, as I am sure is the case for many other editors. If it were contrversial, there would be reliable sources that talk about it. If it were contested, there would be reliable sources which contest it.

  The fact of the matter is, there are none. Which means, per Wikipedia:NPOV , the assertion that he is a samurai made by reliable sources must necessairly be represented in Wikipedia's voice until a source stating otherwise is produced. Even claims that Yasuke's depiction in popular culture have muddied the waters cannot be the basis for exclusion because there are, again, no reliable sources substantiating the claim.

  To further continue, arguments about the hereditary nature of samurai and the rigidity of the caste system are fruitless. There are numerous reliable sources which have already commented on the fact that the rigidity of the caste system was not solidified until Hideyoshi's reforms and the Tokugawa government.

  "The moment of crisis for the samurai class was the transition from the medieval to the Tokugawa period....The vassal samurai serving either daimyo or Tokugawa shogun had to accept very different, much more restrictive conditions in exchange for a secure, largely hereditary, status and income.... The samurai were forced to live in castle towns, usually separated from direct control over their land; and their societal role underwent a major transformation from that of independent, high-spirited mounted warriors to that of sedate bureaucrats" (21). (Emphasis my own.)

  "Ability rather than empty authority, performance rather than inherited position were valued in both vassals and masters. Indeed, it was during this period that samurai's standards for measuring honor were the most 'performance-oriented' rather than 'bloodline-oriented'. An institutionalized definition of the merit of absolute loyalty to one's master appeared only in the development of the Tokugawa state, in which the structure of samurai master-follower relationships would be permanently altered" (147) (Emphasis my own.)

  "...Japan's forcible unification, a climate characterized by the foreclosure of opportunities for upward social mobility through military heroism" (204) (Emphasis my own.)

  • Ikegami, Eiko (1997-03-25). The Taming of the Samurai. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-86809-0.

  "Historically, Tokugawa samurai were a legal creation that grew out of the landed warriors of the medieval age; they came to be defined by the Tokugawa shogunate in terms of hereditary status, a right to hold public office, a right to bear arms, and a 'cultural superiority' upheld through educational preferment" (353) (Emphasis my own.)

  "Toyotomi Hideyoshi moved to differentiate warriors (bushi) and farmer (byakusbo) in the interests of peace and stability -- to define a man's status as one or the other, and thus to contain both groups better" (355) (Emphasis my own.)

  • Howland, Douglas R. (2001). "Samurai Status, Class, and Bureaucracy: A Historiographical Essay". The Journal of Asian Studies. 60 (2): 353–380. doi:10.2307/2659697. ISSN 0021-9118

  "At the same time the new system bound farmers to their land. In 1588 Hideyoshi issued a law to disarm the urban and rural population and to fix their places of residence. This was not the first time such a decree had been issued: Nobunaga had ordered the disarmament of the people of Echizen and Kii when he defeated the Ikko-ikki in those areas. Another law of 1590 prohibited movement by individuals between classes. Until then social mobility had been relatively free and unhindered by legal prohibitions..." (97) (Emphasis my own)

  • Kure, Mitsuo (2002-05-15). Samurai. Boston (Mass.): Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8048-3287-8.

  X0n10ox (talk) 03:42, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

  "ample time in the past week"

  Some of us are busy in other parts of our lives. I've barely had time to try to stay abreast of all the threads on this Talk page, let alone respond in full. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 17:41, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

  Everyone works in their own time. No change to the article is necessairly permanent. However, users on the talk page (not precisely you) have engaged in exhaustive discussion and theorizing about the definition of Samurai, suggesting uncommon usages such as the Bujin middle-ground proposal, and otherwise spending copious amounts of time arguing about Thomas Lockley or delving into essays about the very definition of samurai. Users have repeatedly demanded sources for other editors assertions and have provided none to represent a contending opinion.

  To you specifically, though, you were engaged in this exact same conversation almost in 2022. While I do not presume to know your schedule, presumably, two years is sufficient time to procure a source, is it not? You have made multiple revisions over the years on this page, mostly for the sole purpose of reverting and stopping any mention of Yasuke as a samurai. Wikipedia is a volunteer project, but the mission of editors is not to exclude content. In the two years since you became actively involved on the Yasuke page, and started blocking edits, you haven't once given a reliable source that substantiates the argument that Yasuke was not a Samurai.

  For that matter, some of the prior discussions that are referenced in your blocks are just factually incorrect. Saying that Thomas Lockley isn't academically published is a falsehood, the Journal in 2016 which he is posted in is still an academically rigorous journal. Just because it doesn't allow first-author submissions from scholars outside of its University system doesn't mean the journal isn't overseen by an academic editorial board and doesn't make the journal not academically credible. There are plenty of University's which have similar journals, it is hardly "a collection of treatises populated only by members of his university's faculty". The journal adheres to academic standards, has an editorial board, and is academically rigorous.

  All that was decided in Talk:Yasuke/Archive_1#Lockley_2016,_Lockley_2017,_and_Lockley_2019?, likewise, was that Lockley is popular history. But being a popular history publication is not grounds for dismissal on Wikipedia.

  Then we have Archive_1#Request_for_comment_on_samurai_terminology which has an opposition factored on the grounds that the terminology came from a screenplay thesis. But the same person who opposed it wrote "I am in favor tho of pointing out on the page that some writers/historians have categorized him as samuari, but it has to be clear that it is an opinion and not a fact/consensus among historians The more academic treatments of the topic, such as Cooper and Russell do not use the term samurai, but the terms warrior or retainer"

  The opposition per: the prior RfC does not even contend using Lockley, nor does he suggest against using Lockley, but rather notes that Lockley sometimes uses "warrior" and "samurai" interchangeably, and that Lockley is working from a theory, coupled with "and we can summarize Locksely's theory and evidnece"

  During the previous RfC, your own contribution was "In any description in the article of Yasuke as a "samurai", I strongly feel that that description must include an explanation of how the relevant RS(es) define the term."

  That RfC was started in May, and then in October Eccekevin changes his vote to a blanket "Oppose", and Talk:Yasuke/Archive_1#Was_Yasuke_really_a_kashin? is once again just unsubstantiated conversation without a source, yet you have reverted edits and told people to refer to "Was Yasuke Really A Kashin?" as your justification. I reiterate, not a single source-substantiated statement that Yasuke was not a samurai has been provided in two years of discourse. X0n10ox (talk) 02:39, 25 May 2024 (UTC)

• No. I don't see any valid reason why that should be the case. DemianStratford (talk) 01:00, 22 May 2024 (UTC)
• Yes, as majority view. The sourcing here seems to be pretty clear that "Yasuke was a samurai" is not in fact a minority view, it's the majority view. We have lots of reliable sources that say that he was a samurai, including:

• The book by Lockley mentioned several times above.
• Several academic reviews of Lockley's book.
• The book by Lopez-Vera linked in a previous comment.
• The Smithonian magazine.
• Time.
• The BBC.
• Britannica.

In contrast to all this, opponents don't appear to have a single source other than WP:OR readings of primary sources that Yasuke was not a samurai. So therefore, the majority view in both scholarly sources and news sources is that Yasuke was a samurai. So we should say that he's a samurai, not just in a short mention but consistently. Loki (talk) 06:26, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

I also agree that it should noted as the majority view. As nearly every published secondary and/or analytical material of primary sources either describe Yasuke as a samurai and/or make no comment on his status. In fact I don’t believe there has been any published material actively making the case that he should not be considered a samurai, I have only seen that position argued by non-published individuals based on their own interpretation of the primary and secondary sources. Theozilla (talk) 06:54, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

I do also agree that it could be noted as a majority view considering as we've yet to receive any published RSes that explicitly refute the claim that Yasuke is a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 22:07, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

• Yes. The only argument people who say he isn't a samurai seems to have is that he wasn't a noble and instead merely Nobunaga's swordbearer (which is a very narrow definition for what counts as one). And yet they have no problem calling Toyotomi Hideyoshi a samurai despite him being his sandal-bearer. Seems pretty clear-cut to me. --Hawkatana (talk) 08:00, 22 May 2024 (UTC)
• Yes. Multiple sources describe Yasuke as a samurai and/or the first Black samurai, as fact, with background references, and the recent coverage of Yasuke in the context of Assassin's Creed relies on these sources to present him as samurai as plain historical fact, not weakening the statement with weasel terms like "according to so-and-so" or "some historians believe". The matter of whether or not Yasuke was provably samurai or not is a matter of academic debate, and no amount of back-of-the-napkin original research on this page can or will settle the matter. As it is a significant viewpoint, WP:NPOV compels that we cover it with due weight. It is not Wikipedia's job to convince readers that one or the other side of a historical ambiguity is correct, we just present all significant viewpoints, and leave it to readers to form their own conclusions. This article should have a (probably separate) section describing the historical view that Yasuke was samurai, along with sources that purport to debunk that claim. This is the normal approach to historical uncertainties. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 12:26, 22 May 2024 (UTC)
• Yes, per the arguments laid out by LokiTheLiar and Ivanvector. Sock (tock talk) 14:06, 22 May 2024 (UTC)
• Yes, but with attribution, argumentation, and criticism, otherwise No.--Miki Filigranski (talk) 18:35, 22 May 2024 (UTC)
• There should probably be some kind of discussion about the "samurai" status, but the definition of the word "samurai" in English seems to be somewhat vague and academic sources discussing Yasuke generally avoid describing him thus. As such, I think something like "many sources have described Yasuke as the first black samurai" is okay, but I would object to describing him as a "samurai" in wikivoice. General interest sources like magazines and Britannica are generally a step-below academic sources in reliability, and there is no reason to view them as authoritaitive with regards to Yasuke's samurai status. Lockley's book also has issues with citations, as discussed in this review, where it is suggested that Lockley embellished some parts of the book.[31] Hemiauchenia (talk) 21:47, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  I will note, regardless of the Lockley, there is still [32] with the chapter "Black Lives Matter in Japan: The Specter of Race and Racism Haunting Japan" which describes Yasuke as a Samurai on Page 311, and also the Lopez-Vera which refers to Yasuke as a Samurai. Academic sources either (a) Avoid addressing the ambiguity and simply call Yauske a retainer or (b) Call Yasuke a Samurai. There hasn't actually been a single academic source provided that argues against Yasuke being a Samurai, which makes it difficult to present the argument that Yasuke isn't a Samurai as a substantial one. Instead, people are looking at sources that refer to Yasuke as "retainer" and inferring that to mean that Yasuke was not a Samurai. I feel it hard to describe the situaiton with Yasuke as "a debate", as some people have done, when nobody is furnishing any sources showing said debate. The most that has been offered is "these sources don't call him a Samurai", but those same sources also don't call him "not a Samurai". Which, I think, lands us straight into the land of Wikipedia:Verifiability, not truth. We have verifiable sources that do say he was a Samurai, we do not (thus far) have any verifiable soruce that says he was not. X0n10ox (talk) 22:21, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  Michael O. Sharpe is not an expert in Japanese history, and his mention of Yasuke is in the context of the recent Black lives Matter protests in a book about the 2021 Japanese general election. My point is that the word "samurai" is vague in English, and the dispute is therefore to a degree semantic. It's best to describe what role Yasuke served in the least vague way possible, and I think that Lopez-Vera's description of Yasuke as a "kind of bodyguard" [33] is more useful to the reader than the vague term "samurai". Hemiauchenia (talk) 23:26, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  Yes, they are not an expert in Japanese history, but the point remains that individuals are being published in academically rigorous contexts while referring to Yasuke as a Samurai and nobody is contending it except for editors on a Wikipedia talk page. The Sharpe Quotes Russell 2009, who only refers to Yasuke as being "retained as an attendant" and that Yasuke fought for Nobunaga against Akechi Mitsuhide. Regardless of the context of the article, if academically the editors felt that "Samurai" was an unqualified or incorrect interpertation of the Russell, they wouldn't have allowed it. Misrepresenting the views of a source is considered a form of plaigarism in Academia. My point still remains, if the common view is that Yasuke is a Samurai, and there is no scholarship opposing this, it isn't the place of Wikipedia editors to definitively answer the ambiguities of history. Frankly, the word "Samurai" isn't vague in English, it has a widely agreed upon meaning in English. The problem is that what "Samurai" means in English doesn't strictly adhere to a rigid definition of Samurai that would exclude Yasuke. Per Oxford Reference, "(from Japanese, ‘those who serve’) Warrior retainers of Japan's daimyo (feudal lords). Prominent from the 12th century, they were not a separate class until Hideyoshi limited the right to bear arms to them, after which they became a hereditary caste. Their two swords were their badge. Their conduct was regulated by Bushido (Warrior's Way), a strict code that emphasized the qualities of loyalty, bravery, and endurance. Their training from childhood was spartan. Their ultimate duty when defeated or dishonoured was seppuku, ritual self-disembowelment" .

  It is not, frankly, the job of Wikipedia to redefine what Samurai means in English. X0n10ox (talk) 23:50, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  This is not true we have less evidence of Yasuke being a Samurai, otherwise Hideyoshi would've been called a Samurai way before he was officially recognized as one, and that never happened with Yasuke, again the historians that "assert" he was a Samurai are being crass with the use of the words in English because probably they believe these words to be interchangeable. Claiming 'this historian says he was so it must be true' when again, none of the primary sources state he was, would be disingenuous, bias and not correct. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:42, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  And once again, until you can provide a substantiative source that contends that Yasuke was not a Samurai, it does not matter what your personal opinion about the Historians in question are. We have been provided with exactly no reliable sources for what is being claimed about Yasuke. Once again, Wikipedia:Verifiability, not truth, "The stance of Wikipedia on such things is to avoid giving undue weight to such minority ideas, and represent instead the current state of understanding of a topic. If there's indeed an accuracy dispute between scholars, it is described without taking part. If there's an almost universally accepted viewpoint and a tiny minority one, the minority opinion may be ignored in favor of the viewpoint held by the majority, and the majority viewpoint will be described as fact."

  What we have is:

  • Primary sources which are inconclusive.
  • Reliable sources which say Yasuke is a Samurai
  • No Reliable Sources (thus far) saying He is Not

  You cannot, then, represent it as fact that the Historians who are saying Yasuke is a Samurai are disputed or contested or that they are flat out wrong, because there are no sources being provided to substantiate the claim. It does not matter if, by our own interpertation of the primary sources, Yasuke is not a Samurai, because we as editors are not allowed to interpert the sources. The primary sources not explicitly stating he was does not equate to stating he was not. Until someone provides Wikipedia:SOURCES that say as much, there is little to no reason to include argumentation that Yasuke was not a Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 00:00, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

  "Reliable sources which say Yasuke is a Samurai"

  Again lockley is not one, even by your own admission the reviews state "...reader of popular history and historical fiction a glimpse..." Historical fiction, that alone is enough for Lockley to be doubtful about Lockley's veracity, it doesn't matter if 5 historians cited his work, if they're repeating his mistake and lax use of English words is still incorrect, furthermore you keep claiming "majority of historians have this claim" but you only provided Lockley and Lopez-vera which two holding that believe doesn't even make it a "consensus" I'm sticking to the primary sources and none of them state Yasuke as a Samurai, it doesn't have weight to state "Well it doesn't specifically states he wasn't a Samurai" Okay, that is not going to change the fact that he most likely wasn't because your reached conclusions are coming from secondary sources who most likely have this lax and interchangeable use of Japanese words like Bushi/Samurai to mean the 'same thing' which is arguably wrong, otherwise there wouldn't be two different words for it. I wouldn't have a problem with any other title but again, the lack of information and lack of battle history, with only one battle under his belt and lack of historians or writings stating he had experience with swordsmanship is enough to make that claim dubious at best and a straight lie at worst.

  "You cannot, then, represent it as fact that the Historians who are saying Yasuke is a Samurai are disputed or contested or that they are flat out wrong, because there are no sources being provided to substantiate the claim."

  I'm sorry it is a fact and all I need are the primary sources,the primary sources alone are on my side, again not a part of him being called a Samurai, these sources have more weight than any extrapolation like "well he was a retainer and got paid so he probably was a Samurai" which is just flawed. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 00:49, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

  It saying it's good for reader of popular history and historical fiction does not make it an unreliable source. See, "Popular history, also called pop history, is a broad genre of historiography that takes a popular approach". Furthermore, the Lopez-Vera still refers to Yasuke as a Samurai. Moreover, there is another review of the Lockley in Booklist. 3/1/2019, Vol. 115 Issue 13, p18-18, by James Pekoll who holds an MA degree in History, which writes "The authors also discuss how this was the age of exploration, in which European traders and missionaries sailed far and wide in search of markets and souls, and Japan provided both. Lockley and Girard deftly survey the cultural and geopolitical aspects of feudal Japan, providing historic facts underlying the popular fictional accounts of this age in everything from comic books to computer games. The authors make excellent use of primary sources, creating an engaging narrative, and use reasoned speculation when discussing Yasuke's later years after those sources end. This fact-checked portrait of a mythologized warrior often featured in manga and anime is an exciting and illuminating tale of action and intrigue"

  Regardless of if the Lockley is Popular History, per Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources (history) and for the Lopez-Vera, even if the Lopez-Vera book can be considered Popular History, it's still a reliable source, see: "Popular equivalents of the above published by historians who normally publish in the scholarly mode". Yes, it matters very greatly if the Primary Sources don't explicitly state that Yasuke was not a Samurai, because we are not allowed to infer that the Primary Sources say that he wasn't a Samurai when the sources do not say that.

  If the only academics writing about Yasuke are referring to him ambiguously (i.e, retainer) or outright calling him a Samurai, we cannot contend that the sources claim that Yasuke wasn't a Samurai. That would be making an unsubstantiated claim using our own reading of the Primary Sources. It doesn't matter if editors feel that it is true that the primary sources support a particular meaning or definition, we as editors are not allowed to interpert the primary sources ourselves. We can only go off of what they state, not make an assumption based upon what they don't say.

  "are coming from secondary sources who most likely have this lax and interchangeable use of Japanese words like Bushi/Samurai to mean the 'same thing' which is arguably wrong"

  And until someone can provide a reliable source that makes that argument, it is irrelevant. Furthermore, they aren't my conclusions. They are the conclusions of the sources themselves.

  Saying "it is a fact" doesn't matter on Wikipedia. Regarding the point that all I have are Secondary Sources, Secondary Sources is what is preferred on Wikipedia. You make statements like "otherwise they wouldn't have two words for it", are you aware of how many things have different words with the same meaning in English alone? Or, in Japanese, 点検、検査、見学、視察、調べ、閲覧、検証、検閲、検定、査察、検問、監査、観察. All of those words can mean "inspection". Saying "otherwise they wouldn't have two words" is a false statement when you're trying to argue on the basis of factuality. もののふ and 武士 likewise have basically the exact same meaning.

  Again, "all I need are the primary sources,the primary sources alone are on my side, again not a part of him being called a Samurai, these sources have more weight than any extrapolation like "well he was a retainer and got paid so he probably was a Samurai" which is just flawed."

  This is Wikipedia. We have no side. See: Wikipedia:Neutral point of view.

  "Neutrality requires that mainspace articles and pages fairly represent all significant viewpoints that have been published by reliable sources"

  See WP:BIASEDSOURCES "Wikipedia articles are required to present a neutral point of view. However, reliable sources are not required to be neutral, unbiased, or objective"

  WP:SCHOLARSHIP "Articles should rely on secondary sources whenever possible. For example, a paper reviewing existing research, a review article, monograph, or textbook is often better than a primary research paper. When relying on primary sources, extreme caution is advised. Wikipedians should never interpret the content of primary sources for themselves"

  By Wikipedia policies, the primary sources do not have more weight for claims which they do not explicitly state.

  Moreover, it is not the job of Wikipedia or its editors to redefine the definition of Samurai in common English usage.

  Per Oxford Reference, "(from Japanese, ‘those who serve’) Warrior retainers of Japan's daimyo (feudal lords). Prominent from the 12th century, they were not a separate class until Hideyoshi limited the right to bear arms to them, after which they became a hereditary caste. Their two swords were their badge. Their conduct was regulated by Bushido (Warrior's Way), a strict code that emphasized the qualities of loyalty, bravery, and endurance. Their training from childhood was spartan. Their ultimate duty when defeated or dishonoured was seppuku, ritual self-disembowelment"

  To your point of "you only provided Lockley and Lopez-vera which two holding that believe doesn't even make it a "consensus" "

  There is no evidence in scholarship that the notion of Yasuke being a Samurai is contested. It has been mentioned in academically published sources since at least 2016 that I know of. The only sources provided only refer to Yasuke as (a) a Retainer or (b) a Samurai. There has not been a single reliable source provided that contends or explicitly states that Yasuke was not a Samurai.

  And finally, once again, Wikipedia:NOTTRUTH "material added to Wikipedia must have been published previously by a reliable source. Editors may not add information to articles simply because they believe it to be true, nor even if they know it to be true". X0n10ox (talk) 02:50, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

• Yes but some caveats should be mentioned: The work from Lockley is recognized that his arguments that Yasuke was a samurai are "narrative" and based off of conjectured "research-based assumptions" by his own words,[34] and this needs to be presented if this were to be mentioned in a section at the bottom of the page as a significant minority, since this does not reflect the primary sources given. I cannot speak for Lopez-Vera or other works since I have not been presented their evidence but if they are the same boat as Lockley that needs to be presented as well. If this cannot be met, then it's a No.
• No, and I propose that, due to the lack of primary sources and information on Yasuke to determine with certainty that he is or isn't a samurai, and the apparent issues with the main academic sources contending that Yasuke is a samurai, that it be presented as a theory like the Female Uesugi Kenshin theory and the Shosaku Takagi theory in Separation Edict, this way the contentions by the main sources are made but within the mindset that it is unproven, and also present with criticism of those sources due to the lack of in-text citations, evidence, or documentation to back up the claims as per a scholarly review on Lockley by R.W. Purdy.[35] Hexenakte (talk) 22:07, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  An alternative proposal is to present it as a theory rather than a view, since it is not substantially proven, like how Uesugi Kenshin has the Female Uesugi Kenshin theory. I would be completely on board with this as an alternative instead. Hexenakte (talk) 22:17, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  I would also be okay with creating a Yasuke Samurai Theory section, or its own article, honestly. I will note, though, on the subject of the Lockley interview. In that same interview he states the Japanese book is "factual" and the English one is "narrative", but the Japanese book still describes Yasuke in its title as "Kokujin Samurai", Black Samurai. X0n10ox (talk) 22:29, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  With none of us currently able to assess the Japanese book's content, I am loath for us to make any claims based solely on the title (beyond the obvious and objectively safe claim that "this other book has this title"). ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:10, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  I am not implying we should use a book that none of us wish to acquire, I am merely stating that it isn't entirely true to paint the idea that Lockley only believes Yasuke is a Samurai in his narrative book when the book he touts as factual in the interview also calls Yasuke a Samurai in its title. Obviously the title of the book alone isn't enough to use as a source, but it isn't strictly necessary to potentially misrepresent Lockley's views or intentions on the page in a way that would suggest his conception of Yasuke as a Samurai is strictly for narrative flair in his "narrative" book, when the book he claims was "factual" in the interview still calls Yasuke a Samurai in the title. X0n10ox (talk) 00:05, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

  For the record, yes he did state this, but his research was still based on "research-based assumptions" and while I can only judge based off of the reviews given by Japanese readers on the book, it seems for the most part the same kind of content as far as speculation goes. After all, he also states that he did not write it in Japanese and that it was translated by someone else. That being said, if anyone here does have access to the Japanese version I would love to hear what he has to say in it. Hexenakte (talk) 00:55, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

  I would like to note briefly that "research-based assumptions" is being oft repeated online as if it has some sort of negative connontation but almost all academic research uses research-based assumptions. "Theoretical assumptions are the premises on which a theory is based. All theories, projects, beliefs and activities are based on assumptions" Further more, "Assumptions may also be drawn from theories. If a research study is based on a theory, the assumption of the particular theory may become the assumption of that particular research study" and "Research is built upon assumptions since a foundation is needed to move forward. One must assume something to discover something."

  Research-based assumptions and theory-based assumptions are the same thing. X0n10ox (talk) 03:08, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

  Which is exactly what I'm saying, it's theoretical and not based on substantial evidence, so we are in agreement. Hexenakte (talk) 16:13, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

  The difference is you are saying "His research was still based on 'research-based assumptions'", which makes it sound as if it is negative. All research is built upon research-based assumptions. Saying that the research is "based on research-based assumptions" is not a grounds to dismiss it.

  Also, per WP:!TRUTHFINDERS "Wikipedia editors are not indifferent to truth, but as a collaborative project written primarily by amateurs, its editors are not making judgments as to what is true and what is false, but what can be verified in a reliable source and otherwise belongs in Wikipedia"

  If someone, say Lockley or Lopez-Vera, reads the primary texts and sees that Yasuke was given privileges similar to that of a Samurai, was given a stipend, and was a retainer of Nobunaga, it is not an unreasonable to base his research on the assumption that Yasuke was a Samurai, especially when there are seemingly no published sources saying he was not.

  Per Wikipedia:Truth, not verifiability, "The de facto primary criterion for the inclusion of information in Wikipedia is truth, not verifiability, i.e. whether reliable sources state it to be true; not whether individual editors think they can verify it themselves. " and "It does not really matter. The distinction being made here is not really between truth and verifiability at all, but between the statements made by reliable sources (which we want to include in the encyclopedia), and the unsupported claims of Wikipedia editors (which we don't)."

  Wikipedia:Verifiability "In the English Wikipedia, verifiability means other people using the encyclopedia can check that the information comes from a reliable source. Its content is determined by previously published information rather than editors' beliefs, opinions, experiences, or previously unpublished ideas or information. Even if you are sure something is true, it must have been previously published in a reliable source before you can add it."

  Furthermore, even if it's theoretical, that has no real bearing on whether we can include the work on Wikipedia as a source.

  The view that Yasuke was a Samurai obviously does not run afoul of Wikipedia:Fringe theories because the criteria for fringe theories is "the term fringe theory is used in a broad sense to describe an idea that departs significantly from the prevailing views or mainstream views in its particular field". Theorizing that Yasuke (who was given a stipend and privileges similar to a Samurai, was speculated in a primary source that Nobunaga wanted to make him a "tono" a "castle-lord", and who was referred to as retainer of Nobunaga in historical documents and scholarly research) was a Samurai does not significantly depart from the prevailing view of the mainstream.

  In fact, there have still been no reliable sources provided that argue Yasuke was not a Samurai. Until we have any reliable source that argues he was not a Samurai, we as Wikipedia editors cannot state he was not a Samurai, nor can we exclude sources on the basis of we do not like the source's definition of Samurai. The basis of this arguement that has started time and time again was the removal of Samurai from Yasuke's page that has never been substantiated or supported by any attempt to furnish a reliable source that states he was not a Samurai. Frankly, it should have never been removed in 2019 when it was initially removed without any kind of discussion or remark, and it only became contentious during attempts to re-add it, contentions that coincided with the release of Yasuke (TV series).

  It is getting to the point that individuals are arguing for a rigid, strict, hereditary understanding of what a samurai is on Wikipedia seemingly for the sole purpose of excluding Yasuke. That editors opposed to the notion of Yasuke being a samurai have devoted a significant amount of their time to research this strict definition of Samurai and interperting primary sources rather than providing any reliable sources to substantiate their claim is, frankly, confounding to me.

  Even if Lopez-Vera cites himself (which is common in academia anyways), the book "Toyotomi Hideyoshi y los europeos" still refers to Yasuke as a Samurai, and is still published by an academic press, and was overseen by an academic, scholarly editorial board that found no problem with it.

  In "Toyotomi Hideyoshi y los Europeos", Lopez-Vera writes,

  "El nombre que se le dio fue Yasuke (h. 1555-?), y desde ese momento acompañó siempre a Nobunaga como unaespecie de guardaespaldas. Cabe destacar que a partir de entonces dejó de ser un esclavo, puesto que al estar al servicio del daimyō recibió un estipendio como el resto de vasallos, obteniendo así la condición de samurái" (175-176)

  Machine Translated

  "The name he was given was Yasuke (ca. 1555-?), and from then on he always accompanied Nobunaga as a sort of bodyguard. It should be noted that from then on he ceased to be a slave, since being in the service of the daimyō he received a stipend like the rest of the vassals, thus obtaining the status of samurai." X0n10ox (talk) 23:37, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

  It appears that the entirety of Lopez-Vera's argument for Yasuke's samurai-ness is that Yasuke was paid. As has been extensively argued earlier, simply being paid a stipend does not make someone a samurai. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 17:45, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

  A separate article would be a bit much since there is so little secondary sources base their claims on and, as far as I know, don't expand on their reasoning much, if at all.

  Still, I am in favor of a compromise such as a new section discussing his status rather than a simple assertion that he is or isn't a samurai. Yvan Part (talk) 23:27, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

  Kokujin Samurai wouldn't fit either because I assume the closest thing was Jizamurai but it would work because Yasuke didn't owned any land. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:46, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

• Yes, as majority and only view Considering, despite all of the rampant arguing on this talk page over the past few weeks, not a single source has been presented that argues Yasuke wasn't a samurai, any sources existing that state he was (and we have a number of such sources at this point) is the majority and only view presented. Because there is literally no reliable sources arguing he wasn't. Silverseren^C 21:01, 23 May 2024 (UTC)
• Yes, and as a majority view noted in the article lede. natemup (talk) 13:29, 24 May 2024 (UTC)
• Yes, he should be described as having been a samurai in the first sentence of the lead and throughout the article, without attribution; at least based on the sources presented so far, it should be the only view on the subject anywhere in the article, with nothing implying that there is any sort of dispute or controversy over it. This is his his main point of notability and no one has presented any reason to think that it is in doubt, so he should be described as a samurai unattributed in the article voice throughout the article. If people believe it is under dispute, they must produce high-quality source directly contesting it. There's plenty of sources stating that he was a samurai, of a sufficiently high level of quality and weight that it justifies putting it in the article voice; and, more importantly, with so many sources flatly stating it as fact, you would expect at least some sources to dismiss it or dispute it or describe it as a myth, if it were genuinely controversial. But no such sources seem to exist; a smattering of sources that use "retainer" instead aren't really sufficient when we have so many high-quality sources calling him a samurai directly, since the two terms don't really contradict. Given the amount of coverage his life has gotten it's reasonable to expect at least one high-quality source dismissing this aspect as a myth, if it is actually contested in the way some editors are saying. Without that it feels like WP:OR - people are bringing their own personal definition of "samurai" to the table and judging based on that, which isn't how we determine things. Anyway, some additional sources. Also, given the numerous discussions of Lockley above, see , an academic review of it; while it takes some issues with more minor details, it clearly accepts the basic fact that Yasuke was a samurai; given the much more minor objections it raises, you would expect the review to say something if the central premise were questionable, instead of repeating it as fact. While many of the other sources just mention him in passing, they show that he's been repeatedly referred to as a samurai in academic writing; with it being so widespread, you'd expect someone to have disputed it somewhere in academia if it's genuinely controversial. Note in particular that several sources specifically say that he was promoted to a Samurai, ie. they're not merely presenting it as a narrative or an inference but saying that Nobunaga formally granted him that title. Wwhile I'm not a huge fan of tertiary sources, it's worth pointing out that Brittanica matches this. In light of all this, if there are people who want to avoid us calling him a Samurai as an article voice in the lead, they need to present other sources of similar or equivalent weight directly disputing it - "he doesn't match my definition of a samurai tho!" isn't enough to keep it out of the first sentence. For completeness, some additional refs from above so they go into the reflist. I'll also note that one editor, above, has tried to argue against some of these sources because they believe they relied on Lockley, a source that they themselves don't want to accept. But regardless of whether Lockley is reliable, that isn't how WP:RS works; a reliable source is presumed to do its own fact-checking, so if multiple high-quality RSes trust Lockley on a particular point, then they are reliable on that point even if we were to decide that Lockley himself was unreliable. Performing research using sources we couldn't use directly is part of the purpose of an WP:RS. --Aquillion (talk) 17:30, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Refs

References

Proposed section

Would this wording be OK? Nowhere man (talk) 21:54, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

There are typographical issues with the proposed section. Moreover, there is a distinct lack of any research arguing against the López-Vera and Lockley. It would probably not be apt to describe it as not being a consensus among scholars when the only scholars who have actively published about it have either (a) stuck to ambiguity or (b) have stated unequivocally that he is a Samurai. There has not been a single source provided thus far that argues against Yasuke being a Samurai. The arguments on this Wikipedia page against describing him as a Samurai come entirely from the editor's own interpertations of primary sources and inferring that other authors that refer to Yasuke only as a "retainer" means that he wasn't a Samurai. Realistically, however, Samurai are still Retainers, even if all Retainers are not Samurai. Until someone publishes something arguing against Yasuke being a Samurai, we do not actually have any substantiated argument against him being a Samurai.

Hence my proposition of something along the lines of

"While historical documents are inconclusive, some scholars assert that Yasuke was a Samurai".

Because it is, ultimately, the most factual and verifiable statement offered thus far. X0n10ox (talk) 22:28, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

"...against Yasuke being a Samurai. he arguments on this Wikipedia page against describing him as a Samurai come entirely from the editor's own interpertations of primary sources and inferring that other authors that refer to Yasuke only as a "retainer" means that he wasn't a Samurai."

This is just Wikipedia:Assume bad faith, the interpretaion of "Yasuke was a Samurai" is coming entirely from conjectures formed you and the Historians too, as again, no where in the primary sources states as clearly as with Hideyoshi that Yasuke was a Samurai. I'm sorry this wouldn't be right. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:51, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

It is not assuming bad faith to state the reality. The editors who are arguing the situation have provided no reliable sources that substantiate the argument which is being made. Yes, the secondary sources are allowed to interpert the primary sources. No matter how crass or incorrect editors might feel they are. I am not conjecturing anything, I am saying "these sources say he was a Samurai". Which is a great deal different from people discussing how, by their reading of the primary sources, Yasuke isn't a Samurai. It does not matter if, by our reading, the primary sources do not "states[sic] as clearly as with Hideyoshi that Yasuke was a Samurai", we are not allowed to conjecture that into meaning that Yasuke was not a Samurai. That is interperting the primary sources, which we are not allowed to do, but which scholars and reliable sources are allowed to do.

See Wikipedia:No Original Research, "Wikipedia articles must not contain original research. On Wikipedia, original research means material—such as facts, allegations, and ideas—for which no reliable, published source exists. This includes any analysis or synthesis of published material that reaches or implies a conclusion not stated by the sources." (Emphasis my own).

The primary sources do not state that Yasuke was not a Samurai, without a published, reliable source interperting that to mean he is not a Samurai, we, as Editors, are not allowed to do so. X0n10ox (talk) 00:33, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Status in Japanese society

Two historians of Japanese history, Thomas Lockley and Jonathan López-Vera, have stated that Yasuke was granted the rank of Samurai. Because the historical sources don't univocally support this interpretation, it is not the historical consensus.

References

Discussion

You call it a minority view. Where exactly are the sources of the supposed majority that say he wasn't a samurai? Omission of commenting on the subject is not the same thing as saying he wasn't a samurai. Silverseren^C 23:19, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Take your pick of practically any source before Lockley (except for the Rfi article which came before Lockley). They all refer to him as a retainer or by some similar such designation. A source does not have to explicitly state he was not a samurai; Sources which talk about Yasuke necessarily talk about what his position was under Nobunaga, some say retainer, some say samurai, and some say he had another similar position. RomeshKubajali (talk) 23:26, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Except, as has been repeatedly pointed out in discussions above, retainer doesn't mean not a samurai. In fact, many of Nobunaga's retainers were samurai. So sources calling him a retainer are not claiming he wasn't a samurai. Do we have any sources actually arguing that he wasn't a samurai? Silverseren^C 23:37, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Given what we know from other contexts about what constitutes a samurai, with the rights and privileges and responsibilities pertaining thereto, and given also the descriptions of even such highly important people like Toyotomi Hideyoshi as pointedly not a samurai until later in life, the onus seems more like it would be on any sources that positively state that Yasuke was a samurai. Circumstantially, the odds are very much against. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:03, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Sorry, but no. We already have a number of sources calling him a samurai. Unless you can produce reliable sources claiming otherwise, you can't just use your own opinion on if he was a samurai or not. We report what sources say. Silverseren^C 00:15, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

That's OR. Wilhelm Tell DCCXLVI (^{talk to me!}/_{my edits}) 08:56, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

This is not OR. See my post replying to _dk at Talk:Yasuke#Samurai_status and the additional reply to X0n under that. Hexenakte (talk) 16:14, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree: retainer doesn't mean not a samurai. Many retainers were samurai, and all samurai were retainers. To draw an analogy (not a perfect 1:1 but it demonstrates my point) to military ranks:

Military officer doesn't mean not a Major. Many military officers throughout history were Majors, and all Majors were military officers. If you have a majority of sources saying a figure was a military officer with a minority saying he was a Major, you would present the figure as a historical military officer, and then mention that some sources say he was a Major. We can not use the minority to interpret the majority.

Yasuke was a retainer, he may have also been a samurai. The majority agree he was a retainer, and a minority agree he was a samurai. It is completely legitimate to call him a retainer whether or not he was a Samurai, and then say that he may also have been a samurai.

As a side note: one would expect that a person writing about a historical figure such as a Major would say that the Major was a Major, rather than using the broader term military officer, as the term Major would be both more specific and a greater honour to hold. The same applies to the retainer-samurai distinction. RomeshKubajali (talk) 00:12, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

We have plenty of sources calling him a samurai. They have been presented all over this talk page. Just because not every single source calls him a samurai doesn't then make him not one. For that matter, what reliable secondary sources are there that only refer to Yasuke as a retainer in modern commentary? Silverseren^C 00:15, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

"We have plenty of sources calling him a samurai."

None of those are primary sources. As for secondary sources, Lockley appears to be the main one, and he himself in his own interview about the book describes it as "narrative" as opposed to "factual".

One of the big problems we've been zeroing in on in this Talk page is that the secondary sources do not appear to be all that reliable. The Lopez-Vera book Historia de los Samurais / History of the Samurai remains a question mark, as none of us here (so far as I know) have yet been able to read it. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:19, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

The problem is that I have read the Lopez-Vera, but apparently that isn't good enough. X0n10ox (talk) 00:37, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Please, by all means post more then. Fuller context of Lopez-Vera's mentions of Yasuke, with any footnotes and references, would be much appreciated for shining more light into this so-far dim corner. Google Books suggests that Yasuke is only mentioned twice in the whole book, but the limitations of Preview are vexingly narrow (very little context, not even page numbers given). ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:45, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Yasuke is only mentioned in a small blurb in the book, much in the same fashion that other figures are only mentioned briefly. I cannot post the entirety of the entry without running afoul of copyright. Vera does not provide in-text citations throughout the book, but as I mentioned previously, it's cited over 20 times in Spanish. Best I can give you without running afoul of policies is the entire Bibliography. Which I guess as you can see, Lockley isn't on his Bibliography if that was your concern. Yasuke is mentioned on page 109 of my copy, and it is just a blurb about Yasuke in the section about The Unification of Japan, in the same way that Takeda Shingen and Useugi Kenshin are mentioned on page 102 of my copy. The blurb refers to Yasuke as a Samurai, but the section about Yasuke also concludes with "Akechi decided to spare his life, although it seems more out of contempt than mercy; he stated Yasuke was more of an animal than a man, so could not be considered a samurai, and therefore could not be held to account with his life as was expected of a defeated samurai. So, he was given back to the Jesuits and from that moment on history loses track of him, although it is believed he ended up returning home. A certain English sailor—of whom more later—is often credited with being the first Western samurai, but Yasuke got there a few years before him."[Okay Bibliography looked awful I've removed it]

X0n10ox (talk) 02:52, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

I have just now found [36] which should take you directly to the passage about Yasuke in his book. X0n10ox (talk) 03:15, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

None of those are primary sources.

Exactly, they aren't primary sources. Which is what makes them usable. As I'm sure you're aware, we prioritize using secondary sources for information and minimize the use of primary sources. That's how Wikipedia articles are written. The fact that all the sources calling Yasuke a samurai are secondary sources is perfect, exactly what we require.

From where are you determining the secondary sources aren't reliable? I see things like the BBC, Time, the Smithsonian, and a number of academic publications linked in discussions above. Silverseren^C 00:46, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

"Exactly, they aren't primary sources. Which is what makes them usable."

If a secondary source says "A = B", and no primary source says that, then the secondary source is not verifiable.

"From where are you determining the secondary sources aren't reliable? I see things like the BBC, Time, the Smithsonian, and a number of academic publications linked in discussions above."

Keep reading, these have already been talked over extensively. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:48, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

You seem to fundamentally misunderstand how sources work on Wikipedia, which is concerning. Secondary sources are independent coverage of primary sources and events. Secondary sources are allowed to make whatever interpretations they wish. In fact, that's their purpose and why we prefer them over primary sources, as the secondary sources make the interpretations of primary information that we, as editors, are not supposed to make. Again, the entire point of no original research. Silverseren^C 01:02, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Lockley characterizes his own book as "narrative". It includes elements not found in any of the historical documents, such as a duel between Yasuke and another samurai. Lockley himself describes how there is very little historical text talking about Yasuke, and from this he and Girard have written a 400+ book. At least one reviewer has also mentioned the apparent embellishments and contradictions, as well as the paucity of references in Lockley's book, and the problems this presents for anyone seeking more detail. There's also WP:AGE MATTERS, suggesting that for historical events, sources written closer to the time of the event may be more reliable. Wikipedia:No_original_research#Reliable_sources states that "Information in an article must be verifiable in the references cited." I don't see why that shouldn't apply to books as well as articles.

If Lockley (or any other author) presents Yasuke's samurai-ness as a matter of historical fact, then that fact needs backing in historical documents. Alternatively, if presented as a matter of reasoning, stating the various facts and why they think this means that Yasuke was a samurai, that would be the author presenting their opinion. This appears to be what you're talking about with "make the interpretations of primary information". However, so far as I'm aware, Yasuke is simply described as a samurai, with no backing and no particular reasoning given. This is a problem. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 01:17, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

It occurs to me that we might be talking past each other. I'm not stating the above in any argument that we should discount Lockley and remove him from the article entirely; nor am I arguing that our article here must say that Yasuke was not a samurai, nor that we must say that he was a samurai. My point is rather that Lockley as a source has issues, which should be accounted for in any use of his book as a reference. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 01:29, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

If you want to see Lockley's interview and the issues that are with his book, by all means, I point you to my lengthy post replying to _dk at Talk:Yasuke#Samurai_status where I talk about it and the additional reply under X0n. I also provide a plethora of secondary sources on the appropriate definitions on what constitutes a samurai and its differences from other skilled warriors. Hexenakte (talk) 21:32, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

The problem is that providing definitions of what a Samurai is is not the same thing as providing a substantial, reliable source that contends that Yasuke was not a Samurai. While your research on the definition of Samurai is commendable, its applicability to the subject at hand is unclear. X0n10ox (talk) 22:36, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Lockley is 'historical' fiction. I'm not sure why some people are acting like it's a reliable source. It's like Ken Follett, Maurice Druon, Bernard Cornwell. Except not as good. DemianStratford (talk) 01:08, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

As you can see Ken Follett is categorized as Historical Fiction while Lockley is not. X0n10ox (talk) 04:29, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

As a note re: "one would expect that a person writing about a historical figure such as a Major would say that the Major was a Major", there are few historical sources period that mention Yasuke, some of which were heavily censored. For instance, most versions of the Shinchōkōki exclude Yasuke save for the Maeda Clan version of the Shinchōkōki. As for what seems to be the idea that Lockley is somehow responsible for the notion that Yasuke was a Samurai, here is an article from 2013 which predates Lockley's first writing about Yasuke by several years. This article calls him a "samurai in name only" and this documentary predates Lockley, this article calls Yasuke a Samurai in 2014. This place likewise calls him a Samurai. The French Wikipedia calls him a Samurai and links to this article for justification, this [37] says "With great literary and graphic skill, Frédéric Marais tells the true story of Yasuke, the only ever Black samurai", again, this article [38] , this page, this article, this now dead page from 2014, this book published by The History Press calls Yasuke a Samurai. The Chapter "Black Lives Matter in Japan: The Specter of Race and Racism Haunting Japan" in Japan Decides 2021 mentions Yasuke as a Samurai. Are all of those sources I've listed reliable enough to be used on Wikipedia? Probably not, but I am moreso speaking to the fact with most of them that some editors are acting as if the concept of Yasuke being a Samurai is completely unheard of when the only evidence that's being offered that he isn't a Samurai is saying that the primary sources don't explicitly say that he was. In all of this time of people producing material that says Yasuke is a Samurai, surely if it was a contentious issue that is a known falsehood someone would have published something in opposition. If the Lockley is such an unreliable source, would it not be caught in the peer-review process for the books and articles it is cited in? If it were so hotly contested, would scholars have not published something against it which you could find and cite?

And since we're also talking about Lockley once more, I will also add again that Lockley's book was reviewed "Booklist. 3/1/2019, Vol. 115 Issue 13, p18-18", by James Pekoll who holds an MA degree in History, who writes of Lockley's book "The authors also discuss how this was the age of exploration, in which European traders and missionaries sailed far and wide in search of markets and souls, and Japan provided both. Lockley and Girard deftly survey the cultural and geopolitical aspects of feudal Japan, providing historic facts underlying the popular fictional accounts of this age in everything from comic books to computer games. The authors make excellent use of primary sources, creating an engaging narrative, and use reasoned speculation when discussing Yasuke's later years after those sources end. This fact-checked portrait of a mythologized warrior often featured in manga and anime is an exciting and illuminating tale of action and intrigue."

Furthermore, on the article we are currently debating about "Some people in the town thought that Nobunaga might make him as tono ("lord")" with the notation "It is assumed that 'tono' in this case meant a high position among the samurai, as a lord of a castle would be too high of a position". This assumption is provided with no citation for it, but is stating that the prospect of making Yasuke a castle lord would be "too high of a position", so without a citation of some kind this is a wholly unsubstantiated opinion being presented in the article. X0n10ox (talk) 02:26, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

I'm curious, does anyone have any more information about the mentioned Maeda Clan version of the Shinchō Kōki?

The JA WP article about the Shinchō Kōki at ja:信長公記 doesn't include any mention of this in the list of versions at ja:信長公記#諸本と刊本 ("Shinchō Kōki#Variant manuscripts and printed books"); for that matter, the name "Maeda" (前田) doesn't appear anywhere on the page. The closest match might be "Machida" (町田), the version also made available at Wikisource (wikisource:ja:信長公記).

Googling just now for "信長公記" + "前田氏" ("Shinchō Kōki" + "Maeda clan") doesn't seem to turn up anything relevant in the first page of hits.

Any leads would be appreciated. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:34, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

It is, evidently, referring to an early copy of the Shinchō Kōki which is/was in the posession of the 前田育徳会, the Maeda Clan Archives. There is mention of it here, and supposedly it is used in Kaneko Hiraku's book 織田信長権力論, but I don't have access to the book to verify that particular claim. Regardless, though, there are references going a little ways back online about a version held by the 前田育徳会. Likewise, [[39]] mentions it, albeit under a different name. X0n10ox (talk) 01:05, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Just wanted to provide you an update. The Japanese Wikipedia article for Yasuke I noticed has:

『『信長公記』の筆者である太田牛一末裔の加賀大田家に伝わった自筆本の写しと推測される写本（尊経閣文庫所蔵）には、この黒人・弥助が私宅と鞘巻（腰刀の一種）を与えられ、時には道具持ちをしていたという記述があるという』

The source which they list for the information Re: the Shinchō Kōki is listed as "織田信長という歴史　『信長記』の彼方へ』、勉誠出版、2009年、311-312頁."

Which is a book by Hiraku Kaneko, so I had the book wrong in my initial comment. X0n10ox (talk) 11:14, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

They have not provided any souces contending against Yasuke's status as a Samurai, no. The most that has occurred is dangerously skirting close to violating Wikipedia:OR and variously providing sources which argue for a more restrictive definition of what a Samurai is for the sake of a purity of the concept, but nobody has actually produced any scholarship that conclusively states Yasuke was not a Samurai. Rather, they are working primarily off of their own interpertation of the primary texts as well as the fact that there are other scholars which variously refer to Yasuke as simply being a retainer or an attendant of sorts, rather than explicitly calling Yasuke a Samurai. Since the historical documents are inconclusive in regards to whether he was or he wasn't conferred the status of a Samurai, it seemed reasonable to suggest that rather than Wikipedia stating he is a Samurai, that the article should note that the documents are inconclusive as to whether he was or he was not, but that some scholars contend he was. X0n10ox (talk) 00:45, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Agreed with your concluding statement: the historical record is unclear, some authors say X, some say Y. Objectively, that's the minimal nub of what we can say. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 00:57, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

That is factually all we can say within the confines of Wikipedia:Neutral point of view. It is the most logical solution to the debate about what the article should say regarding Yasuke. The primary sources are inconclusive, without drawing upon our own interpertations, the most we can do is say is "some scholars interpert it this way". X0n10ox (talk) 02:28, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

No, if you were to put "some scholars interpret it this way" that is providing nothing of substance, is the same as putting "some scholars believe is inconclusive" it's not necessary. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:59, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Could we write: Although historical documents are inconclusive, some scholars describe Yasuke as the first black samurai. Which is a much more significant statement while remaining both verifiable and neutral.—TriiipleThreat (talk) 01:39, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

The wording for such a post could be that, yes. Though I am uncertain about the necessity of "first Black Samurai" if we consider the fact that nobody is being described as "the first white Samurai". X0n10ox (talk) 11:21, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

I’m open to re-wording but according to a number of sources including The Smithsonian that is what makes this significant.—TriiipleThreat (talk) 11:45, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

A source noting that he is "the first Black samurai" isn't what makes it significant. Factually, as far as can be gleaned, he is the only Black samurai. The Lopez-Vera, for instance, notes that Yasuke would technically be the first Western Samurai. It would be more appropriate to note Yasuke as "the first African" Samurai, but again, Wikipedia doesn't describe anyone as "The first White Samurai". There are, for instance, [40] sources that refer to William Adams as "the first white Samurai". This [41] source notes Yasuke as "the only African and first non-Japanese samurai" X0n10ox (talk) 22:18, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

X0n10ox, that thing starts "One day in my Japanese class while studying abroad"--so we cannot accept that as a reliable a source. It's a student paper (well, it's not even a paper) on a website. Drmies (talk) 22:22, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

I am not suggesting using it, I am saying that notating he is "the first Black Samurai" isn't the only substantial or significant detail. Lopez-Vera, for instance, writes "A certain English sailor -- of whom more later -- is often credited with being the first Western samurai, but Yasuke got there a few years before him". Saying he is "the first Black Samurai" just seems like an unnecessary addition that doesn't necessairly need to be included in the article just because the author of the Smithsonian includes it in her discussion of the Netflix show. The same Smithsonian which they link also says "Yasuke was the first foreign-born warrior to enter their ranks" X0n10ox (talk) 23:51, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Potential sources

[42][43][44][45] Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 19:20, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Lockley is fiction. He wrote a fictional narrative with some historical content. It's not a reliable source. DemianStratford (talk) 22:36, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

While it's fine to have this opinion, per the Library of Congress and libraries worldwide, Lockley's book is not classified as fiction. X0n10ox (talk) 04:22, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

I didn't link anything by a Lockley, did I? Fwiw, the first book is by Yoda. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 07:28, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Yeah I'm not 100% positive why they commented "Lockley is fiction" here. I checked the sources you've linked and none of them are Lockley. X0n10ox (talk) 10:36, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

While Lopez-Vera in "Toyotomi Hideyoshi Y Los Europeos" does refer to Yasuke as a Samurai in the passage below,

"lavo, puesto que al estar al servicio del daimyo recibió un estipendio como el resto de vasallos, obteniendo así la condición de samurái. Se sabe que estuvo en el incidente Honno-ji, luchando contra los hombres de Akechi Mitsuhide y que pudo escapar de allí con vida, llegando incluso adonde se alojaba el hijo de Nobunaga. Cuando este fue también atacado, de nuevo luchó como uno más, con la única diferencia de que, cuando se vieron derrotados, él no cometió seppuku como muchos de sus compañeros, sino que se rindió ante el enemigo. Akechi decidió entonces perdonarle la vida, aunque parece que no por misericordia, sino por desprecio, afirmando que Yasuke era más un animal que un hombre, por lo que no se le podía considerar un samurái y, por tanto, no tenía una responsabilidad que tuviese que pagar con su vida, como se esperaba de un guerrero al ser derrotado. Así, fue devuelto a los jesuitas, y a partir de ese momento la historia lo pierde la pista, aunque se cree que acabó volviendo a su tierra"

The citation Lopez-Vera provides is his own book, "López-Vera, Jonathan. Historia de los samuráis. Gijón: Satori Ediciones, 2016." X0n10ox (talk) 22:41, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

Reaction of Thomas Lockley

Just stumbled across his Instagram account, here is his reaction about the whole drama and whether Yasuke was a samurai or not (spoiler: he doesn't seem to be sure): [46][47]. Thibaut (talk) 09:37, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

It's less of a case of he doesn't seem to be sure, so much as it is a case of he says essentially what myself and others have noted on this talk page. During the Sengoku Jidai there was a breakdown of social norms and an extreme weakening of the government. As the Oxford Reference for Samurai notes, "Prominent from the 12th century, they were not a separate class until Hideyoshi limited the right to bear arms to them, after which they became a hereditary caste". Which Lockley also concurs with when he says that they weren't really codified into a class until Hideyoshi and Ieyasu. Lockely says, paraphrasing because he talked fast, "Lots of people would have been classed as Samurai or said they were Samurai during Yasuke's time so there's no reason we can't say that either. Was he a Samurai? We can't say. Lots of people at his time would have said he was a Samurai, but the most important part is that no serious Japanese historian says he was not a Samurai".

That said, I don't really know how much stock to put into an Instagram video by the author (I don't think it's a reliable source, anyways), but it does clarify his motivations regarding calling Yasuke a Samurai. In essence, it seems to boil down to "No historians have said he was not, and because things were murky during the Sengoku Jidai, it's safe to infer that he was a Samurai".

Beyond that, Lockley is (mostly) just using the controversy caused by the game to...well, advertise his book. X0n10ox (talk) 10:49, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

It is not to safe to infer he is a Samurai. I am not sure if you realize this but the burden of proof lies with those claiming he is a samurai, not those who deny it. We do not have to explicitly state that he is not a samurai, but we absolutely cannot say that he was a samurai, since there is no substantial evidence proving it and by Lockley's own admittance. I am completely fine with keeping both claims as asserted facts out of the article, whether he is or isn't.

And the claim from Oxford is blatantly wrong, I would not be using that as a claim, but I already made my argument and provided sources about it already so I'm not going to continue to repeat myself on the matter. I will likely end up bringing that argument to Talk:Samurai in the future when I muster time for it. Hexenakte (talk) 16:26, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

The burden of proof has been met, by all the reliable sources saying he was a samurai. The burden of proof is now on you to provide reliable sources actually arguing the opposite. Do you have a single reliable source arguing that Yasuke was not a samurai, Hexenakte? Silverseren^C 20:35, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

You seem to be mistaken, it's already been discussed throughout the page that sources like Lockley and Lopez-Vera have not been able to support their claims with substantial evidence and that it's mostly based on conjecture, in Lockley's case, by his own admittance, and by Lopez-Vera's case, a lack of citation or evidence proving it (it's just a blurb in his academic source). I encourage you to look at my post replying to _dk Talk:Yasuke#Samurai_status where I talk about it in detail with evidence, and also to please watch his full interview so you aren't just taking my word, but I did timestamp the points of interest for your convenience. So no, the burden of proof has not been met, if anything, they are pushing a theory because it has not been proven and that it is a clear discrepancy due to its inability to match the historical descriptions made in the primary sources. While I did make a huge point about why he would not be able to fit the proper definition of a samurai during this time period (I make a big deal about nobility ties and supported it with a plethora of evidence, including academic), I am not going to argue for the sake of WP:NPOV and the lack of secondary sources explicitly stating that Yasuke as a named individual wasn't a samurai (it would be kind of odd to make an entire academic source based off of that one negative claim, but the point is made regardless for the sake of the policy), but it absolutely cannot be proven with absolute certainty that he was a samurai, and I will stand by that point.

Now if it is accepted that academic source(s) providing the clear definitions or conditions of what made a samurai during the Sengoku period would be able to fit that academic omission from the opposition, I would gladly look for them, because that's the closest that you would be able to get to a definitive answer, otherwise we can't really name Yasuke as an explicit example of that due to the lack of primary sources on him and his relevancy and impact during his service in the Oda clan. That being said, why would Yasuke be the sole subject of an academic source if it were not in support of him being a samurai, especially with so little information about him? I'm not saying it is impossible or it hasn't been done, but it would be really unusual where it could instead be focused on an overall focus on what made someone a samurai instead. Hexenakte (talk) 20:56, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

That's fine for that to be your opinion, and while I commend you for doing research, most of the the resources you provided for that research aren't actually reliable per: Wikipedia guidelines on Wikipedia:Reliable Sources. Of the sources you provided for your information regarding Samurai,

• https://samurai-archives.com/wiki/Court_Ranks | Not a reliable source, and also blatantly says on the mainpage that we cannot use it "Do not copy information from here to Wikipedia or any other webpage - this Wiki is not intended for use on Wikipedia or any other websites without the expressed permission of the owner of this website, or proper paraphrasing, quoting, and full citation"
• https://www.reddit.com/r/Samurai/comments/17hoanp/comment/k6rp4j4/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button | Reddit posts are not reliable sources
• 1, 2, 3, and 4, all come from "Japanese Wiki", which states it is "Generated from the Japanese-English Bilingual Corpus of Wikipedia's Kyoto Articles." And per the Wikipedia Reliable Source Guidelines, Wikipedia is not a reliable source.
• http://www.unterstein.net/or/docs/JapanRanks.pdf| It would be preferable to obtain and reference the document which "Unterstein.net" is apparently referencing, which is The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature

"It is not to safe to infer he is a Samurai. I am not sure if you realize this but the burden of proof lies with those claiming he is a samurai, not those who deny it."

Factually speaking, as editors of Wikipedia, we are not making any claims, we are merely representing what is known and claimed by other scholars. You might think it is not safe to infer he is a Samurai, and you can say "the burden of proof lies with those claiming he is a Samurai, not those who deny it" but the problem is that the category of "those who deny it" seems to not be represented in any sort of publication, if they even exist. Wikipedia editors arguing with one another in a talk board about ambiguous historical documents an opposition does not make. I am, once again, stating that if there are any reliable sources that argue that Yasuke is not a Samurai, to please furnish them, otherwise "Yasuke wasn't a Samurai" is factually not a viewpoint we should be trying to represent on Wikipedia. We do however have sources that list Yasuke as a Samurai, which means that the view that Yasuke was a Samurai is something that can and should be represented on Wikipedia.

As for "And the claim from Oxford is blatantly wrong, I would not be using that as a claim"

Per A Dictionary of World History (3 ed.) by Oxford University Press,

"Warrior retainers of Japan’s daimyo (feudal lords). Prominent from the 12th century, they were not a separate class until Hideyoshi limited the right to bear arms to them, after which they became a hereditary caste. Their two swords were their badge. Their conduct was regulated by Bushido (Warrior’s Way), a strict code that emphasized the qualities of loyalty, bravery, and endurance. Their training from childhood was spartan. Their ultimate duty when defeated or dishonoured was seppuku, ritual self-disembowelment."

But if you do not think a dictionary is a suitable source for the English definition of Samurai on an English encyclopedia, I can provide you other sources that support the statements made regarding the hereditary caste system.

"The moment of crisis for the samurai class was the transition from the medieval to the Tokugawa period. The distinctive of nature of the samurai's cultural transformation was closely related to the course of early modern state-making in Japan. The vassal samurai serving either daimyo or Tokugawa shogun had to accept very different, much more restrictive conditions in exchange for a secure, largely hereditary, status and income. A Tokugawa samurai was formally considered advanced to full samurai status only when he was incorporated within his lord's house as a kachu (literally, "house insider"). The samurai were forced to live in castle towns, usually separated from direct control over their land; and their societal role underwent a major transformation from that of independent, high-spirited mounted warriors to that of sedate bureaucrats" (21). (Emphasis my own.)

"Ability rather than empty authority, performance rather than inherited position were valued in both vassals and masters. Indeed, it was during this period that samurai's standards for measuring honor were the most 'performance-oriented' rather than 'bloodline-oriented'. An institutionalized definition of the merit of absolute loyalty to one's master appeared only in the development of the Tokugawa state, in which the structure of samurai master-follower relationships would be permanently altered" (147) (Emphasis my own.)

"Japan's forcible unification, a climate characterized by the foreclosure of opportunities for upward social mobility through military heroism" (204) (Emphasis my own.)

All of the above are from:

• Ikegami, Eiko (1997-03-25). The Taming of the Samurai. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-86809-0.

"Historically, Tokugawa samurai were a legal creation that grew out of the landed warriors of the medieval age; they came to be defined by the Tokugawa shogunate in terms of hereditary status, a right to hold public office, a right to bear arms, and a 'cultural superiority' upheld through educational preferment" (353) (Emphasis my own.)

"Toyotomi Hideyoshi moved to differentiate warriors (bushi) and farmer (byakusbo) in the interests of peace and stability -- to define a man's status as one or the other, and thus to contain both groups better" (355) (Emphasis my own.)

Above from

• Howland, Douglas R. (2001). "Samurai Status, Class, and Bureaucracy: A Historiographical Essay". The Journal of Asian Studies. 60 (2): 353–380. doi:10.2307/2659697. ISSN 0021-9118.

"At the same time the new system bound farmers to their land. In 1588 Hideyoshi issued a law to disarm the urban and rural population and to fix their places of residence. This was not the first time such a decree had been issued: Nobunaga had ordered the disarmament of the people of Echizen and Kii when he defeated the Ikko-ikki in those areas. Another law of 1590 prohibited movement by individuals between classes. Until then social mobility had been relatively free and unhindered by legal prohibitions..." (97) (Emphasis my own)

Above from

• Kure, Mitsuo (2002-05-15). Samurai. Boston (Mass.): Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8048-3287-8.

"Hideyoshi was the ultimate gekokujō samurai success story. Born a peasant, he worked as sandal-bearer and made his way up through the samurai ranks to become a daimyō. His metamorphosis was made complete in 1591 when he assumed the title of Taikō, or chancellor. As a genin, Hideyoshi did not have the royal lineage to become Shōgun, and his social policies ensured that no other genin could rise through the ranks as he had done. At the heart of Hideyoshi’s unification of Japan was the separation of warriors and peasants. In effect, this abolished the very concept of gekokujō." (111)

"Hideyoshi’s next law, commonly known as the ‘Separation Edict’, built upon the first by classifying three orders – samurai, peasants and townsmen (merchants and artisans) – and making movement between them illegal." (112)

"The result of Hideyoshi’s edicts, his land survey and various other ordinances was a feudal system based on kokudaka assessment. Provincial daimyō submitted to Hideyoshi’s regime as his vassals, which replaced the earlier alliance-led relationship they had enjoyed with Nobunaga. Now Japan had a four-tiered class system that positioned the samurai firmly at the top" (115)

• Hubbard, Ben (2015-10-29). The Samurai Warrior. Amber Books Ltd. ISBN 1-78274-194-1.

As you can see from the above sourced and cited sources, the Oxford Reference and World Dictionary of History definition of what a Samurai was can hardly be factually declared as "blatantly wrong". As an additonal note, you are mistaking what I wrote as my opinion. I was saying that Lockley, in the linked video, is saying that it is safe to infer that Yasuke is a Samurai because no Japanese historians have said that he was not. X0n10ox (talk) 21:59, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

1) I was not suggesting or proposing any of the sources I used for my argument, they were there to demonstrate I had not gotten my information from OR and for convenience of understanding the argument I was making, I know there are plenty of academic sources out there that would describe exactly what I described but I would not be able to get them all within a timely manner and focused on those I had at hand, as I stated that I would bring this to Talk:Samurai in the future when I can muster time for it, because then I would be proposing reliable, academic sources at that time. I am already well familiar with the topic which is why I made little reliance on secondary sources prior, but even then I wanted to demonstrate that I was not making up what I was saying.

2) You seem to believe that it is necessary for an explicit mention of Yasuke not being stated as a samurai within a reliable secondary source to decide whether it is contentious or not when that is extremely unreasonable to ask for. For one, the topic is contentious, not just by those here but by other scholars such as R.W. Purdy who was already mentioned. But even in the lack of a scholarly contention, it cannot be reasonably asked that it has to be from academia to make it contentious, especially in the case where the main academic sources stating that he is a samurai are using conjecture-based arguments and are insufficiently providing citations and evidence for their claims.

See:

WP:SOURCE ("The work itself...[and] the creator of the work...can affect reliability.") Lockley lacks the reputation especially since this is his first work and that his second book[48] released just two days ago[49];

WP:EXCEPTIONAL ("Warnings (red flags) that should prompt extra caution include...Reports of a statement by someone that seems out of character or against an interest they had previously [defended.]") Lockley has made it very conflicting when he came out and stated that he cannot say for sure whether Yasuke is a samurai or not in both these clips when he presented it as a certainty in his interview. I do not care if he says "no serious Japanese historian says he was not a Samurai" when he is unable to present himself as serious, this hurts his credibility as an academic source; and

WP:QS ("Such sources include websites and publications expressing views widely considered by other sources to be...relying heavily on unsubstantiated gossip, rumor, or personal opinion.") I saw what you said about Purdy's review of Lockley in Talk:Yasuke#Is_Lockley_WP:QUESTIONABLE?, and I do not know how you got the idea where it was not full of contentions based off of a singular word "seem", when he repeatedly states that there are no direct citations or evidence throughout his review. What he said is as clear as day, that Lockley lacks the citations to back up his claims, so as far as I know that makes Lockley's work questionable. If you got more statements by Purdy that showcases that he doesn't contend against Lockley I would be open to hear them, but that "seem" as a standalone example does not work. He goes on to say this right after that statement:[50]

The lack of citations is not just a question of proof. Citations help the reader know the background of the evidence. Since most of the primary sources are presumably letters by Frois, bibliographic references could explain when and to whom he wrote and whether he was an eye witness, putting these events in better context. Citations also serve as stepping stones for further research. Lockley and Girard have scoured Japanese and Jesuit sources, but, unfortunately, the lack of detailed citations means that much of their effort ends with this volume. Scholars researching related topics such as Oda Nobunaga, Akechi Mitsuhide, or the Jesuit role in the Asian slave trade will not find this work as helpful as it might have been. Perhaps the most important reason for citing, however, is to confirm events and resolve contradictions. Soon after they met, Nobunaga ordered Yasuke to scrub his skin to make sure his black skin was not stained or dyed (149–50). While this may be an imaginable reaction for Nobunaga, it needs confirmation through reliable sources. African Samurai also places Yasuke in the thick of things during the fateful attack at Honno-ji Temple. He not only hands Nobunaga a sword, but, once Nobunaga realizes all is lost, he follows the warlord and the beautiful Mori Ranmaru, Nobunaga’s samurai lover—a relationship presented as fact by the authors and not a romantic speculation—into an inner room where Yasuke assists in their ritual suicides. Other accounts of Nobunaga’s death, however, such as Ota Gyuichi, the Japanese author of the primary source listed in the “Selected Readings” that gives the account of Yasuke’s first arrival in Kyoto, describes Nobunaga committing ritual suicide alone. Yasuke was then returned to the Jesuits and Frois, who may be the source of this version, but there is no citation. Although African Samurai might tell a good story, it needs documentation. (Emphasis mine)

This certainly reads like a contention, so I am unsure how it could be understood otherwise. And also, you're going to have a hard time finding an academic source specifically pertaining to the question of Yasuke being a samurai and stating that he is not, it would be far easier to discuss what constituted a samurai back then to counter this argument. And as I already said, we do not have to explicitly state that Yasuke was not a samurai in the article, we just cannot say that he is, both arguments should be left out as an assertive fact until substantial evidence is provided for either claim, otherwise, present it as a theory.

3) As for the sources provided to support Oxford's definition, let me just say this: I think you are misunderstanding the argument I was making. I never contended that there was no social mobility during the Sengoku period nor prior. What I did contend was that the class simply did not exist, or that there weren't hereditary roles of samurai alongside this period. I have made it absolutely clear that the feudal rules of nobility were followed throughout the entire period with multiple examples, including Hideyoshi. Yes, it allowed peasants like Hideyoshi to rise to the top, but he didn't do it without utilizing marriage, adoption, and imperial proclamations by the Emperor to get to that point. I'm emphasizing the de jure Ritsuryo system that was in place and preserved in structure for centuries even when it couldn't be fully enforced, which I feel often gets ignored. There were hereditary lineages during this period, and there were outsiders who rose through their efforts in the period as reward; but they still had to go through the de jure classifications to do that; marriage, adoption, and imperial proclamation are the main ways to go about that. This would of course end with the Tokugawa who limited it to hereditary and shogunal proclamation/decree and established their own rules (See William Adams (pilot), and I may have been wrong earlier about William Adams since hatamoto were considered to have samurai status (and therefore could have an audience with the shogun), as being distinct from gokenin who were considered kachi, but that is a completely different discussion for another day, I rather not make a definite claim right now).

I do not think any of your listed sources necessarily conflict with my arguments, in fact they prove my point, with Ben Hubbard even stating that "Hideyoshi did not have the royal lineage to become Shōgun," however one thing that needs to be mentioned, he did have the royal lineage to become Kampaku through his adoption by Konoe Sakihisa (I already stated and cited this in my _dk post). Although I am unsure if he must have Minamoto lineage to become Shogun - when the Fujiwara had way more privileges overall - all 3 shogunates were dominated by the Minamoto, with the Fujiwara dominating the Imperial Court, so I cannot really argue against that part without further research on my part.

Also I must say in regards to the Separation Edict, it would not be completely be correct to say that it stopped all social mobility, which I already explained was supported by Shosaku Takagi (Shosaku Takagi, 日本近世国家史の硏究 (Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten, 1990)), that it only truly limited peasants, but not necessarily warriors deserting from the Korean invasion effort. So it would be fair to say it truly started with the Edo period when it was codified.

Overall, it does not support Oxford's definition that a samurai social class did not exist prior to Hideyoshi, so of course it is blatantly wrong and I stand by that.

And 4) I want to apologize for assuming that you were inferring that Yasuke was a samurai, that was a misunderstanding on my part, but the argument I was originally making still stands. If you aren't making any claims, then I won't be directing it towards you, but rather the claims being made by Lockley and other related academic sources. Hexenakte (talk) 03:46, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

"You seem to believe that it is necessary for an explicit mention of Yasuke not being stated as a samurai within a reliable secondary source to decide whether it is contentious or not when that is extremely unreasonable to ask for"

It's not my belief, it's essentially one of the only non-negotiable policies of Wikipedia, you're new here though, so I understand if things seem really weird with the way Wikipedia works. Moving on to the rest of your points:

R.W. Purdy's critique of a single Lockley book for not using in-text citations is not tantamount to making the entire concept that Yasuke was a samurai a contentious one. Least of all when there are two other reviews that praise Lockley's book, with one of those reviews being by a historian who explicitly praises Lockley's book as being well-researched and fact-checked.

In regard to "the case where the main academic sources stating that he is a samurai are using conjecture-based arguments and are insufficiently providing citations and evidence for their claims", that isn't even the case anymore. You're still arguing with the Lockley and nothing else. If anyone can rightly be described as "the main academic source" stating he's a Samurai anymore, it's Jonathan Lopez-Vera. Lopez-Vera's dissertation "Toyotomi Hideyoshi y Europa" was published by a University Press, overseen by a scholarly editorial board, and was published with no problem with him noting that Yasuke was a Samurai. Lopez-Vera's other book, Historia de los samuráis likewise clears the bar for Wikipedia's requirements for reliable scholarship and it was first published in 2016, which pre-dates or occurs simultaneously with Lockley's own research.

That makes two scholars at a relatively similar time, neither of which cites the other, coming to the same conclusion about Yasuke, both of whom succeed in getting published.

On to your claims about Lockley:

You write, "WP:SOURCE ("The work itself...[and] the creator of the work...can affect reliability.") Lockley lacks the reputation especially since this is his first work and that his second book[46] released just two days ago[47];"

The amount of books a creator has published is not a valid indication of the reliability of him as a source, many academics publish in scholarly journals, for instance. Furthermore, you miss the section below what you are citing that says:

"If available, academic and peer-reviewed publications are usually the most reliable sources on topics such as history, medicine, and science.

Editors may also use material from reliable non-academic sources, particularly if it appears in respected mainstream publications. Other reliable sources include:

• University-level textbooks
• Books published by respected publishing houses"

At last check, Harper Collins was still a respected publishing house. Hannover Square Press is an imprint of Harper Collins.

As for the amount of books Lockley has published, the complete list is:

• A Gentleman from Japan: The Untold Story of an Incredible Journey from Asia to Queen Elizabeth’s Court Hardcover – May 21, 2024
• The Women Who Built Japanese History 東京書籍, Mar 30, 2022
• Japanese Culture and History Tokyo Shoseki, Aug 1, 2019
• 英語で読む外国人がほんとうに知りたい日本文化と歴史 東京書籍, Jul 24, 2019 (ISBN: 4487812887)
• African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan Hanover Square Press (Harper Collins), May 2, 2019 (ISBN: 9781335141026)
• 信長と弥助 本能寺を生き延びた黒人侍 ロックリー トーマス (Original Author(s): ロックリー トーマス) 太田出版, Jan 25, 2017 (ISBN: 9784778315566)

It is not the job of Wikipedia editors to cast aspersions on the authors of reliable sources. As for Lockley's Reputation, I reiterate from a prior comment I made Lockley's book has been at multiple academic talks and is in Academic Libraries and in professional development reading groups, some of which are at highly reputable and respectable institutions such as Berkley. Lockley's book was reviewed by John Rodzvilla of Emerson College in "Library Journal. Mar 2019, Vol. 144 Issue 2, p128-128", with Rodzvilla writing:

"Lockley (Nihon Univ., Sch. of Law, Tokyo) and Girard (Cain’s Blood) use primary sources to piece together Yasuke’s immersion into Japanese culture with a novelistic history that takes place at the height of one of Japan’s most important cultural and political moments. While the authors may take some liberties with Yasuke’s narrative, they do so with attention to their source material and the culture of the time. The story involves several figures alongside Yasuke, including samurai, ninjas, and Catholic missionaries. VERDICT With fast-paced, action-packed writing, Lockley and Girard offer a new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended"

And again, in "Library Journal. Winter 2019, Vol. 144 Issue 12, p80-80" as an "Essential Title in Social Studies".

"WP:EXCEPTIONAL ("Warnings (red flags) that should prompt extra caution include...Reports of a statement by someone that seems out of character or against an interest they had previously [defended.]") Lockley has made it very conflicting when he came out and stated that he cannot say for sure whether Yasuke is a samurai or not in both these clips when he presented it as a certainty in his interview."

The claim isn't exceptional, though, is it? Lockley's instagram video is not really conflicting. His statement was, "[w]as he a samurai? What was a samurai at this period? We cannot say, and therefor, it is very difficult to say whether he was a samurai or not because nobody was a samurai or not at the time. The caste and the code of samurai was only really dealt with 10-20 years later with Hideyoshi and then Ieyasu, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who came after Nobunaga. A lot of people would have been classed as samurai, or said they were samurai in Yasuke's time, there's no reason to say we can't say that either. Was he a samurai? We can't say. But, pretty much, he probably was called a samurai by the people of his time. And this is the biggest thing, no Japanese historian has ever said he is not a samurai, no serious historian has ever said that. If it's good enough for the Japanese historians, it's good enough for me."

His statement is not really specific to Yasuke. His statement of "We can't say" is generalized from the beginning because defining what was a samurai in the Sengoku Jidai is extremely difficult due to the complete breakdown of social order during what was effectively a hundred years of civil war. Per this source used on the samurai page of Wikpedia, the Sengoku Jidai caused a breakdown of what a "samurai" was and it became interchangeable with bushi.

The second instagram video, Lockley says "we can say Yasuke was a warrior and he fought with Nobunaga, it's documented" and "He didn't just do things, he became close to some of the most important people in the land. He's the only African that we have documents from to prove that he became a member of the higher echeleon of Japanese society"

None of that dismisses or walks back from his claim about Yasuke being a samurai, rather, Lockley is elaborating on his rationale for why he believes Yasuke is a samurai. Because things are muddled, and because no historians have said that Yasuke wasn't a samurai, because there are sources that call him a retainer, because there are sources speculating Nobunaga would make him a "tono", and because Yasuke was afforded privileges that were usually reserved for a samurai, Lockley's research has lead him to say that Yasuke was a samurai. It's the same as Lopez-Vera reading the primary sources, seeing what is established, and saying that Yasuke was a samurai. You do not need to point to a specific exact mention in a historical document that explicitly says "Yasuke, the African Samurai" to be able to look at the available evidence and reach a conclusion. It is then up to academics to refute the claim of Yasuke being a Samurai, or contest it, if they so choose. It is not up to editors on a wikipedia talk page. If there are no sources contending the claim that Yasuke is a samurai after literal decades of things saying Yasuke is a samurai, it's probably a safe bet that it isn't a hotly debated or contentious claim.

The Lopez-Vera History of the Samurai which states Yasuke is a samurai, meanwhile, has been cited 20 times in its original spanish and 3 times in English, it calls Yasuke a Samurai.

Just some varied sources, all of which have content that says that Yasuke was a Samurai (I am not going to re-argue and elaborate each source again), in no order of signifiance and resources simply demonstrating that the claim that Yasuke is a Samurai is far from "Exceptional" (Not all of the sources are reliable, nor am I trying to contend that they are liable, I am making a point to how widespread the claim is) :

[51] [52][53] [54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87]

There are 37 different sources that I was able to located before I got bored of looking through them which indicate Yasuke was a Samurai or say Yasuke was a samurai in some capacity. Per Wikipedia:Exceptional, this certainly doesn't seem to meet the criteria of "important claims not covered by multiple mainstream sources".

This webpage that accompanies the academically published book A History of Popular Culture in Japan, From the Seventeenth Century to the Present calls Yasuke a samurai.

This documentary which has highly reputable historian Hiraku Kaneko as consultant is about Yasuke being a samurai, also. I kind of feel like a very reputable scholar of Japanese history such as Hiraku Kaneko would have, I don't know, published something if he believed calling Yasuke a samurai was incorrect. Instead he's the consultant on an entire documentary about the subject.

The criteria for exceptional lists:

• Surprising or apparently important claims not covered by multiple mainstream sources

The claim is, quite obviously, covered by multiple mainstream sources.

• Challenged claims that are supported purely by primary or self-published sources or those with an apparent conflict of interest

There are no self-published sources involved, and the only ones making claims based "purely" by primary sources are, well, the people arguing against Yasuke being a samurai.

• Reports of a statement by someone that seems out of character or against an interest they had previously defended

Doesn't even come close to applicable.

• Claims contradicted by the prevailing view within the relevant community or that would significantly alter mainstream assumptions—especially in science, medicine, history, politics, and biographies of living and recently dead people. This is especially true when proponents say there is a conspiracy to silence them.

The claim that Yasuke is a samurai does not contradict the prevailing view within the relevant community nor does it significantly alter mainstream assumptions. If it contradicted the "prevailing view", you would be able to produce reliable sources that show this. Some authors only describing Yasuke as a retainer, and some authors describing Yasuke as a samurai does not contradict each other, because samurai are retainers. Scholars examining primary sources are allowed to make inferences based on their interpertation of the sources, our task is to document what is published in reliable sources, not to try and interpert the primary sources ourselves.

Regarding your claim "WP:QS ("Such sources include websites and publications expressing views widely considered by other sources to be...relying heavily on unsubstantiated gossip, rumor, or personal opinion.")"

The key note here is "widely considered by other sources"

Even if we take the position that Purdy is being severely critical of Lockley's book, Purdy is one source. Furthermore, Purdy's entire line of criticism is stipulated with the preface that it is unfair. Purdy's criticism regarding the in-text citation is, as he confesses, unfair for a book of popular history, because books of popular history usually do not include in-text citations. In the end, he still recommends the book for its intended audience. Academics are not the target audience of the book, and the majority of Purdy's criticism regarding citations is about how much more useful it would be to scholars and academics if there were citations. Being a book of popular history does not exclude it from being a reliable source.

There is another review of the Lockley in Booklist. 3/1/2019, Vol. 115 Issue 13, p18-18, by James Pekoll who holds an MA degree in History, which states:

"The authors also discuss how this was the age of exploration, in which European traders and missionaries sailed far and wide in search of markets and souls, and Japan provided both. Lockley and Girard deftly survey the cultural and geopolitical aspects of feudal Japan, providing historic facts underlying the popular fictional accounts of this age in everything from comic books to computer games. The authors make excellent use of primary sources, creating an engaging narrative, and use reasoned speculation when discussing Yasuke's later years after those sources end. This fact-checked portrait of a mythologized warrior often featured in manga and anime is an exciting and illuminating tale of action and intrigue"

Well, "What he said is as clear as day" is obviously up for contention because the operative word "seem" would not be present in the text if Purdy were outright saying that Lockley made everything up. Purdy's entire review is 1,445 words long. His criticism regarding in-text citations which is more a note on how helpful in-text citations are is approximately 474 words long. Approximately 32% of the review talks about citations, in a section which Purdy explicitly states is both unfair and not a question of the veracity of the scholarship. That is hardly the damning indictment you are making it out to be. Stating that "citations helps scholars research more" and that "citations helps separate reality from narrative" and that "citations help prove facts" cannot at all be reasonably constructed to mean that Purdy contends with the issue of depicting Yasuke as a samurai. Least of all when it is prefaced with the fact that the criticism is unfair and that it "is not necessarily a question a[sic] veracity of the scholarship".

Veracity, "conformity to facts; accuracy."

"you're going to have a hard time finding an academic source specifically pertaining to the question of Yasuke being a samurai and stating that he is not, it would be far easier to discuss what constituted a samurai back then to counter this argument"

That isn't how Wikipedia works, that's the problem. You cannot represent a claim on Wikipedia that is not substantiated by reliable sources. The primary sources do not say that Yasuke was a samurai, they do not say he was not a samurai. We are not allowed to conduct original research in a desperate attempt to argue with the scholarship. The mission of a Wikipedia editor is not to argue with or disprove claims made by secondary sources. If you are approaching this with the mindset that Yasuke absolutely isn't a samurai, and that you need to disprove that, I invite you to invest your time into research and get yourself academically published, because Wikipedia isn't the place for that. Please see Wikipedia:5P2, "we characterize information and issues rather than debate them. In some areas there may be just one well-recognized point of view; in others, we describe multiple points of view, presenting each accurately and in context rather than as "the truth" or "the best view". All articles must strive for verifiable accuracy with citations based on reliable sources, especially when the topic is controversial or is about a living person. Editors' personal experiences, interpretations, or opinions do not belong on Wikipedia."

There are no reliable sources being furnished to contend that Yasuke is not a samurai, that is not a signal to try and erect a No True Scotsman defense by trying to rigidly define or redefine what being a samurai means in the Sengoku Jidai for the sole purpose of trying to undermine reliable sources that say Yasuke is a samurai.

"And as I already said, we do not have to explicitly state that Yasuke was not a samurai in the article, we just cannot say that he is"

No, we, the editors, cannot say he is. The reliable sources say he is. A concept that has been explained multiple times on this talk page alone and one which is still apparently being argued about. Per Wikipedia:NPOV, "Editors, while naturally having their own points of view, should strive in good faith to provide complete information and not to promote one particular point of view over another. As such, the neutral point of view does not mean the exclusion of certain points of view; rather, it means including all verifiable points of view which have sufficient due weight" (emphasis mine)

The problem with the statement "Overall, it does not support Oxford's definition that a samurai social class did not exist prior to Hideyoshi, so of course it is blatantly wrong and I stand by that" is that there wasn't a separate, codified samurai social class prior to Hideyoshi. Under Ritsuryō there was no specific class that consisted only of hereditary military families. Yes, there were noble families that would become codified as samurai, but under Ritsuryō they were still just classified as government officials. Following Hideyoshi and Tokugawa's reforms modeled off of the four occupations in China, the Samurai came to represent a rigid class synonymous with the Chinese "Shi", or military class. . As for the Shosaku Takagi, his view is already represented as a theory on Wikipedia. But this isn't the place to get into a debate about the theory of Shosaku Takagi. Fair points on the Korean invasion, that said, the definition given by Oxford says "they were not a separate class until Hideyoshi limited the right to bear arms to them". If it only applied to peasants, and not soldiers deserting the invasion, that doesn't entirely change the fact that the class of people who were allowed to carry weapons as a professional military caste didn't become hereditary until Hideyoshi cracked down on the peasants and stopped them from being able to bear arms or engage in upward mobility.

No hard feelings on the case of mistaken identity. That said, as editors, it is not strictly in our purview to argue with reliable sources, either. X0n10ox (talk) 08:04, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

"The Lopez-Vera History of the Samurai which states Yasuke is a samurai, meanwhile, has been cited 20 times in its original spanish and 3 times in English, it calls Yasuke a Samurai."

It appears that Yasuke is not mentioned very much in the book; if Google Books search is anything to go by, there might only be two instances of his name in the entire work. As such, I must ask: How many of these 20+ citations have anything to do with Yasuke? Searching the page of hits for the citations finds zero instances of the name "Yasuke".

"There are 37 different sources that I was able to located before I got bored of looking through them which indicate Yasuke was a Samurai or say Yasuke was a samurai in some capacity."

A lot of those are not worth much as any kind of reference for our purposes: https://www.gq.com.au/entertainment/film-tv/lakeith-stanfield-and-flying-lotus-are-teaming-up-on-an-anime-for-netflix/news-story/e21224cf12444d2c834ef4c13d1d6766 makes it clear right in the URL that this is hardly an academic source. Many of the others are also about movies, anime, and other media, and are clearly commercial / pop-culture publications. Simply the number of sites online stating that Yasuke was a samurai is not a useful metric. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 17:56, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

As a disclaimer I will be repeating some things so it is under the assumption that it is cited by my previous posts to save time.

When I said, "you're going to have a hard time finding an academic source specifically pertaining to the question of Yasuke being a samurai and stating that he is not, it would be far easier to discuss what constituted a samurai back then to counter this argument", it was obviously under the assumption that I was talking about pertaining specifically to academic sources, not original research, I thought we had been past this part. But it's an extremely valid point to make when Yasuke's impact, notability, and visible lack of records show that it is very difficult to write an entire paper on the subject of Yasuke without employing a lot of creative liberties as Lockley had done, and it wouldn't be very academic as a result of it. That's why I suggested we move towards the contending of a definition of a samurai pertaining to the Sengoku period specifically by an academic source in order to settle this matter, because there are very often not many exceptions if there are any (I certainly could not think of any, even the examples of the Kuroda clan, Konishi Yukinaga, etc did not act as exceptions).

The reason for using Purdy in the first place is because of the extremely unreasonable demand that something must be written specifically about the individual Yasuke, which I have provided, and we cannot ignore Kaneko's review of Lockley's book who contended the same issues, regardless of how they feel about its veracity, it's an issue that cannot be omitted; if anything, it's extremely dishonest. As I already stated, you are not going to have anyone not already in support of the idea of Yasuke being a samurai to write an entire research paper acting on that single negative claim or alongside related claims, with how little impact he had in the period, in many cases hes just not mentioned at all. This does not mean that Yasuke has absolutely no contentions just because no academic source wrote about it, in fact it's only been 5 years since Lockley released that book and only in the past few years has it gotten in the mainstream eye compared to the last decade, so to say it was an accepted fact for decades when it was straight up not mentioned in many historical academic sources prior to Lockley or Lopez-Vera and the fact that very few people knew of his existence until recent years (including myself), is wrong.

I will admit, the uproar about Yasuke in Ubisoft's game did encourage me to research more about the topic of samurai status. I had already known previously that it had to do with nobility and its ties to the Gen-pei-to-kitsu clans, examples such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi rising from peasant to samurai status this way and as well as their ability and recognition of the Imperial Court in Kyoto, but as to say the specific court ranks and privileges given, the nuances all in between, it was certainly a learning experience. That being said, to claim that I am employing a No True Scotsman argument to redefine what a samurai is just to exclude Yasuke is not only insulting but also shows you haven't really paid attention to the bulk of my arguments. I had held the view very publicly that even figures like William Adams would not fit this definition (but like I said earlier I may have been wrong since that was under the Edo period which had a different way of handling it, and this is admitting fault on my part if so), I was not singling out Yasuke, I was putting it in regards to the status of all claimed foreign samurai. To talk about other foreign samurai is another discussion to be had, but here we are talking about Yasuke since this article pertains specifically to him. If I have made any changes in definition, it would be with an apology admitting my fault, I am not ashamed in being proven wrong.

And yes, I am still contending that Oxford is wrong in their definition of the samurai class, just because it switched from the Ritsuryo system to an Edo codified system which made the lines more distinct does not mean the class did not previously exist. I have made this abundantly clear, the court ranks from the Ritsuryo system was a way to measure a samurai's nobility status, regardless of what the actual role, job, or title is, it is where they were placed. Social mobility has no bearing on this system, it does not change the fact that the de jure system was preserved in spite of all of this prior to the Edo period. And again, this existed before Hideyoshi, he had to go through this system to reach his title of Kampaku, as that position was monopolized by Fujiwara kuge families. He also had Minamoto ties from his wife, Fujiwara ties from his adoption by Konoe Sakihisa and (arguably based off of his initial surname Hashiba from the Oda clan and his writing "TAIRA no Hideyoshi") Taira ties, but the Taira part is OR so we will not count that. He could've gone Shogun arguably because of his Minamoto ties, but he didn't because Shogun was considered lower than Kampaku, the idea of the Shogun being the most important seat only really started with the Tokugawa by mandating all those who want to meet with the Imperial Court have to go to the Shogun first for permission. You still had to go through these hoops if you wanted to make your way to the top, and as I said, there are practically no exceptions to this, if any. And as I already stated, when I get the time to muster for it, I will be bringing this to Talk:Samurai with plenty of academic sources to contend for this argument because I know for a fact they exist and I've read quite a few on my own in the past, so you will not find me budging on this.

If the entire purpose of Wikipedia is to accept sources at face value of how many times its been cited or how many awards its been given, then why even add that in WP:SOURCE "the work itself...can affect reliability"? Is it impossible to impose reasonable judgement on these academic sources that have very clear faults in them, which you yourself have acknowledged? Is anyone who has a vested interest in the accuracy of a historical period completely worthless in input unless they have been endorsed and sanctioned by a institution, which may or may not have potential flaws or biases? Many things get peer-reviewed and accepted without argument or controversy, that doesn't make them free from (glaring especially in this case) mistakes or fabrications. I've even proposed to keep Lockley's work in as a theory so that his contentions are still preserved in the article, but an outright assertion as a matter of fact? I cannot support that, and I'm sorry for that. Hexenakte (talk) 19:25, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 15 May 2024

The currently saved version has a orphaned reference (rfi). Please replace <ref name="rfi"/> with <ref name="rfi">{{cite web|url=http://www.rfi.fr/hebdo/20150102-yasuke-samurai-samourai-etranger-africain-mozambique-japon |website=Rfi.fr |title=Yasuke: le premier samouraï étranger était africain |date=January 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114161630/http://www.rfi.fr/hebdo/20150102-yasuke-samurai-samourai-etranger-africain-mozambique-japon/ |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |language=fr}}</ref>. Thank you. TE(æ)A,ea. (talk) 21:06, 15 May 2024 (UTC)

there a typo in your replacement link WakandaScholar (talk) 08:39, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

 Partly done: the reference was orphaned by FifteenthClause when they removed a large chunk of text in this edit. I restored the source as it was prior to that edit, it may not line up with your request. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 15:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Protected edit request on 16 May 2024 (2)

Please italicize "Assassins Creed Shadows" (the title of a game) so it is Assassins Creed Shadows. Thank you! WhisperToMe (talk) 01:11, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

No. It should be made bold to reflect the strength of our people WakandaScholar (talk) 12:32, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

 Done. @WakandaScholar: please stop adding your personal commentary here, it is disruptive. Wikipedia is not an open discussion forum. If you are not here to contribute constructively you will be asked to leave. Thank you. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 15:29, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Yasuke's origin inconsistent language

The current page is inconsitent, currently saying "likely of african origin" in the first line, but then in the 3rd paragraph in birth and early life it says "However, there seems to be no doubt that he had African roots" and then in the same paragraph refers to an source where he was described as from india. I reccomend the second quote mentioned be changed to reflect conflicting accounts, using less definitive language LachlanTheUmUlGiTurtle (talk) 03:07, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

he from the past man language was different back then WakandaScholar (talk) 08:28, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Personal attack warning

I’ve been seeing a lot of personal attacks on this page. Remember to be civil, and watch the personal attacks, and always assume good faith. If I see any more personal attacks on this page, I will go straight to an admin for blocking. Remember, we are all here to contribute. This is a warning. Thank you. Yoshi24517 (mobile) (talk) (Very Busy) 14:57, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Dispute resolution

Hi everyone! Given that the current discussion does not appear to be going anywhere, and has a worse heat/light ratio than an incandescent bulb, may I suggest Wikipedia:Dispute resolution noticeboard as a place to have a more calm and productive discussion with the help of third-party volunteer editors? Chaotıċ Enby (talk · contribs) 15:35, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Whether or not the discourse appears to be "going anywhere" may depend on whether on not one thinks the lead needs to be changed. I personally am fine with the status quo. Marcus Markup (talk) 15:44, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

I think that dispute resolution might be sensible. There are a lot of people commenting who seem quite involved in the issue with fixed views.

Personally I was interested to note that recently the page did not describe Yasuke as a samurai until recently, and I don't think there was much concern about this. It's unfortunate that an advertisement for a video game has led to edit-warring. John Smith's (talk) 13:34, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

I will contend this point that the page did previously mention Yasuke as a Samurai, as evident by past archived versions and by this discussion Talk:Yasuke/Archive 1#Samurai, which did not seem to resolve conclusively and which notes:

"I've re-added the samurai reference (which was almost certainly removed at point in the past, perhaps as an act of vandalism), with multiple reliable sources. natemup (talk) 20:50, 28 April 2021 (UTC)" X0n10ox (talk) 10:53, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

Was Yasuke LGBTQ+

WP:NOTFORUM. This page is for discussing changes to the article, not speculating. — The Hand That Feeds You:Bite 17:41, 16 May 2024 (UTC)
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
It is highly suspected that Oda Nobunaga was LGBTQ+ (having a relationship with his vassal Mori Ranmaru). Is it too far fetched to think that Oda's attraction to Yasuke was more than platonic? Contemporary descriptions are certainly homoerotic ay a minimum: "The blackness of his body is like that of a bull, and he is healthy and of fine physique. Moreover, he has the strength of more than ten men." RepeatedNodger (talk) 16:03, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

Fully-protected edit request

Under the "In popular culture" heading, change "On May 15th 2024" to "In May 2024" since the specific date isn't terribly relevant. If we do opt to keep the specific date, it should be changed to "On May 15, 2024". Sock (tock talk) 21:28, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

• Sorry, I don't see what we shouldn't have the date, but I took the opportunity to remove that horrible, passive, fan-like "it was revealed" and other buzzwords. Drmies (talk) 21:31, 16 May 2024 (UTC)

 Not done for now: other than Drmies' tweak; consensus should be confirmed prior to making an edit request. I don't think this is particularly controversial but let's do a quick straw poll. By the way, Sock, when you're adding the {{edit fully-protected}} template you should omit the "Template:" from your code - the curly brackets assume that the page to be transcluded is a template unless you specify a different namespace. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 13:13, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for the heads up! Missed it since mobile Wikipedia can be a little rude with talk pages sometimes. I realized a little too late that I was hasty including the "In May" change, but I mostly just wanted the "15th" gone. Didn't realize that some of the other bullets don't have specific dates associated, so I'm totally good with leaving the full dates where applicable. Sock (tock talk) 13:43, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Straw poll: date format in popular culture

Should the dates given for entries in the "in popular culture" bullet list be:

1. all given in "month, year" format (e.g. "In May 2024 ..."); or
2. given with specific days when the dates can be verified (e.g. "On 17 May 2024 ..."), and "month, year" otherwise?

-- Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 13:13, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Option 2, just for the sake of having the information we can have. Uniformity doesn't really bring anything here. Chaotıċ Enby (talk · contribs) 18:27, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Option 2, if we can get specific days it's easier to narrow down. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:18, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Fully-protected edit request

In the "Birth and early life" section, can I suggest that:

"Among those whose names have been ascertained, he is the earliest African to appear in Japanese historical records, but his confirmed period of stay in Japan was very short – about three years, from 17 August 1579 to 21 June 1582."

Be reworded to simply:

"Among those whose names have been ascertained, he is the earliest African to appear in Japanese historical records. His confirmed period of stay in Japan was about three years, from 17 August 1579 to 21 June 1582."

This is as I think describing a three year stint in another country as "very short" is a bit misleading. McPhail (talk) 09:02, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{Edit semi-protected}} template. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 13:21, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Agree per MOS:EDITORIAL, just state the facts. Also “with only fragmentary accounts” should be changed to “with fragmentary accounts”.—TriiipleThreat (talk) 10:36, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

The use of "only" is a fact too, as we only have fragments of accounts to go by, the word "only" is not changing in any way the amount of accounts of an individual specially when there is a few of them, and removing it doesn't make the statement any less or more credible or clearer. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 11:14, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

In what sense is it a fact? Do the sources say "only"? If not this is just an editor's opinion. McPhail (talk) 18:36, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

Is a fact since literally the only times we hear about Yasuke is on the Jesuits writings, the primary source (Shinchō kōki), are the only few places Yasuke is even mentioned nothing else, again the use of the word only is not in any way reshaping or inserting any bias of any kind, if in a book the only place a character is mentioned is on volume 4 & 8, and a few mentions thought the story sayin "Oh he only appears on volume 4 & 8" is in no way misleading. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:14, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

”Only” adds unneeded and perhaps biased emphasis that is not included in the original source.—TriiipleThreat (talk) 16:57, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

I would say is accurate to say 3 years is short, some believe 5 year is short, the mention of "very short" does not change nor distort the fact that Yasuke stayed just for three years. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 11:11, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

In these cases we should go to the citation(s). Does the source state or imply any opinion about the length of the stay, or are we just giving our own opinions? The citation for this is in Japanese so I'm of no help interpreting it, but otherwise I agree with the request - we cannot state conclusions that don't appear in the source. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 13:21, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

For the record his stay specifically under Nobunaga was only recorded between a period of about 15 months, from Luis Frois audience with Nobunaga in March 27, 1581 to the Honno-ji Incident on June 21, 1582. I know this is more in general to his total length stay in Japan but it really drives the point that he was not around for very long when he was most notable. For context it often takes months or even years to conquer or siege castles, most notably Nobunaga's sieges on Nagashima which took place in about a period of 3 years, so it is not unreasonable to suggest that Yasuke was not around for very long based off of how long these campaigns often take during this time, especially since he is only recorded in a single fight in Honno-ji. Hexenakte (talk) 19:12, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

But when does a stint in Japan go from being "very short" to "short" to "medium" to "long"? These are all totally subjective descriptors. Why not just stick to the facts and state the duration? McPhail (talk) 09:10, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

This is basically my point. We can go round and round all day and night justifying whether this was "very short" or "a normal amount of time" or whatever, but it doesn't matter unless there's a source that agrees. Even if it was in a source it would be someone's opinion, unless there are many sources that make a point of calling out this duration as "short". Without sources, any description of the stay is unsourced opinion and original research. The article should simply give the duration, and readers can form their own conclusions. Ivanvector (^Talk/_Edits) 15:53, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Agree too, if the citations don't call it "very short", we shouldn't either. "But" as a conjunction between the two statements is also WP:EDITORIAL and shouldn't be there either. Chaotıċ Enby (talk · contribs) 18:31, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

I would add that if we don't have sources, but editors say we don't need them because it's obviously "short" then the obvious (:-P) response to this is we don't need to say it since it's obvious so anyone reading it will realise wow that's short. Nil Einne (talk) 13:36, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Strange article-text

"The name Yasuke was given to him by Nobunaga. His real name is unknown, and it is also unclear what he was called before that."

So it's unclear what he was called before he had his real name?

"Few details are known about him, including his date of birth, family structure, place of birth, ethnicity and native language."

Is this supposed to mean "His date of birth, family structure, place of birth, ethnicity and native language are unknown."? Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 11:21, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

"Luís Fróis's Annual Report on Japan states that Nobunaga also longed to see a black man, and summoned him, and Fr. Organtino took him to him and that Nobunaga, seeing a black man for the first time"

Is this supposed to mean "Luís Fróis's Annual Report on Japan states that Nobunaga also longed to see a black man, and summoned [Yasuke], and Fr. Organtino took [Yasuke] to [Nobunaga] and that Nobunaga, seeing a black man for the first time"? Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 11:27, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

+1 to all of these. Especially the "few details are known" sentence. I asked about that one a few days ago already on this talk page, but the section got completely derailed and then removed. Irrwichtel (talk) 13:46, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Fixed first and third. As for the second, yes it is supposed to mean that, but leaving the "Few details...including..." part in lets the reader know that there are more unknowns about Yasuke. ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 00:49, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

@ARandomName123 Doesn't it logically read as that the details that are mentioned are the details that are known? Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 07:15, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

@Gråbergs Gråa Sång: Oh right, I see what you mean. Changed it to match your suggestion. Thanks! ARandomName123 (talk)^{Ping me!} 18:00, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

"Speculated depictions of Yasuke"

Just not idiomatic English. Can we change this to "Possible depictions of Yasuke"?

(I really think this is a non-controversial edit, so I've gone ahead and templated this request.)

-- Isaac Rabinovitch (talk) 09:07, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

 Done * Pppery * _{it has begun...} 13:25, 18 May 2024 (UTC)

Clarification on method

I've been trying to read the comments to understand the issues with this page, and people seem to answer to "the consensus among historians is that Yasuke was a samurai" with "yeah, but I know better, here's my reasoning". If there's a consensus among historians, and historians have literally published books about Yasuke being a samurai, shouldn't WP just follow their lead? Can someone point what the written policy is on that? Nowhere man (talk) 09:20, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Can someone point what the written policy is on that?

WP:V and WP:NOR, the essay Wikipedia:Verifiability, not truth contains some clarifications. Thibaut (talk) 09:59, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

To be clear, only one "scholarly" source, that is, Thomas Lockley, has actually written on Yasuke as a "historical account". It's all the tertiary sources reposting Lockley's work that makes it bigger than it actually is. I have not heard anything about historians reaching a consensus on Yasuke being a samurai, and I don't think anyone claimed that. That being said, I will point you to my big post replying to _dk at Talk:Yasuke#Samurai_status explaining the issues with Lockley and why his book on Yasuke is not reliable. So far the only defense ran on Lockley is based off of "technically meeting the criteria to be considered a reliable source" based off of Wikipedia rules and it has been admitted among those here still defending him that his book is not actually academic. In this case I have invoked that we WP:IAR and use WP:COMMONSENSE in regards to this because there is no "reputable" secondary source on Yasuke, or atleast no other secondary sources have been proposed other than Lockley. Hexenakte (talk) 01:34, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

I don't think you have to rely on the pretty weak argument of using WP:IAR to dismiss using Lockley as a reliable source in this article. Lockley's work is a textbook example of a WP:QUESTIONABLE source based on what other secondary sources have said about his writings and per WP:QUESTIONABLE: "Questionable sources are generally unsuitable for citing contentious claims about third parties, which includes ... persons living or dead". RomeshKubajali (talk) 01:57, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

I will admit, since I have mentioned this before, I am new to the Wikipedia platform so I am not entirely well versed in the rules, so I appreciate the input, and I think you are correct. I just was not impressed with the arguments others were using what was essentially loopholes to justify Lockley's inclusion as a "reliable" secondary source. Hexenakte (talk) 02:02, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

I want to note that "academic" is not a requirement for a source to be considered reliable on Wikipedia. Much of the contention of Lockley points back to an archive of the Talk Page. Chiefly, to Talk:Yasuke#Lockley_2016,_Lockley_2017,_and_Lockley_2019 Which is being handwaved to by individuals claiming that it discredited Lockley as a source. Firstly, Lockley remained on the Yasuke page as a source for years after the conversation happened. Secondly, the discussion of the Lockley that occurred does not once state that the Lockley she be dismissed except for a comment which was struckthrough from assuming it was just a historical fiction piece.

Directing to the wording on WP:QUESTIONABLE

Questionable sources are those with a poor reputation for checking the facts or with no editorial oversight. Such sources include websites and publications expressing views that are widely acknowledged as extremist, that are promotional in nature, or that rely heavily on rumors and personal opinions.[9] Questionable sources are generally unsuitable for citing contentious claims about third parties, which includes claims against institutions, persons living or dead, as well as more ill-defined entities. The proper uses of a questionable source are very limited.

The book is published by a reputable publisher. It has been reviewed in an Academic Journal by a Historian whose chief criticism of the book was that it wasn't as valuable of a resource to Academics as it could have been had the book utilized in-text citations, but again, the reviewer does not contend the veracity of the scholarship. Furthermore, it is not a "website" or "publication" expressing a view that is widely acknowledged as extremist, nor is it promotional in nature. Moreover, it also specifies for "citing contentious claims about third parties, which includes claims AGAINST institutions, persons living or dead, as well as more ill-defined entities" (emphasis my own).

Stating that Yasuke was a Samurai is not contentious, and had not been contentious until a certain video game was announced and people arrived on Wikipedia to argue about it, nor are works which say Yasuke "was a Samurai" making a claim against him. Factually, the Lockley is widely cited across multiple sources that Wikipedia deems as reputable, and it isn't the only secondary source that mentions Yasuke as a Samurai.

Even if you want to contend that Yasuke was not a Samurai, by Wikipedia:Reliable sources and Wikipedia:NPOV the view still has to be represented that sources do call him a Samurai, and I quote: "Wikipedia articles should be based on reliable, published sources, making sure that all majority and significant minority views that have appeared in those sources are covered" Extra emphasis my own.

There is an entire documentary about Yasuke that refers to him as a Samurai

More about Lockley who is apparently being written off by Wikipedia, but not by Japanese organizations themselves, which note:

"Professor Thomas Lockley is an Associate Professor at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo. He has researched and published on a number of historical figures, but is primarily known for his work on Yasuke, which has been featured in Japan on NHK, BS-TBS, TV Tokyo, and Fuji Television as well as receiving many notable reviews including in print media such as Bungeishunju, Shukan Bunshun, Shukan Asahi, and Mainichi Shinbun. The English language version of his book, co-authored with Geoffrey Girard, African Samurai, was released by Hanover Square Press (Harper Collins) in the USA in April 2019. It received wide coverage, including being named by Publishers Weekly as one of the most eagerly anticipated books of 2019, and has been featured by many global media outlets including Time Magazine, the BBC, CNN, Euro News, and the Washington Post."

Lockley's book was reviewed by John Rodzvilla of Emerson College in "Library Journal. Mar 2019, Vol. 144 Issue 2, p128-128", with Rodzvilla writing:

Lockley (Nihon Univ., Sch. of Law, Tokyo) and Girard (Cain’s Blood) use primary sources to piece together Yasuke’s immersion into Japanese culture with a novelistic history that takes place at the height of one of Japan’s most important cultural and political moments. While the authors may take some liberties with Yasuke’s narrative, they do so with attention to their source material and the culture of the time. The story involves several figures alongside Yasuke, including samurai, ninjas, and Catholic missionaries. VERDICT With fast-paced, action-packed writing, Lockley and Girard offer a new and important biography and an incredibly moving study of medieval Japan and solid perspective on its unification. Highly recommended

And again, in "Library Journal. Winter 2019, Vol. 144 Issue 12, p80-80" as an "Essential Title in Social Studies". And again, the book not being "academic enough" isn't even a qualification for a source to be reliable on Wikipedia Per WP:SCHOLARSHIP:

"Try to cite current scholarly consensus when available, recognizing that this is often absent. Reliable non-academic sources may also be used in articles about scholarly issues, particularly material from high-quality mainstream publications" (Emphasis Mine).

Likewise, Lockley's book has been at multiple academic talks and is in Academic Libraries and in professional development reading groups.

Furthermore, Lockley has been subject to external attention related to GamerGate which has sought to discredit his work, which I feel is important to keep in mind.

The Lopez-Vera, meanwhile, has been cited 20 times in its original spanish and 3 times in English.

You can hardly argue that Lockley's claim that Yasuke is a Samurai is contentious or going against Academic consensus.

Article in this Journal refers to Yasuke as a Samurai

And this one

And Warren A. Stanislaus, PhD refers to Yasuke as a Samurai in this journal.

A companion website for the book "A History of Popular Culture in Japan, From the Seventeenth Century to the Present" lists "Sumō yūrakuzu byōbu (1605), screen painting possibly depicting Yasuke, the “African Samurai”" X0n10ox (talk) 06:34, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

I am going to repost something I have already posted elsewhere in the talkpage in regards to the only "scholarly" source being Lockley:

"It is worth pointing out that henceforth he was no longer a slave, since he received a salary for being in the daimyō’s service and enjoyed the same comforts as other vassals. He was granted the rank of samurai and occasionally even shared a table with Nobunaga himself, a privilege few of his trusted vassals were afforded" (109).
— * Lopez-Vera, Jonathan (2020). A History of the Samurai. Tokyo ; Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 4-8053-1535-0. OCLC 1156626219.

Published by Dr. Jonathan Lopez-Vera, who holds a PhD in Japanese History and an MA in World History from Pompeu Fabra University. His book, "A History of the Samurai" was originally published in Spanish as "Historia de los samuráis" in 2016 by Satori Ediciones, and published again in 2021 by Alianza Editorial.

X0n10ox (talk) 04:53, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

This is probably going to be a long reply so for the ease of following it I will respond to your main points in the order that you made them. I will also preface this by saying I'm talking only about Lockley as I have not taken a look at Lopez-Vera 2020 at the time of writing (but will do so afterwards).

RE: "Academic"

I would say Lockley is academic (or at least some of his books are) and you are certainly correct that being academic is not a pre-requisite for being considered reliable. I would note however that just because something is academic, that does not automatically make it reliable; WP:SCHOLARSHIP shows this to be the case (even though not discussed in this reply, it demonstrates a general point before I explain my full stance later RE: reliability and verifiability).

Lockley remained on the Yasuke page as a source

This has no bearing on whether Lockley is reliable or verifiable so I assume you bring it up to call out a contradiction in not using him to call Yasuke a Samurai but using him as a source for other purposes. I will respond based on this assumption but please correct me if my assumption is wrong.

I'm not going to go through the entire history of the Yasuke page since the Talk in question happened so I will only comment on how Lockley is used in the article in it's current state at the time of writing.

The first usage is in citation 8: Lockley 2017, pp. 200–202. This citation is used once on the page in the notes section after the phrase "However, these are their speculations and have no basis" to caveat what a Japanese language article said RE: Lockley's speculation on Nobunaga's naming of Yasuke. This note gives due weight to a minor aspect and properly states an opinion as such. Using Lockley as a source here falls under WP:ABOUTSELF.

The second usage is in citation 20: Lockley 2017, p. 65. This citation is used once on the page after the sentence "Nobunaga's nephew gave him a sum of money at this first meeting". This sentence is backed up by an additional citation so even though/if Lockley is an unreliable source for anything other than WP:ABOUTSELF, the sentence is still verifiable and can remain. I do support removing Lockley as a source in this instance.

The third usage is in citation 27: Lockley 2017, pp. 147–148. It is used once on the page in the Possible depictions of Yasuke section. This inclusion of Lockley's opinion on a piece of art is in a section dedicated to recording speculations. The same points from my paragraph on citation 8 mostly apply here too; namely: it follows WP:DUE, WP:VOICE and is WP:ABOUTSELF.

Those are all the instances of Lockley being directly used as a source, if I missed something please bring it up and I will comment on that too.

Is Lockley WP:QUESTIONABLE?

First sentence of WP:QUESTIONABLE: "Questionable sources are those with a poor reputation for checking the facts or with no editorial oversight". The issue is Lockley doesn't have a reputation just for not checking facts, he has a reputation for creating them out of apparently nothing. No other sources exist, besides tertiary ones which themselves cite Lockley, to support many substantial claims made by Lockley. Meanwhile he barely gives any indication of what sources he read to support such claims:

The afterward lists chapter-by-chapter “Selected Readings” of primary and secondary sources, but no direct citations. The omission of citations is not necessarily a question a veracity of the scholarship, but the authors frequently go into detail about Yasuke and his personal reactions, like his kidnapping from Africa and his sword fight with a young enemy samurai, with no cited documentation. Likewise, there is no discussion of the evidence that explains how, in just fifteen months, Yasuke and Nobunaga developed such a close relationship (Purdy, R. W., 2020)

The second sentence of WP:QUESTIONABLE is a non-exhaustive list of examples of questionable sources. Lockley doesn't really fall in to any of these examples.

Third and fourth sentence of WP:QUESTIONABLE: "Questionable sources are generally unsuitable for citing contentious claims about third parties, which includes claims against institutions, persons living or dead, as well as more ill-defined entities. The proper uses of a questionable source are very limited". Regarding the contentious element, you said, "Stating that Yasuke was a Samurai is not contentious, and had not been contentious until a certain video game was announced and people arrived on Wikipedia to argue about it". Respectfully, you have it mixed up; Stating that Yasuke was a Samurai has been contentious since it was first brought up on the Talk page, long before the culture war caused by the Assassin's Creed Shadows leak. Every time a discussion was had on Lockley's claim that Yasuke was a Samurai, the conclusion was he wasn't and that Lockley was a poor source. You also said: "nor are works which say Yasuke "was a Samurai" making a claim against him". The list is non exhaustive; a claim does not necessarily have to be against an entity to be contentious, it is just an example of what would be contentious.

The view still has to be represented that sources do call him a Samurai

I completely agree. It is absolutely as significant minority view that Yasuke was a Samurai. This view should be reflected in the article. I am not sure what section it would go under as it doesn't really seem to fit any of the section headings but that's something that could be figured out once/if consensus is established. In actually writing the text for the article there are also many NPOV issues which should be discussed but I digress.

I've been writing for a while so I'll leave it there. If there are any specific points I did not cover that you think I ought to have please let me know. RomeshKubajali (talk) 19:55, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

The problem with stating "Stating that Yasuke was a Samurai has been contentious since it was first brought up on the Talk page, long before the culture war caused by the Assassin's Creed Shadows leak" is that it's not entirely true. As noted by the talk section about Samurai, the article, specifically:

You're picking arbitrary dates. The article began by calling him a samurai, and has referred to him as such at various points since. I was restoring a previous version that should supersede later (and unilateral, undiscussed) edits that were based on original research and a definition not found in any source used in the article. Merriam-Webster states that a samurai is a retainer under a daimyo, which throughout this dispute the article has unequivocally claimed Yasuke to be (based on the exact same sources that say he was a samurai).
— User:Natemup 17:09, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

Natemup, I haven't looked at the sources in-depth, but I am so far inclined to agree with you that the lead should describe Yasuke as a samurai. The body could note that there is some disagreement on the matter. I also agree that "Afro-centric" was a bizarre and POV statement to add.
— User:Firefangledfeathers 17:48, 6 May 2021 (UTC)

Concerning the matter at hand—that of sources, rather than cherry-picked dictionary entries—virtually every source cited in the article refers to Yasuke as a samurai. Full stop. It is literally the reason the article was created and is the warp and woof of Yasuke's significance. This has been obscured by an unsourced edit from 2019 that insisted on a hereditary definition of "samurai"—which is one of at least two, the other of which was cited above (and swiftly no-true-Scotsman'ed) by Hijiri. And lest anyone be misled, the article has been categorized under ~"foreign samurai" throughout this entire brouhaha, since well before I ever got involved, indicating the original state of the article before vandalism took hold. Hijiri has also deemed what would be considered a reliable source on any other article as unreliable here, even scholars whose work is *already* cited in the article without controversy. Thus three additional reliable sources I added have been removed, while the obvious original research seen above from Hijiri is being represented in the article at present without justification
— User:natemup 04:28, 7 May 2021 (UTC)

I would like to point at this time that the main opponent to the re-addition of Samurai to the article in 2021, was Hijiri 88, who struck his opposition:

I'm out Please consider all my comments on this page stricken. I will support whatever the consensus of editors other than myself decides upon. Regardless of what said consensus is, so be it.
— User:Hijiri 88 10:02, 30 May 2021 (UTC)

Again, we're re-arguing a settled matter here Re: Lockley, again directing to Talk:Yasuke/Archive_1#Slave_or_Servant

Attribution is required for any challenge statement for Wikipedia:Verifiability, so I simply say that this needs attribution and a source. Lockley disputes it, and while you may not agree, he still is a published scholar, even if you don't like him. But most of all, I am concerned with the lack of sources stating that he is a slave, since all we've got so far is the non-scholarly documentary.
— User:Eccekevin 00:44, 16 November 2021 (UTC)

At the end of the day, my point is not that "Yasuke should be named a Samurai", my point is merely that there is a number of publications that list Yasuke as a Samurai, and there is a modern understanding that Yasuke was a Samurai which does not seem to be contended as nobody has furnished any secondary sources conclusively arguing that Yasuke wasn't a Samurai. My point of bringing up the usage of Lockley throughout the article is the fact that we are dismissing a handful of sources because "they're based on the Lockely", but as I've pointed out in Talk:Yasuke#Sources Discussion there are a handful of sources presently in use on the page that utilize Lockley as their source. Likewise, there are multiple sources in the citation list that flat-out call Yasuke a Samurai. To plug our ears and not even acknowledge that some sources call Yasuke a samurai is blatantly violating Wikipedia:NPOV.

Do I think the article should say "Yasuke was a Samurai"? Probably not. Should the Article probably say something like "Although the historical documents are inconclusive, some scholars contend that Yasuke was a Samurai"? Yes, because it is an accurate representation of the situation. Even if the Lockley is dismissed entirely, the Lopez-Vera book still refers to Yasuke as a Samurai, has been cited multiple times in Spanish, is touted by his University, and was written by an academic whose doctoral degree is in Japanese History specifically. WP:HSC does say that "Popular equivalents of the above published by historians who normally publish in the scholarly mode" are valid history sources.

Likewise, "Historical articles on Wikipedia should use scholarly works where possible, Where scholarly works are unavailable, the highest quality commercial or popular works should be used."

Even in terms of the Lockley, the "highest quality commercial or popular works should be used" is still applicable to Lockley. It is commercially published by a legitimate publishing house. It has received high praise by the Library Journal, and a generally favorable review by R.W Purdy, who, again, does not dispute the veracity of the book nor does he recommend against the book. Since there are no scholarly works available, as everyone has helpfully pointed out, we turn to "the highest quality commercial of popular works". Dismissing Lockley on the grounds of he doesn't use in-text citations but keeping a bunch of random web articles hardly seems to be keeping with the premise of "highest quality commercial or popular works", especially when several of those sources reference or cite the Lockley themselves.

My point as to Lockley remaining on the page is the fact that if Lockley was determined unreliable and that it should be driven from the page and all sources that cite Lockley are unreliable, why did several sources that reference Lockley remain and why does Lockley remain cited on the page? If Lockley's claim is only there because it is supported by another source, but Lockley is unreliable, should the Lockley not just be removed and the supporting source be left in its place?

Even in terms of the "Questionable Sources" section that you quoted, the next section reads:

Such sources include websites and publications expressing views widely considered by other sources to be promotional, extremist, or relying heavily on unsubstantiated gossip, rumor, or personal opinion. Questionable sources should be used only as sources for material on themselves, such as in articles about themselves; see below. They are not suitable sources for contentious claims about others.

Which, again "considered by other sources to be promotional, extremist, or relying heavily on unsubstantiated gossip, rumor, or personal opinion". The "considered by other sources", I feel, is an important fact which is being left out. Original Research by Wikipedia Editors does not constitue other sources making an argument that Lockley is "relying heavily on unsubstantiated gossip, rumor, or personal opinion", nor does the R.W Purdy review state that it relies heavily on "unsubstantiated gossip, rumor, or personal opinion". Purdy does not once in his review go to the lengths of saying the book relies on unsubstantiated rumor, gossip, or opinion. He even says Re: the section quoted about Nobunaga getting close to Yasuke in just 15 months:

"Was it just Yasuke’s height and skin color? Presumably, much of this might come from Frois or be based on reasonable speculation, but, without specific references, details often seem like creative embellishments, rather than historical narrative." His statement is that it can be presumed to be based off of the Frois, but without specific citations, it can seem like embellishments. He is, notably, not outright saying that Lockley is unsubstantiated or that it is outright creative embellishments, merely that without citations they SEEM like creative embellishments. It would be hard to argue that these statements indicate that Purdy believes the entire book to rely "heavily on unsubstantiated gossip, rumor, or personal opinion". I would also like to add that [[88]] this source utilized on the Wikipedia List of Foreign Born Samurai lists Yasuke as a Samurai, and predates the earliest publication of Lockley being as the page was published in 2015 and Lockley's first mention of Yasuke as a Samurai came in 2016. X0n10ox (talk) 23:43, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

Do I think the article should say "Yasuke was a Samurai"? Probably not. Should the Article probably say something like "Although the historical documents are inconclusive, some scholars contend that Yasuke was a Samurai"? Yes, because it is an accurate representation of the situation.

If this is your position I basically agree with you on what the article should say. I disagree with a large portion of your arguments, and I think you've made some arguments I already covered in my previous reply, but there's little point in arguing it out if we pretty much agree on what the article should say. If you want to make a new topic to try to get consensus for a change to this effect I would happily add my support (even if I disagreed on certain specifics of the proposal). If you don't want to go down this route, but would be willing to support me, then I could make the new topic myself tomorrow. RomeshKubajali (talk) 00:51, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

I'm willing to support you. While we are arriving at the same conclusion through different means, it's the same conclusion nevertheless. X0n10ox (talk) 05:39, 21 May 2024 (UTC)

Precisely what some of us are saying on this section is that the historians that you could "argue" have a consensus, of which Lockley seems to have the spotlight due to some of his books, of Yasuke being a Samurai are most likely engaging in a very lax use of Japanese words who aren't really interchangeable, like Hexe and some have explained if there is a clear distinction on the use of words otherwise, historians should've called Hideyoshi a Samurai WAY before he became an ACTUAL Samurai but they didn't why? Because he wasn't one, neither was Yasuke nor Williams but that's because again the lax usage of some translated Japanese words being used, some people/historians(on reddit(I'm not sure how much legitimacy they have since apparently you need credential to post there as an 'historian') and twitter) believe that Samurai were just 'full-time' soldiers, which is just not true nor accurate, also Wikipedia:Verifiability, not truth. Hopefull Innformer (talk) 23:20, 22 May 2024 (UTC)

WP:!TRUTHFINDERS I am just going to put this here for you once again.

"Wikipedia doesn't reproduce verbatim text from other sources. Rather, it summarizes content that some editor(s) believes should belong in the Wikipedia article in the form of an encyclopedic summary that is verifiable from reliable sources. This process involves editors who are not making claims that they have found truth, but that they have found someone else who is making claims that they have found truth. If there is more than one set of facts or explanations for the facts in the article, there's a guideline for that where multiple points of view (Wikipedia's term for versions of truth) are included.

Wikipedia editors are not indifferent to truth, but as a collaborative project written primarily by amateurs, its editors are not making judgments as to what is true and what is false, but what can be verified in a reliable source and otherwise belongs in Wikipedia."

It is not the job of Wikipedia editors to determine if their usage of Japanese is lax, or what the English understanding of a Samurai is. X0n10ox (talk) 23:58, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

As a counterargument, we do have a responsibility to be clear in how we are using words, and also to be clear in how the sources we present are using those words.

What do we mean by "samurai", as used in this article? That is not clear, and this lack of clarity seems to underlie most of the disagreements visible on this page.

If we can clearly define what "samurai" means for the purposes of this article, and show how that intersects (or doesn't) with the definitions and/or usage of "samurai" by our references, then I suspect that much of this disagreement about Yasuke being or not being a "samurai" may well resolve. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 23:02, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Remove the "kosho" title.

Hopefully this is uncontroversial but I think we should remove the "kosho" lead, unfamiliar Japanese titles shouldn't be thrown around when there's no scholarly sources backing it up. JP wiki doesn't use this term and the sources supporting it are a short clickbait "Japaaan" article plus an entertainment article talking about a possible Yasuke movie starring Chadwick Boseman. "He was retained by the daimyō as a koshō" could be changed to "He was retained in the daimyō's service", and "Yasuke followed Nobunaga to Azuchi in Omi Province, where he was appointed a koshō" could be changed into "Yasuke followed Nobunaga to Azuchi in Omi Province, where he was retained in his service." or something of the like. Meeepmep (talk) 11:59, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

I agree that the sources given thus far that he was kosho do look unreliable. Are there any more reliable ones that he was granted the rank? That would be preferable to removing the reference entirely. John Smith's (talk) 13:15, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

It's pretty dubious that he was ever granted that rank, when none of the few primary sources that mention him describe him as such. Wiki editors that defend this title admit that it is inference, but can't seem to find scholarly sources backing this up. Thomas Lockley, the preeminent "Yasuke expert" doesn't mention the title his book African Samurai either. Meeepmep (talk) 06:54, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

That's reasonable. I made edits cleaning that section up previously to clear out similarly unreliable language and failed to adequately check the reliability of the claim he was a koshō so this is a good catch. FifteenthClause (talk) 18:15, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

From u/ParallelPain's own words: "FYI no source say Yasuke was actually a 小姓". Thibaut (talk) 21:56, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

I'm just going to go ahead and change it now that the article is semi-protected. Meeepmep (talk) 10:02, 20 May 2024 (UTC)

Translation of the extract from the Shinchō Kōki

The extract in the article states that Yasuke "appears to be 26 or 27 years old" which is also supported by the translation done by /r/ParallelPain on Reddit.

The other citation provided (intojapanwaraku.com) says "年齢は20歳代前半" (early twenties).

However, this academic paper from the Kyoto University, which cites another paper, translates the age as "around sixteen or seventeen years of age".

The original text is provided here, correct me if I'm wrong but "廿六七" means "26 or 27".

--Thibaut (talk) 20:36, 19 May 2024 (UTC)

Per the paper in question, its source for saying that Yasuke is 16 or 17 is "Fujita, Midori. 1987a. "Nihonshi niokeru 'Kurobo' no Tojo: Afurika Orai kotohajime" (Early History of Afro-Japanese Relations: People Called Kurob6 in the Sixteenth Century), Hikaku Bungaku Kenkyet 51, 28 — 51."

This article which also lists the Fujita as a reference says "26-27".

Without access to the Fujita itself, it would seem the paper saying he was 16 or 17 is the outlier. X0n10ox (talk) 09:14, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

Thanks. Thibaut (talk) 09:16, 23 May 2024 (UTC)

The Tono Notation

I am requesting someone to provide a Wikipedia:Reliable sources for the notation "It is assumed that 'tono' in this case means a high position among the samurai, as a lord of a castle would be too high a position" or, failing that, to remove it per Wikipedia:No original research.

Added by this revision [89] with 0 comment, explanation, or discussion. The entire mention of "tono" does not exist until this particular revision, and while we can see in the primary historical documents where Fróis writes about suspecting Nobunaga wanted to make Yasuke a "tono", the editor provided no citation or evidence to assert the assumption in the notation. I do not think H:NOTES is the appropriate place for editors to spin their speculation about what Fróis, or Nobunaga, meant by "tono". X0n10ox (talk) 02:27, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

In a letter from Lorenzo Mesia, October 8, 1581, it is mentioned that 'Nobunaga would make him [Yasuke] a tono [meaning lord or sir]' which certainly signifies high social status. This, along with the high trust Nobunaga had by permitting him to carry a weapon and providing him with a stipend makes it very likely that he would have been socially classed as Samurai.

Looks like JuliusRoxas made this statement in the talk page above, so this is presumably the reference in question, though it doesn't appear to include the "likely not to mean a lord of a castle" part. That appears to be WP:OR speculation. Silverseren^C 02:37, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Yes, that statement was made, but there is nothing about the assumption which does make it strictly editorializing by whomever added it. Moreover, I am going to correct the text of the article because presently it says "Frois writes", when very clearly Frois didn't write it. We can see the letter [90] in its original Portuguese here. As the page says this is a letter from Father Lourenço Mexía to Father Pero da Fonseca written on October 8, 1581, saying "Frois writes" is strictly not true. Considering all of the rigorous claims about truth and factuality surrounding samurai made on this page in the past week it is marginally humorous that everyone has been overlooking a blatantly, demonstrably false statement in the article. X0n10ox (talk) 02:43, 24 May 2024 (UTC)

Here's the relevant excerpt of the text of the letter that @X0n10ox links above (https://digitalis-dsp.uc.pt/bg5/UCBG-VT-18-9-17_18/UCBG-VT-18-9-17_18_item1/P680.html), found on the left-hand column of the right-hand page in that image, first full sentence, starts on line 5 of that column.

Leuou o padre hum cafre, o qual porq́ nunca foi viſto no Miaco, fez paſmar a todos, era a gente que o vinha ver q́ não tinha conto, & o meſmo Nobunanga paſmou de o ver nem ſe podia perſuadir que naturalmente era negro, mas que era artificio de tinta, & aſsi não ſe fartaua de o ver muitas vezes, & falar com elle, por que ſabia mediocremente a lingoa de Iapaõ, & tinha muita forças, & algũas manhas boas, de que elle muita goſtaua, agora o fauorece tanto que o mandou por toda a cidade com hum homem ſeu muita priuado pera que todos ſoubeſſem que elle o amaua: dizem que o fará Tòno.

Modernized spelling:

Levou o padre hum cafre, o qual porque nunca foi visto no Miaco, fez pasmar a todos, era a gente que o vinha ver que não tinha conto, & o mesmo Nobunanga pasmou de o ver nem se podia persuadir que naturalmente era negro, mas que era artificio de tinta, & assim não se fartava de o ver muitas vezes, & falar com elle, por que sabia mediocremente a lingoa de Japão, & tinha muita forças, & algumas manhas boas, de que elle muita gostava, agora o favorece tanto que o mandou por toda a cidade com hum homem seu muita privado pera que todos soubessem que elle o amava: dizem que o fará Tòno.

Google Translate, lightly tweaked for clarity:

The priest took a kaffir, who, because he had never been seen in Miaco [Kyoto], amazed everyone, it was the people who came to see him that had no story, & Nobunanga himself was amazed to see him and could not be persuaded that he was naturally black, but that he was an artifice of ink, & so he didn't get tired of seeing him often, & talking to him, because he knew the language of Japan mediocrely, & had a lot of strength, & some good tricks, which he liked a lot, now he favors him so much so that he sent him throughout the city with a very private man of his so that everyone would know that he loved him: they say [he] will make him Tono.

This isn't a letter written by Luís Fróis (who died in July 1579, too early for this incident anyway), but rather by Father Lourenço Mexia to Father Pero da Fonseca in October 1581, as we see in the header for this letter's text on the previous page (https://digitalis-dsp.uc.pt/bg5/UCBG-VT-18-9-17_18/UCBG-VT-18-9-17_18_item1/P679.html).

In summary: the Portuguese missionaries did not say that Yasuke was a tono, nor that Nobunaga would make Yasuke a tono, and instead Father Mexia is relating the town gossip, what people at large were saying might happen in future. ‑‑ Eiríkr Útlendi │^{Tala við mig} 22:48, 24 May 2024 (UTC)