IN 1579 WHEN A 6 FOOT 2 INCH AFRICAN SLAVE LANDED  IN JAPAN. HE TOWERED OVER   THE PEOPLE   STICKING OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB. THE PEOPLE LOST ALL MODESTY  NEARLY CAUSING A STAMPEDE TRYING TO GET A CLOSER LOOK AT HIM. A SIGHT THEY   HAD NEVER SEEN IN KYOTO. HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AFRICANS TO ARRIVE ON THE   ISLAND. A POWERFUL JAPANESE WARLORD ORDERED HIM TO REMOVE HIS CLOTHES   WHILE A FLOCK OF SERVANTS TRIED TO SCRUB THE "BLACK INK" OFF HIS SKIN. LITTLE   DID THE WARLORD KNOW THAT THE SLAVE WAS DESTINE TO BECOME THE WORLD'S   FIRST  BLACK  SAMURAI. THE SAMURAI ARE AMONG THE MOST ENDURING SYMBOLS OF   JAPANESE CULTURAL HERITAGE. FEW FOREIGNERS EVER CLAIMED THE TITLE. BUT   ONE UNORTHODOX MAN STANDS OUT FROM THE LONG LINEUP OF NOBLE JAPANESE   WARRIORS. THEY NAMED HIM "YASUKE". HE WAS 24 OR 25 YEARS OLD AND HAD THE   STRENGTH OF TEN MEN. ODA NOBUNAGA A MEDIEVAL JAPANESE WARLORD   APPOINTED  YASUKE HIS FEUDAL BODYGUARD. ODA WAS A WORLDLY OPEN MINDED   RULER THAT WAS VERY MERITOCRATIC. HE COULD SEE PAST THE SKIN. NOBUNAGA   GREW FOND OF YASUKE AND TREATED HIM LIKE FAMILY. HE EARNED HIS WORTH ON   THE BATTLE FIELD AND ON PATROL AT AZUOHI CASTLE. IN LESS THAN A YEAR YASUKE   WENT FROM BEING A LOWLY PAGE TO JOINING THE UPPER ECHELONS OF JAPAN'S   WARRIOR CLASS, "THE SAMURAI." HE LEARNED TO SPEAK FLUENT JAPANESE AND RODE   AT ODA'S SIDE IN BATTLE, AN HONOR RESERVED ONLY FOR  PEOPLE ODA RESPECTED   AND TRUSTED. AS ONE OF ODA'S RIGHT HAND MEN YASUKE WAS GIVEN A CEREMONIAL   KATANA (SWORD) AND THE PLEASURE OF DINING WITH ODA WHICH FEW SAMURAI WERE   PRIVY TO AT THE TIME.  MUCH ABOUT YASUKE REMAINS CLOAKED IN MYSTERY TO THIS   DAY. AS A RESULT OF OFFICIAL  RECORDS BEING POORLY KEPT IN 16TH CENTURY   JAPAN. UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF  INFORMATION  ABOUT YASUKE IS NO LONGER   AVAILABLE. THE STORY OF A VALIANT WARRIOR TRIUMPHING AGAINST ALL ODDS, BUT   ALSO THE STORY OF A PAINED YOUNG MAN DROPPED INTO A WORLD OF STRANGERS.   HIS SACRIFICE.....NOT HIS SWORD OR HIS SLAUGHTER.....MADE HIM A TRUE SAMURAI. 

 THE LEGEND LIVES............