A mysterious visitor arrived in Japan in 1579. What made him mysterious was that he was from Africa, and he was called Yasuke. Very much of his story still remains a mystery to this day, and there are only verifiable records up to the date of 1582. What made Yasuke […]
Who is Miyamoto Musashi and why is he so well-known? The most well-known samurai in Japanese history, Miyamoto Musashi is famous for his mastery of the Japanese sword arts. Born in 1584 to a farming family, Musashi was orphaned at age 13. He petitioned to train as a swordsman and […]
Masamune-dono’s Early Life and How He Became a Samurai Warrior Masamune-dono, or Date Masamune, was born on October 22, 1567. His father was “Date Terumune” and his mother was “Mikawa Ujiko”. He became the first daimyo of the Sendai Domain in northern Honshu. The Date clan had been very successful […]