Yasuke KS1

Yasuke Yasuke

Chris Bradford Markia Jenai

C ONTENTS Bonus: Maps of Japan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 CHAPTER 1 ARRIVAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 CHAPTER 2 SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 CHAPTER 3 SAMURAI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 CHAPTER 4 NINJA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 CHAPTER 5 TRAITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 CHAPTER 6 LEGEND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Bonus: Yasuke was real! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Bonus: Paintings from Yasuke’s time . . . . . 74 Bonus: Bushido – The Way of the Warrior. 76

Bonus: Japan’s flag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Bonus: Japanese picture dictionary . . . . . . 80 Bonus: Samurai sayings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Bonus: How to count like a samurai . . . . . 84 About the author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 About the illustrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Book chat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Maps of Japan

This is a map of Japan from the 16thcentury. The text is in Latin which was used on lots of documents at that time.

2

This is a modern map of Japan. Can you match the islands from the 16th century map to this one?

3

C HAPTER 1 ARRIVAL

Sixteenth-century Japan. This was the time of the samurai – highly-trained warriors who protected and fought for lords called daimyo. These daimyo battled each other to rule Japan.

Halfway through the century, people from far-off lands such as Portugal, England and India began to turn up on Japanese shores. These travellers were known as nanban (“southern barbarians”) and they brought with them gold, spices, Chinese silks, weapons and their beliefs.

One daimyo – Lord Oda Nobunaga – became very interested in these nanban. But one particular nanban made an even bigger impression on this lord and on all of Japan …

4

Kyoto, Japan, March 1581. The arrival of nanban in the capital city had drawn a curious crowd from far and wide.

I can’t see! Quit your moaning, Koji. Nor can I.

Careful, Koji. You’ll be trampled on.

GASP!

How extraordinary!

Get off, Nara!

I want to see. This could be our only chance.

I can’t believe my eyes.

Come with me, Koji. I’ve got an idea.

5

Help me up, will you?

OW! Watch it, that’s my face!

Hurry! Only trying to help, sis.

Stop!

You’re pulling my hair.

You’re p u my h ai

They had never seen such a large crowd in their lives ... or such a strange parade ... or a man like the one at the front of the group.

What are they wearing? Is that a GIANT among them?

6

This was the first time anyone in Kyoto had ever laid eyes on an African man. His arrival sent a wave of excitement through the crowd.

He looks so strong! And he’s so tall!

I wonder where he’s from.

7

Your arrival has attracted a large crowd, Father Valignano. Your visit to Kyoto is sure to be a success.

I arrived in Japan almost two years ago … will I ever get used to this constant staring?

I think my manservant is the bigger attraction.

… things could get out of hand very quickly.

KEEP BACK!

The locals seem welcoming enough but I don’t like the size of this crowd …

8

My lord, may I suggest we hurry to the Nanban-ji church?

We’re here to meet the people. Not run away from them.

I’m afraid, my lord, for your safety, I must insist.

You don’t expect me to run in this outfit, do you?

Come on, Koji, or we’ll lose them.

Yes, I do my lord … W RU N!

I guess the quicker we get to church, the quicker we can begin our work …

NOW RUN!

9

Valignano was astonished by the reaction. He had hoped his grand arrival into Kyoto would make an impact, but he hadn’t foreseen the huge effect that his manservant would have on the local people. Everyone was eager to meet him. The crowd grew into tens of thousands of local people and the parade quickly got out of control. Both Valignano and his manservant had to run for their lives ...