Yasuke is the first known African to appear in Japanese historical records. Yasuke served as a samurai to Oda Nobunaga between 1581 and 1582, during the Sengoku period. He arrived in Japan in the service of Alessandro Valignano, a Jesuit missionary, in 1579. Yasukan was granted a sword, a house and a stipend as samurai. He was also granted a house, sword and stipend. He fought at the Honn?-ji Incident until the death of Nobutada, who died in 1582.