Discrimination Seen in "Assassin's Creed Shadows"
I am Japanese. I was born and raised in Japan. I feel strong indignation about #AssassinsCreedShadows , #Ubisoft , and #ThomasLockley 's issues, as well as deep-seated discrimination against Asians. I am very angry.
Firstly, Japan was the first country to propose ending racial discrimination, including against black people, at the League of Nations. (1919, Versailles Peace Conference) However, it was rejected due to strong opposition from Western countries.
Furthermore, there is no record of black slavery being prevalent in Japan. There are no sayings like "Samurai must have some black blood to be brave." Sakamoto Tamuramaro is not black. The Ainu people are not African. Are they colored?
Yes, of course, they are. Because all Japanese are colored, most are yellow.
Well, the era of #AssassinsCreedShadows is from AD 1579 to 1584. Let me clarify upfront: the invention of photography, though debated, dates to around 1839. Naturally, there are no surviving photos of Yasuke. Any photos of him circulating online are fake.
And at that time, although Japan now demonstrates its technological prowess through companies like HITACHI, TOYOTA, MITSUBISHI, HONDA, and YAMAHA around the world, Japan was still a small island nation with limited technological capabilities and did not have ships capable of reaching Africa.
And at that time, Japan was composed of many small countries and was experiencing a prolonged period of turmoil.Even with neighboring Asian countries, it was extremely difficult to establish diplomatic relations, form trade hubs, and engage in frequent exchanges
(Specifically, between ancient times and the year 1603, Japan was not a single unified country.)
How did Yasuke come to Japan then? The Jesuits.
They traded goods, including people, worldwide, and promoted Christianity.
The Jesuits undoubtedly used and propagated slavery. They met Oda Nobunaga in Japan. Nobunaga loved new things and was very curious. At that time, Japan was in a war-torn world, and Nobunaga was trying to unify Japan using Portuguese technology.
The Jesuit Order unquestionably expanded and exploited slavery. This is well documented in historical texts other than #ThomasLockley 's. When the Jesuits arrived in Japan, they sought an audience with Oda Nobunaga.
During Japan's turbulent era, Oda Nobunaga sought to unify Japan using Western technology. Portugal, aiming to ultimately make Japan its colony, cooperated with Nobunaga toward this goal. (From the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494.)
When the Jesuits met Oda Nobunaga, they brought Yasuke as one of their commodities or for their own purposes. Nobunaga took a liking to him and reportedly received him from the Jesuits. Nobunaga provided him with a house, a sword, and a substantial salary.There is no such history.
#ThomasLockley 's writings, it is claimed that during the Incident at "本能寺の変"(Honnoji no hen), Yasuke beheaded Oda Nobunaga with a katana named 薬研藤四郎(Yagentoshiro). This claim is entirely baseless.
The history he claims doesn't exist.
"本能寺の変"Honnoji no hen(He manipulates the dates in his work, but the accurate date is June 21, 1582.)
Yasuke fought bravely under the leadership of Oda Nobunaga's son for a long time after Nobunaga's death, but historical accounts state that he obediently surrendered his sword when ordered by Akechi Mitsuhide's retainer. He was subsequently placed in Nanbanji.(from Jesuit Japan Yearbook)
"南蛮寺"nanbanji(The colloquial term for Christian churches built across Japan at that time was "Nanbanji.")
There are no records of Yasuke's life at Nanbanji temple. Yasuke did not rise to the top of the country. Was he a great samurai? Such historical stories do not exist.
The primary sources that mention Yasuke are only these three:
・信長公記 Nobunagakouki(Nobunaga Chronicles)
・イエズス会日本年報(Jesuit Japan Annual Report)
・家忠日記 Ietada Nikki (Ietada Diary).
For detailed content, refer to STST's note (https://note.com/just_eel601).
As you can see, there are only a few lines about Yasuke. Even when combined across three books, it barely amounts to a few pages. Absolutely no mention exists of his activities as a ninja or his contributions in domestic affairs or battles.
In other words, any further reference to Yasuke is purely #ThomasLockley's delusion.After the death of Oda Nobunaga, the Jesuits attempted to further strengthen their influence, specifically by attempting to enslave Japanese people and sell them around the world.
However, under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who succeeded Oda Nobunaga as the next prominent leader, Christianity was prohibited through edicts, and following Hideyoshi's death, Japan entered a period of isolation under Tokugawa Ieyasu, who unified Japan as the next shogun.
The reasons for Japan's policy of isolation were diverse, but a major objective was to protect Japan from foreign invasion and unify the country.
As mentioned earlier, during the era when Oda Nobunaga and others were active, Japan consisted of many countries that waged wars against each other. It like a small-scale Europe.
According to #ThomasLockley, it is claimed that the arrival of Yasuke led to a trend of black slavery within Japan, but there is absolutely no factual basis for such a claim. This claim is deeply disrespectful towards Japan.
The Jesuits, known for their integrity and honesty, brought black slaves and intended to include Japanese individuals among them. Yes, this actually happened.
This practice continued until Toyotomi Hideyoshi expelled Christianity. Furthermore, historical records in works like the "九州御動座記"(Kyusyugodouki) document that many Japanese slaves were indeed sold to various foreign countries.
This information has been thoroughly presented by クマ様 (@wtbHEx1TUm1Hl89). We can access these historical texts, all preserved in the National Diet Library of Japan, online for Japanese to read.
These historical documents are not fantasies or fictional novels based on delusions and imagination, as seen in Wikipedia entries cited by #ThomasLockley.
I am furious.In recent years, there have been works such as "Ghost of Tsushima" and "SHOGUN" that have depicted Japan with great respect. As someone who loves Japanese history and as a Japanese person, I have been extremely pleased by this.
(Of course, I also enjoy and find interesting works like "Bullet Train," "Batman Begins," "The Wolverine," "Kill Bill," and others that portray an impossible image of Japan.But why is it that when these works are supposed to be based on Japan or have Japanese settings, they use scenery from Non-Japanese scenery and non-Japanese actors?Maybe they can't tell the difference between Asians, but don't worry; I find it just as hard to distinguish you Westerners.)
Critiquing #AssassinsCreedShadows results in accusations of white discrimination, black discrimination, whites pretending to be Japanese, claims that Christianity wouldn't do such things.....
Making a fuss against narrow-eyed Yellow Monkeys during the time that should be spent learning history is indeed very easy and enjoyable, isn't it?
In Japan, long before #ThomasLockley published his fantasies, there have been novels, manga, games, and other works featuring Yasuke's exploits. "Is he used so much because he's in textbooks?" No, he's not even in them.
Many people in Japan have a strong interest in Japanese and world history. Previous generations studied historical works and found romance in the prominent element of a black man serving under Oda Nobunaga.
This inspired various creative works. However, both creators and enthusiasts like us understand that it's not historical fact. We know.
Even if there were figures in history whom we admire, we are not attempting to distort history.
I don't understand.Why do white people want to falsify the history of the Yellow Monkeys to prove or appeal that they do not discriminate against black people?
Why do black people want to falsify history to make it seem like they are playing an active role everywhere in the world? Do white and black dislike yellow so much? Do you dislike that yellow has its own unique history and culture?
I know the history where Japanese people have been mocked as Yellow Monkeys, slant-eyed, barbarians, and so on.
(I haven't forgotten those incidents, either, such as during the Tokyo Olympics or in soccer matches.)
#Ubisoft's team probably has never visited Japan. Since it's about Japanese history, #Ubisoft should include people who truly study Japanese history and include interpreters and translators who understand history and culture, respecting their opinions.
Due to their disregard and discrimination against Japan, they have neglected to recognize this and mistakenly believed that the absurd portrayal of Japan is amusing and based on delightful historical facts, thus unquestioningly accepting #ThomasLockley 's words and works.
It's truly regrettable.It seems like #ThomasLockley only learned at a Nihon-university that Japanese people are bad at English.Both #Ubisoft and #ThomasLockley seem to say different things in English and Japanese.
It's incredible they think they won't get caught. After reading their comments in English, I am simply disappointed and infuriated by both.It's quite remarkable that they think Japanese people won't notice.
After reading their comments in English, I am simply disappointed and infuriated by both.I think such actions clearly show that Japan is being ridiculed, disrespected, and discriminated against.
#Ubisoft and #ThomasLockley (or Tottori Tom?) They insult and discriminate against Japan, falsify history, and invade Japan's culture.
These actions are no different from what Americans did to Native American tribes when they settled in America, what the Nazis did to Jews and Czechoslovakians, and what white people did to black people. All of these are forms of discrimination.
In other words, while they create games based on history and study history, they have not learned a single thing from history. It's astonishing.We are Japanese, yellow-skinned people, neither white nor black.
Why are there no black people in SHOGUN? It's because there were almost no black people at that time, so it's natural they don't appear. This is due to the historical fact that Japan at that time did not participate in the white-driven black slave trade.
Why aren't black people prominent? Because there are no records of their actual prominence. Since there are so many outrageous depictions of Japan, isn't it fine to have an authentic Japanese work about Japan once in a while?
I will repeat myself. Japan was the first country to propose the abolition of racial discrimination, including discrimination against black people, at the United Nations.
In 1919, at the Versailles Peace Conference after World War I, Japan's proposal to include a 'racial equality clause' in the Covenant of the League of Nations was strongly opposed and rejected by the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Australia, and Canada.
The countries that voted in favor were Brazil, Romania, and Czechoslovakia.Some factions of Christianity seem to want to erase their history of witch hunts and discrimination against people of color, but what happened cannot be undone.
Stop trying to blame what your religion and ancestors did on 'yellow monkeys' and pretending to be virtuous.
(This does not mean that 'yellow monkeys' are perfectly innocent.)
Also, stop trying to paint 'yellow monkeys' in a different color.
I am angry at the excessively dirty and shameless attitude and methods.
Japanese culture is much more tolerant than you might think. As long as you do not claim it to be the true history, no one would get angry if anyone from anywhere becomes a samurai or ninja, or if anything happens in a fictional history. That's normal in Japan.
In Japan, Oda Nobunaga is one of the most popular historical figures. In Japan, he can be depicted as a woman, a demon king, a robot, a cat, or a dog.
This transformation is not unique to modern Japan; such works have existed since at least the Edo period (1603-1864). However, every Japanese person knows that these are purely fictional and not realistic history.
This time, #Ubisoft and #ThomasLockley insulted and discriminated against this tolerant Japanese culture. Have some shame. It is extremely shameless.
(And Japan University, which keeps such a person as an associate professor, NHK and Abema, which spread false information domestically, and BBC and The New York Times, which praised and spread it as true history without seeking the truth, are also disgracing Japan.)
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