In 1579, Alessandro Valignano, an Italian Jesuit who was instrumental in introducing Catholicism to many parts of Asia, arrived in Kyoto, his visit prompting riots in what was then Japan's capital city. The residents were not literally climbing over one another so that they could learn the story and teachings of Christ, but rather they were all desperate to catch a glimpse of the mysterious figure who served at Valignano's side. Standing at an imposing 6'2" with dark skin, Yasuke, as he would be known, was unlike anyone the people of Kyoto had ever seen before. Scholars differ on his place of birth and how he came to be Valignaro's bodyguard, what is agreed upon is that shortly after his arrival, Yasuke would gain an audience with Nobunaga Oda, one of Japan's most powerful feudal lords, one of three men who unified Japan during the Sengoku period. The two quickly bonded, the daimyo having Yasuke first join him as a bodyguard, later promoting him to the rank of samurai, making him the first foreign-born man to hold the title. He would serve Oda until the lord committed seppuku (ritual suicide) in 1582, to avoid capture or death at the hands of Mitsuhide Akechi, Oda's samurai general turned traitor in what is known as the Honnō-ji Incident.