{"id":33629,"date":"2024-02-27T16:17:43","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T15:17:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.historyextra.com\/?p=261316"},"modified":"2024-02-27T18:12:57","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T17:12:57","slug":"is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/rss_feed\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Sh\u014dgun a true story? The real history behind the feudal Japan drama"},"content":{"rendered":"

Based on a 1975 novel by James Clavell, Sh\u014dgun is a sprawling epic set in feudal Japan <\/p>

By Kev Lochun\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 27 February 2024 at 15:17 PM<\/p>

\n\n

FX\u2019s highly anticipated historical drama series Sh\u014dgun<\/em> takes us to the world of feudal Japan, where the samurai hold power and death is preferable to dishonour.<\/p>\n

Set amidst the backdrop of political intrigue and power struggles, Sh\u014dgun<\/em> begins with Englishman John Blackthorne (portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis), a navigator washed ashore and now having to live by his wits in an unfamiliar world.<\/p>\n

Fighting to survive in a culture he doesn\u2019t understand, Blackthorne is drawn into a web of alliances and betrayals as Japan\u2019s most powerful warlords vie for ultimate power: the coveted title of sh\u014dgun.<\/p>\n

The 10-part limited series, which stars Cosmos Jarvis, Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, is streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Sh\u014dgun<\/em> plot: what is show about?<\/h2>\nThe story begins in 1600, with the arrival of the all-but-wrecked ship Erasmus in a small Japanese fishing village. Aboard are the badly malnourished, half-dead remnants of its crew, a dozen Dutchmen and their English navigator, John Blackthorne.<\/p>\nBlackthorne, who has become the crew\u2019s default commander after scores of losses at sea, finds making it to shore to be just as perilous as being adrift.<\/p>\nJapan is on the edge of civil war. Its ruler, the \u2018taiko\u2019, is recently deceased, leaving behind a seven-year-old heir and a council of five regents made up of the most powerful men in Japan to govern until he comes of age.<\/p>\nPre-eminent among them is Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a feared warrior with an ancient lineage. Accused by his fellow regents of wishing to usurp the heir \u2013 the result of <a href=\"\/period\/medieval\/how-machiavellian-was-machiavelli\/\">Machiavellian plotting<\/a> by his chief rival Lord Ishido (Takehiro Hira) \u2013 he is on the brink of impeachment and forced suicide by seppuku.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-259936 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/02GALLERYYOSHII-TORANAGAARMOR0408-5859783-e1707928751313.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun\" title=\"Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun (Photo courtesy of Kurt Iswarienko\/FX)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"> Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga in Shogun (Photo courtesy of Kurt Iswarienko\/FX)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nWith open conflict between samurai seeming inevitable, Toranaga senses that Blackthorne represents an opportunity \u2013 not only in his fight against his fellow regents, but also against the Portuguese.<\/p>\nAt this time \u2013 in the show and in real history \u2013 Portugal is the only European power present in Japan. They represent a dual threat, holding a monopoly on trade and wielding soft political power through the Japanese warlords who have converted to Christianity.<\/p>\nToranaga is not Blackthorne\u2019s only concern. As allegiances shift, the ever-ambitious Kashigi Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) seeks to manipulate the Englishman to his own ends, while the Portuguese move in the shadows to condemn Blackthorne as a pirate, lest he break their grip on the country.<\/p>\nThe only person who seems to be able to contextualise this brave new world is his translator \u2013 the Christian-Japanese Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) \u2013 but can he really trust her?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Read more |<\/strong> <a href=\"\/period\/elizabethan\/shogun-plot-trailer-release-date\/\">Sh\u014dgun<\/em> release schedule: when is the next episode?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Is Sh\u014dgun<\/em> a true story?<\/h2>\nYes and no. Sh\u014dgun<\/em> is based on James Clavell\u2019s 1975 <a href=\"\/period\/modern\/best-historical-fiction-books-historical-novels-must-read-author-list\/\">historical fiction novel<\/a> of the same name \u2013 yet its major characters are loosely inspired by real <a href=\"\/period\/modern\/historical-figures-famous-significant-people-through-history-biographies\/\">historical figures<\/a>, and the larger plot points are based on real events from Japanese history.<\/p>\nClavell later said that his novel was inspired by a single line in one of his daughter\u2019s schoolbooks: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/newspapers?id=_llQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lFgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6517%2C3773980\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">In 1600, an Englishman went to Japan and became a samurai<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\nThat Englishman \u2013 the \u2018<a href=\"\/period\/elizabethan\/william-adams-real-john-blackthorne-english-samurai\/\">real John Blackthorne<\/a>\u2018 if you will \u2013 was naval pilot (navigator) William Adams, whose remarkable story \u2013 from surviving a shipwreck to becoming a trusted advisor to a sh\u014dgun, serves as the cornerstone for the character of John Blackthorne.<\/p>\nIn the novel and the series, the warlord whom Blackthorne serves and later becomes sh\u014dgun is Yoshii Toranaga \u2013 and he is a thinly veiled analogue to the real-life Tokugawa Ieyasu.<\/p>\nIeyasu battled his fellow regents and other samurai warlords, eventually becoming so powerful that he became de facto ruler of Japan, and was given the title of sh\u014dgun.<\/p>\nMany of the other major characters likewise have historical counterparts. Toranaga\u2019s chief rival Lord Ishido on the council of regents is paralleled by Ieyasu\u2019s real-life enemy Ishida Mitsunari, for instance.<\/p>\n<h2>Who was the real John Blackthorne?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-261680 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/03GALLERYBLACKTHORNETEA0094-32e78e6-e1709048475312.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne in FX's Sh\u014dgun\" title=\"Cosmo Jarvis as English pilot John Blackthorne in FX's Sh\u014dgun (Photo courtesy of Kurt Iswarienko\/FX)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"> Cosmo Jarvis as English pilot John Blackthorne in FX\u2019s Sh\u014dgun (Photo courtesy of Kurt Iswarienko\/FX)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nWilliam Adams was a real historical figure whose life inspired the character of John Blackthorne in Sh\u014dgun<\/em>.<\/p>\nA survivor of a harrowing two-year voyage who washed up on Japan\u2019s coast, Adams was brought before the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who recognised his expertise in navigation and shipbuilding.<\/p>\nHe would become one of Ieyasu\u2019s most trusted advisors, particularly when it came to fostering trade and diplomatic relations between Japan and European powers who later came to Japan.<\/p>\n<h2>How historically accurate is Sh\u014dgun<\/em>?<\/h2>\nThough the precise way the story of Sh\u014dgun<\/em> plays out is dripping in dramatic licence, the wider plot points are based on real episodes from Japanese history, says Frederick Cryns.<\/p>\nCryns is the historical consultant for FX\u2019s Sh\u014dgun<\/em> TV series \u2013 and he was speaking on a soon-to-be-released episode of the HistoryExtra<\/em> podcast.<\/p>\n\u201cYou have the story of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and he stands just before the battle of Sekigahara, which will be fought half a year after Adams arrives in Japan.<\/p>\n\u201cYou have the story of William Adams, who becomes a hatamoto, which is a direct retainer of Ieyasu.<\/p>\n\u201cAnd you also have the story of Hosokawa Gracia, who in the novel and show is [the character] Mariko.\u201d Without spoiling the show, Gracia\u2019s story mirrors Mariko\u2019s and will play a huge part Sh\u014dgun<\/em>.<\/p>\n\u201cWhat Clavell did was put those three stories together in one epic story.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-handler__container image-handler__container--aspect\" style=\"padding-bottom: calc(100% \/ 1.501210653753);\"> <picture> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 320px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=298%2C199, https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=45&resize=598%2C399 2x\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 375px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=353%2C236\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 425px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=403%2C269\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(max-width: 589px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=553%2C369\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=406%2C271\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?webp=true&quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/webp\"> <source media=\"(min-width: 590px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=554%2C370\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> <img class=\"wp-image-261683 align size-landscape_thumbnail image-handler__image image-handler__image--aspect no-wrap js-lazyload\" srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2024\/02\/05GALLERYMARIKOHALLWAY0040-f2ee17a-e1709048967548.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" alt=\"Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in Sh\u014dgun\" title=\"Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in Sh\u014dgun (Photo courtesy of Kurt Iswarienko\/FX)\"\/>\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div><div class=\"caption-hold\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"> Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko in Sh\u014dgun (Photo courtesy of Kurt Iswarienko\/FX)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nYet Cryns, who is also an expert on the lives of Adams and Ieyasu, reveals that Blackthorne, Toranaga and Mariko did not interact in the way seen on screen.<\/p>\n\u201cThere are scenes in Sh\u014dgun<\/em> in which Blackthorne is interrogated by Toranaga,\u201d he says. \u201cThe real Adams recorded what Ieyasu asked him and what he answered, and we have incorporated that into the show. That is very historically accurate.<\/p>\n\u201cBut what happens afterwards, William Adams was not part of. He was sent to Uraga, which is a small harbour near Edo [now Tokyo], and he was sitting there idle while all the political intrigues in the show unfolded.\u201d<\/p>\nOf course, in the show Blackthorne is central to those intrigues \u2013 none of that happened. Nor did Mariko meet Blackthorne and become his translator.<\/p>\nBut it is the small details, Cryns advises \u2013 whether it is the presence of the samurai war cry \u2018Ei-ei-ooooooh!\u2019 seen in the trailer (below), the depiction of a piece Noh theatre called the Akechi-uchi<\/em>, or the samurai\u2019s shaved-crown hairstyle \u2013 that really bring feudal Japan alive.<\/p>\n<iframe title=\"Sh\u014dgun - Official Trailer | Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai | FX\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yAN5uspO_hk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/>\n<h2>What was the Black Ship?<\/h2>\nWhen Blackthorne arrives in Japan, the Portuguese don\u2019t only despise him as a man of a different faith \u2013 they were concerned he would disrupt their trade monopoly, which in the show is represented by the \u2018Black Ship\u2019 which brings wares to Japan annually.<\/p>\nThere was a Portuguese Black Ship in real history too.<\/p>\nDuring the Sengoku period, China both banned Japanese ships from coming to China and banned its own merchants from sailing to Japan.<\/p>\nBut Japan still had to find a way to import Chinese silk \u2013 it was what all kosodes (now know as kimonos) worn by the samurai were made of.<\/p>\n\u201cThe Portuguese had a base in China, and every year a large ship came to Japan that held one year\u2019s worth of all the imports Japan needed,\u201d says Cryns.<\/p>\n\u201cThey had a virtual monopoly on the import of Chinese goods, and another monopoly that was the import of Western weapons.\u201d<\/p>\nThough the typical image of samurai is of swordsmen, at this time in history most battles were fought with matchlock guns that came from Portugal (as did the lead for the bullets).<\/p>\nThis was the trade that the Portuguese feared that Blackthorne \u2013 and in real history, Adams \u2013 would disrupt.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Read more | <a href=\"\/period\/medieval\/brief-history-samurai-warfare-battles-armour-myths-facts\/\">A brief history of samurai warfare<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Why do the Portuguese want Blackthorne dead?<\/h2>\nOne central point of division in Sh\u014dgun<\/em> revolves around religion.<\/p>\nIt is not simply between the Catholic and Protestant Europeans, there is contention even between the five regents on which Toranaga sits, two of whom have converted to Catholicism and so have aligned their interests with the Portuguese.<\/p>\nThis religious division is mirrored in real history with William Adams and Tokugawa Ieyasu.<\/p>\nEach year, when the Black Ship came to Japan, it brought Jesuit missionaries as well as silks and guns.<\/p>\n\u201cFor the Portuguese, trade and the propagation of the Christian faith went hand in hand,\u201d says Cryns.<\/p>\n\u201cThe warlords in Kyushu [where the ship made port] were happy to become Christian and to have their vassals become Christians if, by doing so, they could pull the trade to their side.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cOn the other side, you had warlords like Ieyasu, who once wrote a letter to the Viceroy of Mexico declaring Japan to be the land of the kami and the hotoke \u2013 the Shinto and Buddhist gods \u2013 and that Christianity had no place in his country.\u201d<\/p>\nThe deceased taiko in real history\u2013 Toyotomi Hideyoshi \u2013 was also opposed to Christianity, mostly because he feared the influence the Jesuits had on Japanese warlords. In fact he proclaimed a prohibition of Christianity, but didn\u2019t enforce it as he \u201cfeared that he could lose Portuguese trade\u201d.<\/p>\nWhen Adams arrives in Japan on a Dutch ship \u2013 not Portuguese \u2013 it offers new possibilities for Ieyasu.<\/p>\nSh\u014dgun is available to stream on Disney+ from 27 February, with new episodes airing weekly until 23 April. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/disneyplus.bn5x.net\/c\/1236178\/564546\/9358?subId1=historyextra-0&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.disneyplus.com%2Fen-gb\" rel=\"sponsored noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sign up to Disney+<\/a> for \u00a37.99 a month or \u00a379.90 a year now.<\/strong><\/p>\nFrederik Cryns is Professor of Japanese History at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto. His book about the real John Blackthorne, In the Service of the Shogun: The Real Story of William Adams<\/em>, is published by Reaktion Books and will be released in May 2024<\/strong><\/p>\nMichael Wert is an associate professor of East Asian history at Marquette University in Wisconsin, US. He is the author of Samurai: A Concise History<\/em> (OUP, 2024)<\/strong><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Based on a 1975 novel by James Clavell, Sh\u014dgun is a sprawling epic set in feudal Japan <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":33630,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"9"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/02\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama.jpg",620,413,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/02\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/02\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/02\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama.jpg",620,413,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/02\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama.jpg",620,413,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/02\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama.jpg",620,413,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2024\/02\/is-shogun-a-true-story-the-real-history-behind-the-feudal-japan-drama.jpg",620,413,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Based on a 1975 novel by James Clavell, Sh\u014dgun is a sprawling epic set in feudal Japan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/33629"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbchistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}