If Shōgun’s events feel like they’re based in historical fact, that’s because the story follows a real-life power struggle. Author James Clavell borrowed many historical personalities from the seventeenth century for his 1975 novel of the same name—which greatly dramatized the story of the Tokugawa shogunate and the first Englishman to sail to Japan. His work of historical fiction even garnered a popular miniseries in 1980, which was such a hit that many cultural observers attributed the show’s success to the rising interest in sushi in the West.
Although Clavell amped up both the story of John Blackthorne’s arrival in Japan and his influence on Tokugawa’s ascension, many of the characters and events depicted on Shōgun are inspired by actual historical figures. The FX limited series is well into its scheduled ten episodes, and it’s already a success among critics. Shōgun stars Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4) as Lord Tokugawa’s stand-in and Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) as John Blackthorne. But what’s fact and what’s fiction in the latest adaptation?
The events of the series commence with the demise of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was the second Great Unifier of Japan. In Shōgun, he’s dubbed the Taikō, the title granted to a retired advisor of a former sovereign. Hideyoshi carried on the work of Oda Nabunaga, the first Great Unifier of Japan, following nearly a century of civil war. After the Taikō perished, a new path opened for infighting. Five powerful nobles, termed daimyo, vied for the title of shōgun, the de facto monarch of Japan.
Japan feared another century of conflict after the Taikō’s demise, so he established the five elders who would rule in his stead. A prominent member among the five was Ieyasu Tokugawa, renamed Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun and brought to life by Sanada. Over the span of just two years, he leveraged his authority and intimate connection to the Taikō to become the new shōgun. Assembling his forces, he seized Osaka Castle and easily won the brutal battle of Sekigahara—one of the most important battles in Japanese history.
Around this time, Tokugawa met William Adams, the first Englishman to voyage to Japan. He eventually became a trusted advisor to Tokugawa, who was impressed by his knowledge of Western ships and navigation. The lord commissioned Adams to Japanese ships—and Adams subsequently supplanted Jesuit Padre João Rodrigues as the shōgun’s official interpreter. Adams’s counterpart on the miniseries, John Blackthorne (played by Jarvis), plays a much more significant role in Tokugawa’s ascent to power than he did in real life. What really gained Tokugawa the shogunate? It was military might.
In Shōgun, Tokugawa exploits Blackthorne’s presence as a Protestant to foment disagreement among the Five Elders—some of whom profited from the nation’s Christian colonizers. Sure, the Five Elders demanding the persecution of one heretic among Tokugawa’s castle may be a trifle far-fetched. But Blackthorne functions more as the story’s explosive warhead, so as not to delve too far back into Japanese politics. Clavell also added a relationship between Blackthorne and Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), whose real-life counterpart never even met Adams.
That isn’t to say that Tokugawa and Adams weren’t companions in real life. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the two wrote many letters to each other, and the potent daimyo was captivated by Adams’s knowledge of the globe. Tokugawa also greeted the Englishman personally during his visits to Japan, even after he had risen to the shogunate. Eventually, Adams was bestowed the honorary title of samurai. Meanwhile, Tokugawa remained in control until his demise in 1616. He constructed the magnificent Edo fortification—the grandest fortification in all of Japan—and the Tokugawa shogunate governed the country for the next 250 years.
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Kari Pettersen
If Shōgun’s events feel like they’re based in historical fact, that’s because the story follows a real-life power struggle. Author James Clavell borrowed many historical personalities from the seventeenth century for his 1975 novel of the same name—which greatly dramatized the story of the Tokugawa shogunate and the first Englishman to sail to Japan. His work of historical fiction even garnered a popular miniseries in 1980, which was such a hit that many cultural observers attributed the show’s success to the rising interest in sushi in the West.
Although Clavell amped up both the story of John Blackthorne’s arrival in Japan and his influence on Tokugawa’s ascension, many of the characters and events depicted on Shōgun are inspired by actual historical figures. The FX limited series is well into its scheduled ten episodes, and it’s already a success among critics. Shōgun stars Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4) as Lord Tokugawa’s stand-in and Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) as John Blackthorne. But what’s fact and what’s fiction in the latest adaptation?
The events of the series commence with the demise of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was the second Great Unifier of Japan. In Shōgun, he’s dubbed the Taikō, the title granted to a retired advisor of a former sovereign. Hideyoshi carried on the work of Oda Nabunaga, the first Great Unifier of Japan, following nearly a century of civil war. After the Taikō perished, a new path opened for infighting. Five powerful nobles, termed daimyo, vied for the title of shōgun, the de facto monarch of Japan.
Japan feared another century of conflict after the Taikō’s demise, so he established the five elders who would rule in his stead. A prominent member among the five was Ieyasu Tokugawa, renamed Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun and brought to life by Sanada. Over the span of just two years, he leveraged his authority and intimate connection to the Taikō to become the new shōgun. Assembling his forces, he seized Osaka Castle and easily won the brutal battle of Sekigahara—one of the most important battles in Japanese history.
Around this time, Tokugawa met William Adams, the first Englishman to voyage to Japan. He eventually became a trusted advisor to Tokugawa, who was impressed by his knowledge of Western ships and navigation. The lord commissioned Adams to Japanese ships—and Adams subsequently supplanted Jesuit Padre João Rodrigues as the shōgun’s official interpreter. Adams’s counterpart on the miniseries, John Blackthorne (played by Jarvis), plays a much more significant role in Tokugawa’s ascent to power than he did in real life. What really gained Tokugawa the shogunate? It was military might.
In Shōgun, Tokugawa exploits Blackthorne’s presence as a Protestant to foment disagreement among the Five Elders—some of whom profited from the nation’s Christian colonizers. Sure, the Five Elders demanding the persecution of one heretic among Tokugawa’s castle may be a trifle far-fetched. But Blackthorne functions more as the story’s explosive warhead, so as not to delve too far back into Japanese politics. Clavell also added a relationship between Blackthorne and Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), whose real-life counterpart never even met Adams.
That isn’t to say that Tokugawa and Adams weren’t companions in real life. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the two wrote many letters to each other, and the potent daimyo was captivated by Adams’s knowledge of the globe. Tokugawa also greeted the Englishman personally during his visits to Japan, even after he had risen to the shogunate. Eventually, Adams was bestowed the honorary title of samurai. Meanwhile, Tokugawa remained in control until his demise in 1616. He constructed the magnificent Edo fortification—the grandest fortification in all of Japan—and the Tokugawa shogunate governed the country for the next 250 years.
Read Also : Why is Columbus' MLS soccer team called the Crew?