40 years after the airing of the mini-series starring Toshiro Mifune and Richard Chamberlain, Shogun returns to visually retell the story by James Clavell, which had sold 15 million books by 1990.

Plot

The story unfolds in feudal Japan during the Sengoku period, shortly after the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the second Great Unifier of Japan. After Hideyoshi's death, the 5 great warlords Toranga, Sugiyama, Ohno, Kiyama, and Ishido, compete to become the ultimate military leader (shogun) of the country.

In the eastern part of the country, near a fishing village in the area controlled by Toranga, the Dutch ship Erasmus arrives with captain John Blackthorne. Blackthorne, who will become the apple of discord among the 5 warlords, is rescued by Toranga and forced to live under his leadership.

Historical Fun Facts

The series, like the books, has many historical references.

• Toranaga: Toranaga rules the Kanto, a large and prosperous region in the east with its capital in Edo. The same region was governed by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the historical figure "behind" Toranga.
• Sugiyama: Sugiyama controls Hokushū, "the northern regions", which include several wealthy provinces. The historical counterpart of Sugiyama, Maeda Toshiie, had power in Hokkoku.
• Ohno: Ohno's fiefdom is Bungo, a province with a rich Christian tradition due to its close contact with Portuguese missionaries. In history, Ohno's counterpart, Ōtani Yoshitsugu, was not a feudal lord and ruled the smaller region of Tsuruga.
• Kiyama: Kiyama rules the province of Higo, which has extensive contacts with wealthy Portuguese merchants due to its proximity to Nagasaki. In history, Higo was controlled by one of Kiyama's historical counterparts, Konishi Yukinaga.
• Ishido: Ishido was of humble origin and the province of Gōshū was given to him as a gift by Taikō. Ishido's historical model, Ishida Mitsunari, ruled Sawayama, a part of Gōshū (also known as Ōmi province).
• The ship Erasmus and the captain Blackthorne: The story is real as at that time the Dutch warship Liefde with captain William Adams was stranded on the shores of Japan. The ship was part of a seemingly commercial mission. The real mission was to attack Spanish ships and plunder them.