How much is true and how much is invented in the new highly appreciated FX series?
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| Image Credit: Disney+ |
There is a lot of anticipation for the next episodes of Shōgun, one of the most popular and talked about FX global event series of the moment. One of the aspects that most struck viewers is certainly the historical reconstruction of Japan in the 1600s: but how much is true in what we see on the screen and how much is invented? Shōgun is first and foremost an original adaptation of the book of the same name by James Clavell, published in 1975 and published in Italy by Bompiani.
The author drew freely from the history of 17th-century Japan to tell, in an obviously fictionalized way, the feat of the first British to land in the Land of the Rising Sun. At the center of the Disney + series is the story of Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who fights for his life while his enemies gang up against him. His fate is intertwined with that of John Blackthorne, an Englishman who brings with him secrets that could help Toranaga turn the tide of power, and of Toda Mariko, a mysterious Christian noblewoman, the last of a disgraced lineage.
The real Shogun
The true story, however, begins with the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a famous samurai and feudal lord of the Sengoku era considered one of the three "Great Unifiers of Japan". Upon his death in 1595, the man established the Council of Five Regents, to govern the country until the legitimate heir, his son, reached the age of majority. One of the most important members of this body was Tokugawa Ieyasu, the historical figure whom Clavell renamed Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun. A skilled strategist and valiant soldier, the man began to conspire to assume power and become the new shogun. He officially succeeded in 1603, inaugurating the Tokugawa shogunate after winning the bloody Battle of Sekigahara three years earlier.
Who was John Blackthorne?
Even the character of the navigator John Blackthorne is not entirely invented. This is a fictional version of William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan exactly in 1600. As soon as he landed, the man was taken prisoner to Osaka Castle, accused of piracy by the Jesuit missionaries who had recognized his Calvinist faith. The shared hostility towards the Jesuits was precisely what pushed the new shōgun to want to meet him in person. Tokugawa Ieyasu was fascinated by his knowledge of the world and in particular of the sea and navigation: the two formed a relationship of esteem and collaboration, and Adams became a trusted advisor, contributing to the creation of commercial relations with the European Protestant nations and, finally, receiving the honorary title of samurai. In the series, Blackthorne certainly has more political weight than his real-life counterpart, but many of the exchanges between him and Toranaga are inspired by the correspondence the two exchanged and Adams' autobiographical memoirs.
Who was Toda Mariko?
As for the character of Toda Mariko, the historical figure she is inspired by is Hosokawa Gracia, a Christian Japanese woman who came from a noble house but was looked at with suspicion due to an ancient betrayal. She was a unique figure for 16th-century Japan: a noblewoman who spoke fluent Portuguese and Latin. However, Hosokawa Gracia died in 1600, the year William Adams landed on Japanese shores, so the two never met in real life.
Shōgun, available on Disney+, is made up of 10 episodes released every week.
