Disney+ Shōgun: A Dramatic Encounter of Two Cultures in 1600s Japan

In Japan, you must be good!” These words, spoken by a cowering villager, mark Englishman John Blackthorne’s introduction to Japanese life. This is the opening of Disney+’s Shōgun, and much of the drama turns on the question of “good” means when these two very different cultures meet.

The year is 1600, and Blackthorne is the pilot of the Dutch ship Erasmus. His storm-damaged vessel has somehow managed to creak and heave its way to the coast of “The Japans”, shrouded in ghostly fog and with its sails torn to shreds. Blackthorne, played by Cosmo Jarvis in Disney+’s new adaptation of James Clavell’s hit novel Shōgun, is in scarcely better shape than his ship. He is starving, his clothes are dirty, and his hair and beard are sodden and bedraggled.

Japan was at this point reaching the end of long and bloody decades of civil war, during which samurai lords schemed and battled for territory and power. The ultimate prize was reunification of the country under a single person’s control: briefly achieved by the warlord Hideyoshi, only for his death in 1598 to plunge the country into uncertainty once again.

The Dutch trading ship anchored off Japan in 1600 marked the beginning of a real-life encounter between the East and West. Blackthorne inspired by the real-life English navigator, William Adams. Japan was also influenced by Jesuit missionaries and Portuguese traders, who had arrived in Japan half a century before and begun making converts and considerable sums of money. This historical backdrop has set the stage for a clash of cultures and interests in Disney+’s Shōgun adaptation.

Adams was pardoned by the warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was busy manoeuvring himself into position as Japan’s future ruler. Adams also served Ieyasu as a negotiator with various European trading powers, and was given the high samurai rank of hatamoto as a reward - a rare honour, particularly for a foreigner. In the Disney+ adaptation, Blackthorne is taken from the coast to Osaka Castle where he encounters Lord Toranaga, based on Tokugawa Ieyasu and brought to life by Hiroyuki Sanada.

One of the challenges for Shōgun is how to manage the romance that develops between Blackthorne and Mariko, who is married to a jealous and menacing warrior. The commitment of the writing and production teams to making Shōgun as faithful as possible to its historical context is commendable, bringing a balanced portrayal and addressing criticism from the novel's first publication.

In this new adaptation, the American and Japanese production teams “wanted to have the viewpoint of all the players”, aiming to depict the encounter between the two cultures in a more balanced and nuanced way. The series not only portrays the violent times in Japan but also sheds light on the broader cultural pursuits and values of the samurai, including their engagement in activities beyond warfare.

Shōgun's launch exclusively on Disney+ on 27th February provides a platform to explore and understand this significant historical encounter. Frederik Cryns' forthcoming biography of Adams and The Real Story of William Adams provide further insights into this compelling period of cultural exchange and historical significance.