Shogun: What it Got Right, What it Got Wrong, and Was Tokugawa Ieyasu as Cool as Sanada Hiroyuki (Spoiler: Nobody is)
In Commemoration of Shogun's record-setting win total at the 2024 Emmy Awards, a condensed version of three earlier articles about this groundbreaking remake. To view the original articles, see
Introduction
The epic saga of Shogun is a compelling miniseries that transports viewers to the tumultuous world of feudal Japan. Based on James Clavell's bestselling novel, the story follows John Blackthorne, an English navigator whose shipwreck off the Japanese coast propels him into the time's complex political, cultural, and personal dynamics. As Blackthorne becomes intertwined with the ambitions of Lord Toranaga, viewers witness a riveting narrative of loyalty, betrayal, and cultural convergence. While the series is rich with dramatic twists and offers a vivid portrayal of the East-West encounter, it takes substantial liberties with historical accuracy. Below, we explore both the elements it gets right and those it takes creative license with, alongside a broader examination of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which marks the heart of this story.
What Shogun Got Right
Shogun is not a documentary, but it largely succeeds in capturing the essence of Japan's sociopolitical landscape during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The series accurately portrays Japan as a fractured state, with regional daimyo vying for power after the collapse of the Ashikaga Shogunate. Following the Onin War (1467–1477), Japan was embroiled in a civil war that persisted for nearly 150 years, eventually culminating in the rise of three unifiers: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
One significant aspect Shogun correctly portrays is the introduction of foreign technology, which dramatically altered the balance of power. Oda Nobunaga, the first of the unifiers, embraced these innovations, particularly the creation of a permanent professional warrior class independent of seasonal farmer-soldiers. His efforts were instrumental in Japan's reunification, although his reign ended abruptly when Akechi Mitsuhide betrayed him in 1582.
The character of Blackthorne is based on William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan. Adams arrived in 1600 on a Dutch vessel, Liefde, and was appointed as an advisor to Tokugawa Ieyasu. The series captures Adams' significance as a foreigner named a samurai and received land, though it dramatizes some events for effect.
Another historically accurate element is the depiction of Tokugawa Ieyasu's rise to power, culminating in his victory at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. His establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) marked the end of the Sengoku (Warring States) period and the beginning of a 260-year-long era of peace known as the Edo period.
What Shogun Got Wrong
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Despite these historical accuracies, Shogun also diverges from fact in significant ways. One of the most glaring discrepancies is the romantic relationship between Blackthorne and Mariko, which is a fabrication. Mariko's character is based on Hosokawa Gracia, a Christian noblewoman who never met William Adams. Gracia, who lived under house arrest in Osaka, was killed in 1600—shortly after Adams arrived in Japan. The two were unlikely to have crossed paths or formed a romantic relationship.
The depiction of Mariko's suicide in the series is also historically inaccurate. Women in feudal Japan did not commit seppuku by disemboweling themselves. Instead, noblewomen were expected to slit their carotid arteries, and they did not have a second (kaishaku) standing by to decapitate them. Furthermore, the real Gracia did not take her own life but was killed by a family retainer when Ishida Mitsunari attempted to kidnap her.
Other deviations from history include the portrayal of Toda Hiromatsu (Mariko's father-in-law), who dramatically commits seppuku in the series. In reality, his historical counterpart, Hosokawa Fujitaka, died peacefully at home at the age of 77. Similarly, the extent of secret Christian converts among the daimyo is exaggerated in the series. While some daimyo converted to Christianity for practical reasons, such as gaining access to Portuguese gunpowder, there is little evidence to suggest that members of the Council of Five Elders were secretly Christian.
Tokugawa Ieyasu: Savior or Suppressor?
The Shogun series, especially in its final episode, portrays Tokugawa Ieyasu (depicted as Lord Toranaga) as a heroic figure who ended centuries of warfare and ushered in an era of peace. While Ieyasu brought stability to Japan, the?Pax Tokugawa?was achieved through?strict social control, economic manipulation, and suppression of personal freedoms. The Tokugawa Shogunate centralized power and maintained peace, but it did so at the expense of individual autonomy.
The Edo period (1603–1868) was marked by a rigid social hierarchy known as the shinokosho system, which divided society into four main classes: samurai, peasants, artisans, and merchants. Movement between these classes was nearly impossible, and individuals' social status determined their privileges and occupations. Additionally, the sankin-kotai system required daimyo to spend alternating years in Edo, with their families effectively held hostage to ensure their loyalty to the shogun.
The Tokugawa shogunate also exerted significant cultural and religious control, promoting Confucian values and censoring literature and art that could undermine the regime. Religious dissent, particularly Christianity, was severely repressed after the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637, led by Christian convert Amakusa Shiro. The regime also imposed economic restrictions, such as monopolies, trade regulations, and an emphasis on agrarian society to maintain control over the economy.
While the Tokugawa Shogunate ended the destructive civil wars of the Sengoku period, the resulting peace was one of coercion rather than the virtuous peace described by philosophers like Baruch Spinoza. Malcolm X's words, "You can't separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom," aptly describe the tension between stability and repression during the Edo period.
Conclusion
Shogun is a masterful blend of historical fact and fiction, bringing the rich tapestry of feudal Japan to life for viewers. While it succeeds in capturing the essence of the era and its cultural clashes, it takes significant creative liberties with historical events and figures. While partly accurate, the portrayal of Tokugawa Ieyasu as a heroic peacekeeper glosses over his regime's authoritarian nature. Ultimately, Shogun is both a captivating story and a reminder of how history is often shaped and reshaped in the retelling. Viewers should enjoy the narrative for its dramatic flair but remain mindful of its historical embellishments.