Version 1: FX's 'Shogun' presents a novel adaptation that provides a unique perspective on James Clavell's 1975 book. This adaptation fictionalizes the tales of English sailor William Adams, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Japanese noblewoman Hosokawa Gracia, offering a fresh and captivating narrative.

 

A new interpretation presents a fresh perspective on James Clavell's 1975 novel, which fictionalizes the tales of English sailor William Adams, shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Japanese noblewoman Hosokawa Gracia. When a powerful Japanese feudal lord aiming to take control of the warring nation discovered a group of European sailors on the archipelago's southern shores in April 1600, he eagerly sought a meeting with their leader. Tokugawa Ieyasu believed that the outsiders could aid in his grand plan. Since the Dutch ship's captain was too ill to attend, the crew sent English navigator William Adams in his place.

Upon meeting Adams, Ieyasu was impressed and showed great favor towards him. Adams presented his country's name, explained their interest in the East Indies, and expressed a desire for friendship with all kings and potentates for trade purposes. Despite the advice of Portuguese Jesuit missionaries to execute the Protestant interloper, Ieyasu chose to trust Adams. Over the following years, as Ieyasu solidified his power under the newly formed Tokugawa shogunate, he treated Adams as a valued advisor, granting him land, money, and other honors.

Although Adams' relationship with Ieyasu did not hold great significance in Japan's history of European relations, their unique and unexpected dynamic had a disproportionately large cultural impact. This account of the first Englishman to visit Japan has served as inspiration for various dramatic works, most notably James Clavell's popular novel "Shogun" published in 1975, as well as its 1980 mini-series adaptation, which captivated audiences across the United States.

Now, forty-four years after the original "Shogun" mini-series achieved record-breaking ratings for NBC, a contemporary twist on the tale is being presented. According to Gina Balian, co-president of FX Entertainment, there must be a compelling reason to undertake an adaptation of a story that has already been adapted. Balian explains that the team became more inclined to tell the story from the Japanese perspective, casting Japanese-speaking actors, as the project progressed.

Before the limited series premieres on Hulu on February 27, here is some essential information about the true historical events that inspired FX's "Shogun."

The creation of "Shogun" can be attributed to James Clavell, an Australian-born British expatriate who eventually settled in the United States. Clavell gained recognition as a screenwriter during the 1950s and early 1960s. His first book, "King Rat" (1962), drew from his personal experience as a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp during World War II, which he referred to as his "Genesis."

Clavell's interest in Adams' life was sparked when he came across a mention in one of his daughter's textbooks: "In 1600, an Englishman went to Japan and became a samurai." He dedicated two years to researching the history and culture of the region before embarking on the writing of "Shogun." Throughout the process, Clavell aimed to maintain historical accuracy while also incorporating elements of fantasy into the narrative.

Clavell's novel Shogun was a commercial success, with over six million copies sold by 1980. Critics lauded the immersive world-building and portrayal of intercultural understanding. According to a 1981 article in the New York Times magazine, readers of Shogun often found themselves so absorbed in the story that their professional and personal lives seemed insignificant in comparison. Some even resorted to reading the book discreetly at work or sharing torn sections of the paperback during vacations to allow multiple people to read simultaneously.

Similar to the novel, the 1980 television mini-series was groundbreaking in its own right, drawing parallels to the popular 1977 show "Roots." It also contributed to a heightened interest in Japanese culture in the United States, with some attributing the growing popularity of sushi to the series.

The new adaptation of "Shogun" has been in development since 2018, undergoing changes in focus throughout the production process. In contrast to the 1980 series, which primarily focused on Blackthorne, the new show divides its screen time more evenly between the Englishman (played by Cosmo Jarvis), Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), and Mariko (Anna Sawai). While the previous adaptation left Japanese-language conversations untranslated to reflect Blackthorne's isolation in an unfamiliar country, this version includes English subtitles, allowing the showrunners to delve into the lives of a diverse cast of Japanese-speaking characters.

In a discussion with the New York Times about the 1980 series, Sanada, who also serves as a producer of the FX show, expressed his desire for a more authentic portrayal at the time. For this new adaptation, the team took measures to ensure greater historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity, consulting with experts to verify details such as period-accurate kimono color schemes and proper katana sword handling, as noted by the Times. While the producers made certain compromises, such as not requiring actresses to blacken their teeth or shave their eyebrows as their historical counterparts did, their overall objective was to capture a sense of "spiritual authenticity," according to showrunner Justin Marks.

"Shogun" is set in 1600, a significant year in Japanese history. At that time, the nation was engulfed in a civil war spanning its largest islands for nearly 150 years, with feudal lords known as daimyo vying for control of Japan. A warlord, often referred to as the first "great unifier," came close to uniting the warring states but passed away before achieving this goal. His successor continued the work and successfully unified the country by 1590. Prior to his death in 1598, he appointed five regents to govern in place of his young son. Among them were Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari, a daimyo whose loyalty to the heir would soon be tested.

Adams, on the other hand, was born in England circa 1564. He apprenticed under a shipbuilder before joining the Royal Navy, where he participated in battles against the Spanish Armada led by Sir Francis Drake. From 1589 onwards, Adams spent a significant amount of time at sea, serving on ships voyaging to Africa, Northern Europe, and Asia.

In 1598, Adams enlisted in a Dutch expedition to the West Indies, leaving his wife and two children in England. The expedition consisted of five ships, with the De Liefde being one of them. Departing from Rotterdam in June, the fleet encountered storms along the way. The De Liefde was the sole vessel to reach Japan, with its crew of over 100 men reduced to just 24 due to illness and lack of provisions.

Arriving on the smaller island of Kyushu in April 1600, Adams' ship drew the attention of locals who, as per the navigator's letter to his wife, "offered us no harm but took everything they could steal." Initially welcomed by the Japanese, their reception changed after Portuguese Jesuits accused the foreigners of being pirates, leading to a backlash from the authorities and the people, as Adams described. (These Jesuit missionaries, dispatched by Portugal to convert the Japanese to Catholicism in the mid-16th century, were determined to prevent the Protestant sailors from establishing themselves in Japan and spreading their version of Christianity.)

Fortunately, Ieyasu stepped in, recognizing the potential benefits of the foreigners' arrival. At that time, as Ian Bottomley, a curator at the Royal Armories in England, explained to the Independent in 2005, "many people in Japan were insular in their outlook." However, Ieyasu, being a knowledgeable individual, was eager to establish diplomatic ties with European nations. Bottomley remarked, "Here was this distant country that Europeans knew little about. It was almost like a legend. But Ieyasu... was putting Japan on the diplomatic stage."

Adams' life in Japan is primarily known through six letters that he sent back to England. These letters provide details of his encounters with Ieyasu, the daimyo, during May and June 1600. Through a Portuguese translator, Ieyasu asked Adams about England's involvement in wars with other nations, to which Adams replied that only Portugal and Spain were at war with England. Ieyasu also showed interest in the cargo of the ship De Liefde, which included cannonballs, matchlocks, and gunpowder.

After meeting with Adams, Ieyasu refused the Jesuits' request to execute the crew and sent the De Liefde to Edo (now Tokyo), where the ship eventually sank. It is likely that Ieyasu confiscated the ship's munitions for his own use in his quest to gain control of Japan. This quest culminated in the Battle of Sekigahara in October 1600, where Ieyasu's forces clashed with feudal lords allied with the heir, Mitsunari. Ieyasu emerged victorious and was appointed as shogun in 1603, marking the beginning of the prosperous Tokugawa shogunate that lasted for over two and a half centuries.

As the leader of Japan, Ieyasu took measures to limit the influence of the daimyo and prevent rival feudal lords from challenging his rule. He passed away in 1616, having achieved what previous generations of warriors had failed to accomplish: establishing enduring preeminence for his family and bringing lasting peace to Japan, as stated in Encyclopedia Britannica.

After Adams arrived in Edo in the summer of 1600, our knowledge about him becomes less detailed, allowing for fictional embellishments to arise, as noted by Smith in a 1980 essay collection. Adams' narrative abruptly transitions from weeks to years, and it is worth mentioning that the romantic storyline between Blackthorne and Mariko in Clavell's book is highly fictionalized, as the real-life counterpart of Mariko, Gracia, never even met Adams.

According to the limited information available, historians generally concur that Ieyasu favored Adams, giving him a valuable rural estate and seeking his advice on maritime trade policies. Frederik Cryns, who is working on a biography of Adams, states, "Ieyasu valued his expertise as a navigator." Cryns adds, "Ieyasu probably had no knowledge of England and Holland... so Adams provided him with a whole new perspective."

Known as Miura Anjin (with "Anjin" meaning "pilot," a nickname shared by Blackthorne in "Shogun"), Adams assisted in the construction of Japan's first Western-style ships and played a crucial role in establishing an English trading post in the country. Despite being prohibited from returning to England by Ieyasu, Adams managed to build a successful life for himself, even marrying a Japanese woman and starting a new family. Following his passing in 1620, Richard Cocks, the head of the English trading post, lamented, "I cannot help but feel sorrowful for the loss of a man like Adams, who was held in such high regard by two emperors of Japan unlike any other Christian in this region."