Shogun on Disney+: Is the series based on a true story?

In recent weeks, almost everyone has been talking about Shogun. The series offered on Disney+ is the second adaptation of James Clavell’s novel, following the 1980 miniseries by Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune.

Shogun tells the story of English sailor John Blackthorne, who was shipwrecked off the coast of Japan in 1600. Captured, he nevertheless gains the trust of Yoishi Toranaga, a lord who is at war with rival clan chiefs to secure the shogunate’s regency.

The series is adapted from a fictional novel, but many fans wonder if Shogun is based on a true story. And these are really real facts that inspired the writer James Clavell to plot his book. However, the names of the characters have been changed, and the plot of events does not completely follow the historical chronology.

When a prisoner of war falls in love with Asia

Originally from England, James Clavell was captured by the Japanese army during World War II. Imprisoned in Chang’s camp, the latter developed a passion for Asian cultures that later greatly influenced his career as a novelist.

In addition to the autobiographical novel King Rat (adapted as Un caïd au cinéma), which recounts his experiences as a prisoner of war, James Clavell is best known for his Asian sagas in six volumes, the most famous of which is Shogun. (published in 1975). This novel traces the authentic story of English sailor William Adams, who became a samurai under the name of Miura Anjin (“Miura Pilot”).

On the Dutch ship Liefde, Williams Adams survived the typhoon with only 24 of the ship’s crew surviving. The latter was captured by the Portuguese Jesuits living in Japan and accused of piracy, which was punishable by death at that time. But her audience with Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa at his Osaka castle changes everything.

One of the three unifiers of Japan

This daimyo, who occupies an essential place in Japanese history, was in turn the inspiration for Yoshii Toranaga’s character in Shogun. As in the novel, the latter acted as the regent of Toyotomi Hideyori, the successor of the famous Toyotomi Hideyoshi of the Three Unifiers of Japan.

Ieyasu Tokugawa saw in William Adams an indispensable asset in his quest for power. The sailor’s knowledge of shipbuilding convinced the Daimyô to grant Hatamoto status, a particularly prestigious high rank of samurai.

Although, strictly speaking, he is no longer a prisoner, William Adams is not a free man. Despite the status granted to him by the Tokugawa, the latter forbade him to return to his native England.

Throughout his life, he continued to write to his wife and children, a correspondence that is still an invaluable source of work for historians. The descriptions of places and characters in these letters greatly inspired the novel Shogun, but also the reconstruction of the series’ settings.

A story that is still celebrated by the Japanese

William Adams’ story is still celebrated today in Japan, and especially in the city of Edo, where he built several Japanese ships. Noted as one of the first foreign samurai, the sailor was also credited with a key role in opening Japan to European countries, especially England.

June 15 is also considered in the Japanese calendar as the day of commemoration of Miura Anjin, the name that appears on the grave of William Adams in the city of Hirado (southwestern Japan).

episodes Shogun You can watch it every Tuesday exclusively on Disney+.

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