I've read it as a teenager, after i've seen the 1980 series here into germany, that was into 86. Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune & Yoko Shimada (RIP 😔) have been superb. I am a huge fan of Mifune since my childhood.
Thank you! That makes sense for the era with the Dutch infringing on Portuguese trade in the Indian Ocean and East Asia. Like I said, I haven’t read Shogun for around 14 years, so I am looking forward to rereading it to get those details down again. I appreciate the comment and correction!
One thing to note is the western mindset at the time the book was written (1970s) and when the miniseries was made (1980s). There was a lot of admiration of the Japanese for the way they industrialized and in some areas surpassed the west. The admiration still exists today but nowhere near what it was then.
Very much so! Even within Japanese society was a reverent memory of their feudal periods, as seen in a lot of the books written. Thank you for the comment!
I just picked up both volumes of Shogun. I wanted to watch the series before reading the books to have faces to put to the names which sometimes helps me with these epic stories. That helped me truly love LOTR when I read the books after seeing the first movie.
I borrowed the 1980 dvd's from the library. I understood plot elements that I missed in the newer version. It's weird that so much of it was untranslated. The story of the making of it on the last dvd is pretty amazing. For some reason it isn't being streamed.
I first read Shogun in Highschool after th mini series which I loved, I have reread Shogun at least 5 times and it has aged like fine wine still one of my favorite books.
Love Shogun. Tai-Pan and Noble House are also great. The book King Rat is less well known but excellent. I think I remember reading that the main American character in it had a great affect on James. Made him believe that you could make the world and 'go for it.' He certainly did that. Hagakure?
I haven’t read Noble House yet. King Rat and Tai Pan were definitely good reads after reading Shogun in high school. I hope to read the Asian Saga in its entirety at some point. I read Hagakure in my masters program in juxtaposition with other secondary works on the Samurai and the Edo Period of Japan.
By that time, samurai embraced guns, producing many within Japan. The battle where Tokugawa vied for power against Hideyoshi's son involved 100k vs 100k and extensive use of guns. In 'Shogun,' the depiction of samurai disliking guns was an incorrect view. In reality, many samurai adapted to firearms, acknowledging their power and effectiveness in battles.
Very true. Tokugawa won because of his use of firearms. Later, under his Shogunate, they abandoned the use, as it was a threat to the stable political order he created. That is something ‘Shogun’ touches on, but doesn’t expound on.
@thesandersreview yup, correct. Therefore, Shogun (the book and both shows) can be perceived as the protagonist's perspective on Japan at the time, rather than an accurate depiction of Japan. For instance, the music and dark blue images seem reminiscent of England. Numerous inaccuracies exist in the portrayal of Japanese culture and characters. Tokugawa, for example, wouldn't venture outside alone or with just a few guards; he would be surrounded by many guards, servants, vassals. The clothing and hairstyles are also lacking; in a feudal system, rank is crucial, especially in Japan during that period. A single glance should convey whether someone is a daimyo, high/low-ranking samurai, or a peasant. Peasants would wear hemp, while daimyos would adorn themselves in outlandish clothing made of the finest silk. The protagonist struggles to discern between any rank or context. Thus, when viewing the books/shows through that lens, the unintentional mistakes in portraying the period actually contribute to the overall experience. And it could become a gateway to watching period drama's from japan.
No I haven’t! I’ve read the others I mention at the end, but not Samurai William. I will check that out! Thank you for commenting and letting me know! 😀
Ah, one quick point. While the Japanese sword, whether tachi or katana, is the iconic samurai weapon on the battlefield their primary weapon was a pole arm, either yard (spear) or naginata (halberd), not the bow. The samurai began as "the way of the horse and boy" but the yummy (bow) wasn't their primary weapon. The sword was the weapon of last resort on the battlefield to be used only when you were unhorsed or your pole arm broke. Just a bit of actual historical fact. Good video though!
Thanks for the point! That is definitely true for the Senguko period, but if you go back to the Heian Period the bow was a primary weapon. Over 400 years you see the evolution to polearm and sword. Historians Karl Friday and Stephen Turnbull highlight this in their books. All depends on the time period. Thank you for raising the point though!
While I appreciate Shogun for generating interest in Japan and its history, I am less enthusiastic about it than most people because it is an Orientalist fantasy. Blackthorne arrived in Japan, “went native” - typical Orientalist trope - and quickly became the envy of many real Japanese because he learned what it meant to truly “be Japanese, samurai, hatamoto, etc. Even his enemies who despised foreigners eventually loved him. The hero also bedded a high born woman, a “geisha” and several other women and taught them all the meaning of “true love” with his large white penis. Definitely a “mighty whitey” trope. And Clavell wrongly portrayed geisha as prostitutes. That is more of a post-WWII phenomenon during the American occupation of Japan. Throughout the novel there are numerous examples of the “inscrutable Asian” stereotype. One minor character, Rodrigues, even tells Blackthorne that the Japanese possess three hearts - one to show to the world, one to show their family/friends and then a true, secret heart only known to themselves. Lord Toranaga in Shogun is very nearly the perfect embodiment of this type of character; he averred that he doesn’t want to be shogun, but strove with all his might to become just that. While I know that every piece of historical fiction takes liberties with the truth, I believe that Shogun perpetrates more Orientalist and pro-colonial stereotypes than it’s worth as a piece of entertainment.
You clearly have never read the book - it takes a long time for the character to realise how much superior the Japanese way of life is and he in fact - perhaps indoctrinated is too harsh a word - but shown through total immersion how to live and only just start to think like Japanese. What they get in return is the musket regiment he trains with the help of Mariko and cannon that we don't see but are the key to taking Yedo castle.
I think perhaps you're distorting things from the novel just a wee bit. Additionally, are you familiar with the real history upon which the novel is based?
