Shogun

In 1600 the English pilot John Blackthorne is shipwrecked in Japan with the surviving crew of the Dutch vessel Erasmus. Unable to speak the language and treated as both a potential pirate and a useful source of knowledge, he is drawn into the struggle between Lord Toranaga and the coalition seeking to prevent Toranaga from dominating the council that governs for the young heir.

Blackthorne’s relationship with the Christian interpreter Mariko gives him access to Japanese politics, religion and household life while placing both of them in danger. Court manoeuvring, Jesuit influence, samurai warfare and preparation for the Battle of Sekigahara turn his effort to survive into part of a larger contest over the future shogunate.