Against the backdrop of early 17th century feudal Japan in the FX series “Shogun” lies an unseen army who has meticulously crafted the show’s historical richness and authenticity.
As the highly anticipated series braces audiences for a journey back to feudal Japan — a time of samurai, political intrigue and cultural complexity — the knowledge and passion of the production’s unseen army, made up not of warriors, but of advisors, consultants, historians and experts, come alive in each scene.
Based on James Clavell’s 1975 historical novel of the same title, “Shogun” is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. It revolves around English navigator John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), who shipwrecks on the coast of Japan, bearing secrets that could help Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a feared lord of the expansive Kanto Region, tip the scales of power.
via FX
From the details of clothing to the intricacies of tea ceremonies, co-creators and executive producers Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo emphasized the extensive efforts and necessity of on-the-ground expertise to accurately bring the complex story to life on screen.
“I would like to think that we came into it all wise and knowing about how to do it. And the truth is, neither of us did,” Konda tells NextShark, acknowledging that their approach stemmed from understanding the changes in the world since the book was written.
As both creators grew up in the aftermath of the novel’s popularity, Marks, a white American screenwriter, expressed his conflicted feelings about the iconic silhouette on the “Shogun” book cover, highlighting the representational challenges of a character wearing clothing from a culture not his own. The duo, who sought to engage with the audience’s hunger for novelty, ultimately found themselves challenged to navigate the feudal Japanese culture, similar to the author and to Blackthorne in the series.
