Shogun

Toranaga sits on a cushion, surrounded by samurai. Blackthorne sits cross-legged in front of him. Toranaga—a short and round man—is mending a hunting falcon’s broken feather. A priest comes forward to interpret: it is Father Alvito.

Alvito says he will translate exactly, so Blackthorne should take care with his words. Through Alvito, Toranaga asks why there is hostility between Blackthorne and Alvito. Blackthorne says it’s because their countries are warring. Toranaga wants to know why—aren’t both countries Christian? Why are they enemies if they both preach brotherly Christian love? Blackthorne describes the differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. Toranaga asks if Blackthorne believes Jesus is God, and why he smashed the cross in front of Sebastio. Blackthorne says part of the war is a difference of opinion on what God is, an issue they both consider stupid.

Blackthorne says his purpose in traveling towards Japan was to become the first Dutch sailor in this region; he has no interest in missionary work and is just there to trade. Toranaga says any public disturbances in his kingdom receive a death sentence, which is why his villages are so orderly. He wants to know why Blackthorne and his crew were so well armed if their intentions were peaceful. Blackthorne says they planned to attack the Portuguese and Spanish if they found them in or near Japan. However, the Erasmus is not a pirate ship since the Dutch government authorized his voyage.

Toranaga asks if it is true that the Netherlands rebelled against Spain and the sovereign king—as a ruler, he is less likely to trust a man who could betray his king. Blackthorne explains that the rebellion in the Netherlands was necessary and tells Toranaga that they will win the war because they own the seas.

Alvito is appalled as he translates. He thinks that Blackthorne is a heretic and beyond redemption. Suddenly, there are loud voices outside the chamber. Lord Ishido wishes to speak with Toranaga and enters with 10 samurai in gray. Ishido is a rival daimyo, and a Zen Buddhist who hates Christianity and Europeans. Toranaga is also a Zen Buddhist, but he is more open-minded about outsiders. Toranaga imprisons Blackthorne with the common criminals. 

Toranaga lets Alvito stay, knowing it will anger Ishido, who hates Christians. Toranaga and Ishido discuss the seemingly inevitable civil war, which engulfed the region for almost 600 years until, 35 years prior, with Toranaga’s help, a man named Goroda took Kyoto. Goroda gained great power but was never made shogun. When Goroda was assassinated 16 years ago, his power went to Nakamura, his most effective general. Nakamura spent the next four years taking control of Japan and became the Taiko. 12 years of peace followed, but Nakamura died one year ago. Toranaga says he won’t be first to break the peace.

Ishido complains that a woman named Lady Ochiba is a hostage in Toranaga’s castle at Yedo. Toranaga says that Ochiba is not a hostage, but is visiting her only sister, who is married to one of Toranaga’s sons. He reiterates that his only interest is to protect the Taiko’s heir—a seven-year old boy named Yaemon, who will assume leadership at 15.

Ishido says the Council of Regents demands Ochiba’s presence in Osaka—they have voted for it four to one, with only Toranaga voting against Ochiba’s return. Ishido threatens to kill all who plan to overthrow his master and kill the Taiko’s heir. At this, Usagi, Hiro-matsu’s grandson-in-law, loses his composure and moves to strike Ishido with a sword—a grave offense against bushido. At the last moment, Usagi stops himself. In shame, he asks to be allowed to die by seppuku. Toranaga says that he has no honor and will be crucified instead. They will also kill Usagi’s son. Hiro-matsu makes him crawl out of the room. 

Toranaga can’t sleep. He wonders if Blackthorne is an instrument of karma:

Karma was an Indian word adopted by Japanese, part of Buddhist philosophy that referred to a person’s fate in this life, his fate immutably fixed because of deeds done in a previous life, good deeds giving a better position in this life’s strata, bad deeds the reverse (198).

No matter what, Toranaga can never let Blackthorne leave. The man is too valuable and too dangerous.

Hiro-matsu visits him. He asks to die by seppuku, since Usagi was his grandson-in-law. Toranaga denies his request. Hiro-matsu says that Toranaga has no choice but to make war against Ishido. He also says that Blackthorne has many great qualities, but why would a brave fighter allow someone to urinate on his back? Before Hiro-matsu leaves, he says that they must keep Blackthorne on land. He also recommends that Toranaga order the untrustworthy Yabu to kill himself.

A woman named Kiri pours their tea. She became one of Toranaga’s consorts when her husband was killed 20 years prior. Toranaga asks why Hiro-matsu took his side after Nakamura’s death one year ago. Hiro-matsu joined Toranaga because he is a good man. Toranaga asks how long Blackthorne will survive in prison. Hiro-matsu replies that it depends on his ruthlessness and fighting ability.

Toranaga sends four messages through his falcons, knowing at least one will reach its recipient. The message is: “all is well.” Besides him, only three people—his sons Noboru and Sudara, and Kiri—know what this code means. His call for war is “Crimson Sky” (205). He knows that his plan will work, but only he can execute it. 

Blackthorne is naked, fighting another naked inmate for a cup of gruel. He wins the fight but feels claustrophobic in the crowded prison. The man he beat regains consciousness and rushes him, but another man breaks his attacker’s neck. Blackthorne thanks him and falls asleep.

He wakes and sees an old man named Friar Domingo. Domingo cries and kisses a ross. Two years earlier, the Jesuits imprisoned Domingo. He rants about politics and kings, and then tells Blackthorne some of the details of Japanese society.

Blackthorne can’t sleep. Emotionally overwhelmed, he weeps. In the morning, Domingo tells him about the Portuguese Black Ship. The Black Ship passes through Japan each year, carrying goods and weapons that are worth over a million gold pieces. The thought of the plunder excites Blackthorne.

A guard calls several names to be executed—the only punishment in Japan. On the fourth day, the guards call Blackthorne. 

Domingo tries to give him absolution, but Blackthorne refuses the rites and says good-bye. Several samurai escort him to a courtyard containing crosses holding naked, crucified men. Blackthorne prepares to fight, preferring to die quickly, but the samurai keep walking past the courtyard and take him down an alley. Blackthorne can’t understand how the city is so clean. The samurai all wear gray kimonos, which means they are Ishido’s men. Toranaga’s men wear brown. Blackthorne’s legs give out from weakness and several men carry him in a kaga, a device used by porters, similar to a hammock stretched between two poles.

They leave the city and enter the woods. A group of 30 samurai also wearing gray ambushes them and quickly kills Blackthorne’s escort. They remove their kimonos, revealing peasant clothes. They put on masks, and Blackthorne realizes that they are bandits. Another group of 30 samurai appears, led by Yabu. The bandit leader challenges them. Yabu’s group drives the bandits away. Yabu wishes he could have seen Blackthorne’s meeting with Toranaga. He wants to know why Ishido released Blackthorne from prison, and why the bandits thought they could ransom him. 

Toranaga asks Ishido why he took Toranaga’s prisoner out of the prison. Ishido has lost face and apologizes. Toranaga says the bandits were ronin. Ishido questions the nature of the ambush, and the coincidence of Yabu being nearby.

Ishido mentions that his mother has been invited to the Johji monastery to see cherry blossoms. The Regents meeting that night has been postponed since Lord Kiyama is ill and there are four votes against meeting without him. Ishido says he cannot visit him; the contagion is too dangerous. Toranaga reminds Ishido that a soothsayer said he would die by the sword, not from illness. Ishido says it could be leprosy. The risk is not worth it.

A woman named Mariko crosses Toranaga’s garden and visits with Kiri. Mariko is married to Lord Buntaro, whom Kiri describes as violent and ugly. They discuss Kiri’s son, Sarumi, who is 15 and recently received a fief. Kiri says that Toranaga wants Mariko to interpret for the barbarian—how they refer to Blackthorne. She doesn’t know why he doesn’t use Alvito. Kiri asks Mariko to hide her crucifix, worried that it might agitate the barbarian, who broke a crucifix in front of another priest.

Blackthorne greets Mariko. He is surprised that Father Alvito is not translating. In prison, Domingo taught him most of the little Japanese he knows.

Blackthorne has been bathed and shaven. After Blackthorne winks at a young boy, Yaemon, who laughs, Toranaga wants to know why he did it. Blackthorne likes to amuse children—his son is a similar age. Toranaga asks about his other children, his age, his marital status, and his homeland. Blackthorne gives Toranaga the history of England. While explaining the Arthurian legend, he realizes that the story of Lancelot, Guinevere, and their betrayal could be sensitive to a man determined to maintain his sovereignty against rebellion.

Blackthorne draws a rough map in the sand and explains the continents. He shows Toranaga and Mariko the Strait of Magellan. As they speak of English customs, Toranaga is dubious when Blackthorne claims that the English rarely bathe. Toranaga asks Mariko if she believes him. She says yes, and that Blackthorne is astonishing. Yaemon says he’s ugly.

Blackthorne shows them the lands that theoretically belong to Portugal and Spain, including Japan. They laugh at the notion that the Pope’s decree entitles Portugal and Spain to other countries. When Blackthorne explains that the first lines on the map were set in 1493, Kiri suggests checking his facts with a priest. An elderly woman approaches with four gray samurai. 

The woman is named Yodoko. Yaemon tells her what the barbarian has been saying. Toranaga knows that Ishido sent Yodoko to retrieve Yaemon because Yodoko is the former Taiko’s wife. Yodoko tells Toranaga to become the sole Regent and take power until he can give it to Yaemon. She wants Toranaga to become shogun, and then make Yaemon shogun later. She suggests that he marry Ochiba, but Toranaga believes that Ochiba is too treacherous. However, Toranaga would like to know if Ochiba is interested. 

An assassin comes into the garden that night and uses a grappling hook to infiltrate the castle. Somehow, he knows the code words that grant him access to areas of the castle that are protected. He kills two guards, and then kills himself when he is caught after fighting with Kiri. Naga kills the watch guard as punishment for the assassin’s invasion. Toranaga says Naga, his son by another consort, is also responsible, and fines him half of his year’s salary.

The assassin bears a tattoo of a clan called the Amida Tong; his target was Blackthorne. There are reports of more spies in the area, and of Ishido’s increased activity. Hiro-matsu says that Yabu is the only person he knows who would know how to hire the Amida Tong. Toranaga says to bring him Yabu at dawn.

The next day, Blackthorne asks that Toranaga release Domingo. Toranaga knows his plan was successful: He had actually sent Blackthorne to prison hoping the priest would teach him Japanese customs and a bit of the language. It was also meant to make Ishido think that Blackthorne had no value to Toranaga. Toranaga is glad he had planned the ambush by the bandits—actually Toranaga’s elite samurai—in the woods. Toranaga learns that Domingo is already dead.

Yabu, wearing the Muramasa blade, follows Hiro-matsu. They watch the sunrise with Toranaga and Sazuko, one of Toranaga’s consorts. Toranaga thanks Yabu for the ship and they discuss the Amida Tong, their structure, and how one would go about hiring them. Yabu says he will support Toranaga and tells him of his plan for the guns. He offers to teach Blackthorne Japanese at Izu, planning to leave with the galley and guns in three days. They urinate off the castle wall to close the deal. After, Hiro-matsu says he is ashamed of the deal. He thinks Toranaga is acting uncharacteristically, as if he is under a spell. 

Alvito, accompanied by 40 samurai, goes to the Jesuit mansion, where he meets a priest named Father Soldi. Carlo Dell’Aqua, the “Father-Visitor” (276) of Asia, enters the room with the Captain-General of the Black Ship, Ferriera. Alvito tells them that Toranaga has requested a map showing the demarcation lines of Portugal and Spain. He also wants to know how many Japanese mercenaries are employed by Spain and Portugal at each base.

Ferriera says that Toranaga’s economy will break without the Black Ship. Dell’Aqua counters that without Toranaga’s support, they will lose the support of their Christian kings. They discuss the implications of Toranaga thinking the previous night’s assassination attempt was aimed at Blackthorne, not at him. They order Ferriera not to attack Blackthorne during the trip and forbid him from interfering in politics. Ferriera says he obeys his king, not them. They don’t understand how Blackthorne knows so much.

They need to know who interprets for Toranaga. Alvito admires a Japanese-Latin-Portuguese dictionary. He is compiling his own. Dell’Aqua says to give the rutters to Toranaga. They talk about how to get more of the daimyos on their side. 

A girl named Sono massages Blackthorne. Then Blackthorne visits a doctor. He feels so happy that he starts dancing the hornpipe step. Toranaga enters just as Blackthorne finishes. Amused, he makes him dance and sing again. He wants Blackthorne to teach him the step, and then gives Blackthorne a kimono. Blackthorne learns that the priest from the prison is dead.

Mariko asks about his wife and the physical characteristics of English people. Blackthorne tells her that his wife is 29. Mariko offers him a pillow woman, their term for courtesan, and Blackthorne says he is not interested, she offers him a boy instead. He is appalled, but when he says sodomy is a sin, Mariko asks why so many Christian priests do it. Mariko fights the urge to tell him that she hates him and his ignorant ideas.

Alvito waits for Toranaga and curses Blackthorne. Toranaga dismisses his guards and tells Alvito about the impending war. He asks about the Christians’ interests. He wants the Christian daimyos to support him. In exchange, he offers to reinstitute the Expulsion Edicts—a series of acts that would ban all Christians except for Alvito’s men from Japan. After Alvito leaves, Toranaga does the hornpipe dance. 

Yabu, Blackthorne, Kiri, and others are preparing to leave in a caravan led by Buntaro ostensibly as Kiri’s royal escort. Ishido interrupts them. Ishido and Buntaro have an old rivalry going back to the days of the Taiko. Hiro-matsu defuses the situation, but Ishido says that since Toranaga agreed to provide a day’s notice for any departures, he is now breaking protocol. Hiro-matsu says Toranaga will also be leaving the day after the Regents meet. Ishido asks if Toranaga will still hunt with him tomorrow, and Buntaro says he canceled the hunting trip because of the assassin’s attack. After Ishido leaves, Blackthorne sees Toranaga in a litter, disguised as Kiri. 

They pass through many city checkpoints. Blackthorne imagines being knighted when he returns to England. Ishido appears again before the last checkpoint. He approaches the litter to give Kiri—Toranaga in disguise—a scroll to take to Yedo. Before Ishido can see Toranaga’s deception, Blackthorne begins dancing and yelling as a distraction. Ishido hits him and Blackthorne tries to strangle him. Buntaro and four samurai pull him off. Blackthorne is knocked unconscious. When he wakes, he begins dancing again, pretending to be insane. Ishido aims a bow at him. Yabu stops him, saying that Blackthorne will be useful to them. The guards let them through the final checkpoint. 

Yabu makes Blackthorne ride in the litter. In Latin, Mariko thanks Blackthorne for saving Toranaga. She is attracted to him; her marriage is unhappy—her husband has sent her away. Blackthorne calls her beautiful; no one else ever has.

Mariko gives him a brief history of their culture, going back to the spirits that birthed the Japanese. In turn, Blackthorne tells her about the monarchy. She claims that the Japanese have no word for love and also explains that women can be samurai. She is the last of her line.

The leader of their convoy takes Mariko and asks her about Blackthorne. Arrows suddenly hit the man and more arrows strike the litter next to Blackthorne’s head. Two arrows hit Toranaga. They survive the attack, but the fight is vicious and they are forced to flee. 

They rush through back streets and alleys. 15 of the 50 Browns are dead.

Toranaga began planning his escape weeks earlier. The night before, Toranaga resigned from the Council of Regents—now they cannot order him to die by seppuku, which would have been a possibility if, as their president, he had left the city without permission. He wonders who ordered the attack, but he has too many enemies to be sure.

Toranaga runs down the alleys with the others, knocking on several doors in code. He gathers 100 troops that were previously brought to the city in secret, in case of an emergency like tonight. At the wharf, Toranaga orders his men to set fire to anything on the street even though arson is punishable by being burned alive, since Japanese construction materials are all paper and wood.

Blackthorne and Mariko approach the ship. Toranaga’s disguised troops approach and help them fight their way on board. 

Blackthorne looks at the gangway from the deck. Toranaga is walking towards him, now dressed in armor. Signal lights blaze from the city, alerting everyone to the escape attempt. Toranaga reaches the deck. They look back to see Buntaro fighting to reach them. He can’t make it in time. On the wharf, he prepares seppuku as enemies bear down on him, but Toranaga shouts at him to escape. Buntaro grabs a horse and flees. 

Yabu is furious that they wasted time waiting for Buntaro. He worries that Ishido will think he betrayed him. Yabu believes he can be shogun if he kills Yaemon.

A line of Ishido’s ships blocks their escape. Blackthorne says that only cannons will help them. As Blackthorne makes preparations, Toranaga asks Mariko to abandon Christianity. She swears that she will serve him but must remain Christian.

The Portuguese frigate that is coming towards them flies Toranaga’s flag, but Blackthorne realizes that the frigate may not help them if they’re loyal to Ishido. Ferriera and Dell’Aqua are on the frigate. Rodrigues argues that Toranaga’s death benefits them all, but Ferriera agrees to let Dell’Aqua and Alvito parley with Toranaga. Toranaga agrees and goes with Blackthorne to the frigate. 

In the frigate’s cabin, Toranaga asks for the Christians to pick his side. He favors trade more than Ishido, which will benefit the Christians. Alvito proposes the building of a Christian temple in Yedo. Toranaga agrees that after 40 days, they can lay the first stone of the temple. Ferriera offers to help Toranaga escape, as long as he can be the Captain of next year’s Black Ship. He also wants Blackthorne.

Mariko puts a drunken Blackthorne to bed. The bosun, lying on a nearby bed, insults Mariko, lewdly tells her how to put a codpiece on Blackthorne, and offers to pay her for sex. Her guardian samurai Kana draws his sword, but Mariko stops him. Later, Rodrigues asks Mariko what the bosun said. He promises to deal with him. Mariko is surprised to learn that Rodrigues has a Japanese wife.

To save Blackthorne from being captured by Ferriera, Rodrigues tells two men to throw Blackthorne overboard. He swims back to the galley, ready to sail the small ship alongside the large frigate for protection. Ferriera decides to take Toranaga to Yedo and they prime the cannons to fire on Ishido’s blockade. 

Blackthorne and Rodrigues race their ships for the mouth of the harbor. Ferriera tells Rodrigues to ram Blackthorne, still hoping to capture the pilot. Blackthorne is overjoyed to be sailing again. They reach a small ambush made up of fishing boats. They shoot arrows at Blackthorne’s ship but do no major damage. Rodrigues has a chance to smash into Blackthorne’s ship and stop him, but he is unwilling to kill another pilot. He tells Toranaga that he and Blackthorne were merely playing a pilots’ game to test their nerve. Ferriera believes that Rodrigues let Blackthorne go. 

Blackthorne wakes to a cup of cha from Mariko. They are near the Totomi coast. He swims in the bay, and then sunbathes on a rock. Toranaga wants to learn how to dive. During early attempts, he and his samurai belly flop, but soon they and Mariko learn how to do it better.

That night, Toranaga asks about control of the sea. Since Japan has been invaded twice, Blackthorne wonders why they don’t have a navy—they could build English ships or trade for them. He could get 20 ships for Toranaga in 10 years.

At dawn Toranaga sends four carrier pigeons. Two go to Osaka, and the others fly to Yedo. The messages tell Kiri and Hiro-matsu to try to leave peacefully. If they can’t, they must lock themselves in their rooms in the castle and die by seppuku, if it is their only alternative to being caught. He also sends a message to his son Sudara telling him to prepare for war. An earthquake disturbs the water, alarming Blackthorne.