Samurai, ninjas, castles and secret passageways... visit the world of 17th century Japan, brought alive in Disney's Shogun
Alicia Miller - 22 February 2024
Miraculous shipwrecks and roaring battle scenes; inspiring landscapes and forbidden love; unlikely alliances and murderous betrayal – Shogun has everything you want in a historical epic. And nearly 50 years after James Clavell wrote his 1975 bestselling novel (see p141), Disney’s lavish adaptation takes to screens in a ten-part series, starring Hiroyuki Sanada (of Sunshine and John Wick: Chapter 4) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters). The fictional narrative of a shipwrecked English sailor who becomes embroiled with Japanese warlords – right on the eve of the nation’s pivotal civil war – has its roots in real-life events, of course. Discover the true story, and the natural beauty of Japan, on your own tour of the country’s 17th-century wonders.
NINJA SECRETS
Spies, mercenaries, arsonists, occasional assassins – ninjas are the ultimate symbol of feudal Japan. These covert agents, hired to do the bidding of warring daimyo lords, largely hailed from Iga city in the coastal Mie prefecture, near historic Kyoto. Explore the ninjutsu myth – and reality – at the Ninja Museum of Igaryu (iganinja.jp), where you can see a ninja home littered with hidden traps and escape routes; learn about their secret codes; and catch a weaponry demonstration. Ninety minutes’ drive away, Ninja Kingdom Ise (ise-jokamachi.jp) provides more theme-park-style fun – you can shoot bows and arrows or dress up for an immersive role-playing game – or for a change of pace, carry on to grand Ise Jingu instead. One of the most sacred shrines in Japan, this 125-building complex dates back some 2,000 years.
MEDIEVAL CASTLES
Think of feudal Japan and you probably think of castles. Japan still has about 100 but, thanks to centuries of wars, fires and earthquakes, most are now reconstructions. Not Himeji, though (himejicastle.jp): this stone and wood castle set on a hilltop between Kyoto and Hiroshima dates from the 14th century, and impressive looks and scale earned it Unesco World Heritage status. Like a multi-tiered wedding cake, the white-washed central keep rises six floors, accessed only via steep wooden staircases, while an endless series of outbuildings, walkways and moat are coddled in over a thousand spring-blossoming cherry trees.
SAMURAI BATTLEGROUND
Set in 1600, Shogun provides a fictionalised lead-up to the pivotal Battle of Sekigahara – a clash between rival warlord factions that would determine Japan’s new ruler (the shogun). In real life, warrior Tokugawa Ieyasu (the basis for the series’ Yoshi Toranaga) met the army of his opponent Ishida Mitsunari on the Sekigahara plain in Gifu on 21 October 1600. Today military enthusiasts can discover what happened between them in a museum on the very site (sekigahara. pref.gifu.lg.jp). Explore the landscapes by foot or hired bike, then extend your exploration trekking a stretch of the Nakasendo Way, the old thoroughfare connecting Tokyo and Kyoto.
ANCIENT GARDENS
While one of Japan’s most famed landscape gardens didn’t open to the public until 1871, the 25-acre Kenroku-en (www.pref.ishikawa.jp) has its origins in the early 17th century when it was developed by the daimyo lords of the Maeda clan. Set in the shadow of a castle in the 400-year-old town of Kanazawa, it draws visitors for its bridges and teahouse, water features and – from mid-February to mid-March – sublime plum blossoms. While in Kanazawa, also visit the Ninjadera temple, littered with ancient secret doors and passages; and Nagamachi, one of the best- preserved samurai districts in the country, now home to great restaurants and craft shops.
TIMELESS SHRINE
Tokugawa Ieyasu – the warlord on whom Shogun’s Yoshi Toranaga is based – has his final resting place in one of the most spectacular mausoleums in Japan: Toshogu shrine. Squirrelled away in the pretty mountain town of Nikko, north of Tokyo, the Unesco World Heritage site contains 55 buildings dripping in elaborate wood carvings and paintwork, and cloaked in mature forest. Tour the grounds – keeping eyes peeled for the famed Three Wise Monkeys (who see, speak and hear no evil) – and pass by the holy central shrine, home to Ieyasu’s spirit. Afterwards, visit the 100mhigh Kegon waterfall or unwind in one of Nikko’s many onsen (hot springs) resorts.
UNTOUCHED LANDSCAPES
In Shogun, English navigator John Blackthorne is shipwrecked off the Izu Peninsula near Tokyo. In reality, Blackthorne’s model – William Adams – and his crew were wrecked off Kyushu in April 1600. Today Kyushu, Japan’s southerly main island, fascinates not only for its history of samurai battles (around Kumamoto Castle) or cultural melting-pot capital, Nagasaki (once the hub for international trade relations). It’s worth a visit for its remarkable landscapes that feel like they have been lifted from a bygone era. Don’t miss Mount Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano, or the tropical forests of Kagoshima.
HOW TO DO IT
Inside Japan Tours (insidejapantours.com) can tailor-make a historical themed journey according to your interests. Or try the 15-day Traditional Japan itinerary from £3,520pp, taking in Tokyo, Kanazawa, castle town Matsumoto, Kyoto and the Nakasendo Way.
Miraculous shipwrecks and roaring battle scenes; inspiring landscapes and forbidden love; unlikely alliances and murderous betrayal – Shogun has everything you want in a historical epic. And nearly 50 years after James Clavell wrote his 1975 bestselling novel (see p141), Disney’s lavish adaptation takes to screens in a ten-part series, starring Hiroyuki Sanada (of Sunshine and John Wick: Chapter 4) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters). The fictional narrative of a shipwrecked English sailor who becomes embroiled with Japanese warlords – right on the eve of the nation’s pivotal civil war – has its roots in real-life events, of course. Discover the true story, and the natural beauty of Japan, on your own tour of the country’s 17th-century wonders.
NINJA SECRETS
Spies, mercenaries, arsonists, occasional assassins – ninjas are the ultimate symbol of feudal Japan. These covert agents, hired to do the bidding of warring daimyo lords, largely hailed from Iga city in the coastal Mie prefecture, near historic Kyoto. Explore the ninjutsu myth – and reality – at the Ninja Museum of Igaryu (iganinja.jp), where you can see a ninja home littered with hidden traps and escape routes; learn about their secret codes; and catch a weaponry demonstration. Ninety minutes’ drive away, Ninja Kingdom Ise (ise-jokamachi.jp) provides more theme-park-style fun – you can shoot bows and arrows or dress up for an immersive role-playing game – or for a change of pace, carry on to grand Ise Jingu instead. One of the most sacred shrines in Japan, this 125-building complex dates back some 2,000 years.
MEDIEVAL CASTLES
Think of feudal Japan and you probably think of castles. Japan still has about 100 but, thanks to centuries of wars, fires and earthquakes, most are now reconstructions. Not Himeji, though (himejicastle.jp): this stone and wood castle set on a hilltop between Kyoto and Hiroshima dates from the 14th century, and impressive looks and scale earned it Unesco World Heritage status. Like a multi-tiered wedding cake, the white-washed central keep rises six floors, accessed only via steep wooden staircases, while an endless series of outbuildings, walkways and moat are coddled in over a thousand spring-blossoming cherry trees.
SAMURAI BATTLEGROUND
Set in 1600, Shogun provides a fictionalised lead-up to the pivotal Battle of Sekigahara – a clash between rival warlord factions that would determine Japan’s new ruler (the shogun). In real life, warrior Tokugawa Ieyasu (the basis for the series’ Yoshi Toranaga) met the army of his opponent Ishida Mitsunari on the Sekigahara plain in Gifu on 21 October 1600. Today military enthusiasts can discover what happened between them in a museum on the very site (sekigahara. pref.gifu.lg.jp). Explore the landscapes by foot or hired bike, then extend your exploration trekking a stretch of the Nakasendo Way, the old thoroughfare connecting Tokyo and Kyoto.
ANCIENT GARDENS
While one of Japan’s most famed landscape gardens didn’t open to the public until 1871, the 25-acre Kenroku-en (www.pref.ishikawa.jp) has its origins in the early 17th century when it was developed by the daimyo lords of the Maeda clan. Set in the shadow of a castle in the 400-year-old town of Kanazawa, it draws visitors for its bridges and teahouse, water features and – from mid-February to mid-March – sublime plum blossoms. While in Kanazawa, also visit the Ninjadera temple, littered with ancient secret doors and passages; and Nagamachi, one of the best- preserved samurai districts in the country, now home to great restaurants and craft shops.
TIMELESS SHRINE
Tokugawa Ieyasu – the warlord on whom Shogun’s Yoshi Toranaga is based – has his final resting place in one of the most spectacular mausoleums in Japan: Toshogu shrine. Squirrelled away in the pretty mountain town of Nikko, north of Tokyo, the Unesco World Heritage site contains 55 buildings dripping in elaborate wood carvings and paintwork, and cloaked in mature forest. Tour the grounds – keeping eyes peeled for the famed Three Wise Monkeys (who see, speak and hear no evil) – and pass by the holy central shrine, home to Ieyasu’s spirit. Afterwards, visit the 100mhigh Kegon waterfall or unwind in one of Nikko’s many onsen (hot springs) resorts.
UNTOUCHED LANDSCAPES
In Shogun, English navigator John Blackthorne is shipwrecked off the Izu Peninsula near Tokyo. In reality, Blackthorne’s model – William Adams – and his crew were wrecked off Kyushu in April 1600. Today Kyushu, Japan’s southerly main island, fascinates not only for its history of samurai battles (around Kumamoto Castle) or cultural melting-pot capital, Nagasaki (once the hub for international trade relations). It’s worth a visit for its remarkable landscapes that feel like they have been lifted from a bygone era. Don’t miss Mount Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano, or the tropical forests of Kagoshima.
HOW TO DO IT
Inside Japan Tours (insidejapantours.com) can tailor-make a historical themed journey according to your interests. Or try the 15-day Traditional Japan itinerary from £3,520pp, taking in Tokyo, Kanazawa, castle town Matsumoto, Kyoto and the Nakasendo Way.
Click here to view our escorted tours to Japan at www.radiotimes.com/japan