William Adams Explained: The Real Life Version Of Shogun's John Blackthorne (2024)

The new FX historical epic series Shōgun follows the story of John Blackthorne, based on the real-life English navigator William Adams. The outstanding cast of Shōgun is led by Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne and acclaimed Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada as the feudal Lord Yoshii Toranaga. After Blackthorne washes up on Japanese shores and is taken prisoner, Blackthorne and Toranaga develop an unlikely alliance when they realize they have a common enemy. The highly anticipated Game of Thrones caliber series premieres on February 27 on Hulu and Disney+, premiering exclusively on FX at 10 P.M. EST.

Based on the stellar reviews for Shōgun which have earned it a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, the Hulu/FX series is expected to be one of the greatest limited series of the entire year. The series was created by Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick, The Jungle Book) and first-time television writer Rachel Kondo based on the novel by James Clavell. 2024's Shōgun is not to be confused with the 1980 miniseries of the same name starring Richard Chamberlain, Toshirô Mifune, and Yôko Shimada which won 3 Emmys including Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Costume Design, and Outstanding Graphic Design.

William Adams Is The Real-Life Inspiration For Shogun's John Blackthorne

The character of John Blackthorne is based on the real-life William Adams, whose remarkable true story sets the stage for the acclaimed historical FX series. Adams was born in England in September 1564 and grew up learning shipbuilding, astronomy, and navigation before joining the Royal Navy at a time when England was at war with Spain. Following his service against the Spanish Armada in 1588, Adams became a pilot for the Barbary Company, a trading company established by Queen Elizabeth I. As a pilot, Adams used his skills as a navigator to bring products such as cloth and sugar to England.

According to Britannica, Adams shipped out as pilot major with five Dutch ships in June 1598, setting his sights on the East Indies or present-day Indonesia through the Straight of Magellan. This is consistent with John Blackthorne's character in Shōgun, whose crew and ship were greatly affected by the tumultuous weather and the terrible storms. This is how Adams ended up on Japanese soil in April of the year 1600, landing on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan. This marked the very first time in history that a British ship had ever made it to Japan.

William Adams Became The First Englishman To Reach Japan

As portrayed in Shōgun through the character of John Blackthorne, William Adams and his suffering crew had not intended to land in Japan. After 19 months and seas and with many of them sick and dying, Adams and his crew were taken prisoner by one of the five Japanese feudal regents. They were promptly brought to the Japanese city of Ōsaka to stand before the soon-to-be shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the inspiration for the character Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) in the Hulu/FX series. The shogun was reportedly so impressed by Adams' intelligence on a variety of topics that he made him one of his advisors.

William Adams' Relationship To Tokugawa Ieyasu Explained

The meeting of William Adams and shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, aka John Blackthorne and Yoshii Toranaga, is the premise for the new Hulu/FX series, acting as the foundation for the events to come based on their unlikely alliance. The real-life Adams was given the honor of hatamoto, a distinguished rank of advisor to the shogun, and was granted his own estate. In return, Adams was required to help build Western-style ships for the Japanese Navy and was essentially given many privileges because of his expert knowledge of shipbuilding which greatly impressed Tokugawa Ieyasu.

William Adams Became The First Western Samurai

After Adams proved himself to be incredibly resourceful to Tokugawa Ieyasu, he was appointed as a diplomatic and trade advisor of Japan and became his personal advisor on all matters pertaining to the Western world. He was even promoted to become Tokugawa Ieyasu's personal translator and was not allowed to leave Japan even though he left a wife and kids at home back in England. Sympathetic to Adams' concerns but determined to keep him in Japan for his advantage, Tokugawa Ieyasu made Adams the first Western samurai by giving him the name Miura Anjin, and lived a luxurious and honorable life.

William Adams' Role In Japan's Trading Industry Explained

Adams' trading knowledge allowed Tokugawa Ieyasu to enhance Japan's trading capabilities, forming the Dutch East India Company in 1605 that traded goods with Holland. Through Adams' efforts, the Dutch were able to establish an official trading post in Japan in a matter of years whereas the Portuguese and Spaniards had tried to do that for decades without success. Adams then played a large role in establishing the English Trading Company in Japan in 1613, allowing the English to trade, barter, and sell goods in Japan. Adams then received authorization from Tokugawa Ieyasu to return to England but chose to stay in Japan.

William Adams Remained In Japan Until His Death In 1620

After Adams chose to stay in Japan despite having an opportunity for safe passage back to England, the samurai, who spoke fluent Japanese, continued to be a prominent trading figure for Japan. In William Adams' personal letters, he explained that his reasons for staying in Japan might have been more of a direct refusal to accept the offer of English Captain John Saris. His letters read, "The reason I would not go with him was for diverse injuries done against me, which were things to me very strange and unlooked for."

Adams remained in Japan for the rest of his life, taking on a leadership role at the new Hirado trading facility and expanding Japan's trade ventures to Asia. Adams himself made several trading voyages from Japan to Europe on his personal ship, the "Red Seal", which he later renamed "Gift of God". Adams died in May 1620 at the age of 55 in Hirado, which is north of Nagasaki. After Tokugawa Ieyasu's death in 1616, Japan became much more isolationist and many of the trading companies Adams helped put into place were shut down. Shōgun might cover some of these true story details but will be more focused on the feudal tensions between the Japanese regents at that time.

Shogun

Adventure

Drama

History

Shogun is an FX original mini-series set in 17th Century Japan. Shogun follows John Blackthorne, who becomes a samurai warrior but is unknowingly a pawn in Yoshii Toranaga's plan to become Shogun. The series starsCosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne and Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga, along with Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, and Yûki Kedôin.

Cast

Cosmo Jarvis , Hiroyuki Sanada , Anna Sawai , Tadanobu Asano , Yûki Kedôin , Takehiro Hira , Tommy Bastow

Seasons

1

Network

FX

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Writers

Maegan Houang , Rachel Kondo , Justin Marks , Emily Yoshida

Directors

Frederick E.O. Toye , Jonathan van Tulleken

Source: Britannica