Shōgun (novel)
1975 novel by James Clavell
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Key Takeaways
- Shōgun is a 1975 novel of historical fiction by author James Clavell that chronicles the end of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568–1600) and the dawn of the Edo period (1603–1868).
- By 1980 six million copies of Shōgun had been sold worldwide.
- Though its historical setting is the earliest, it is the third of six published books in Clavell's broader Asian Saga series.
- Japan was also interfered with militarily and politically by Catholic Portugal in concert with the Roman Papacy and its Jesuits stationed in Japan and elsewhere in North East Asia.
- Portugal had profited as Japan's exclusive European trading partner for more than 50 years, but it became uneasy when the newly arrived Protestant Dutch threatened their monopoly.
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Source summary
WikipediaShōgun is a 1975 novel of historical fiction by author James Clavell that chronicles the end of Japan's Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568–1600) and the dawn of the Edo period (1603–1868). Loosely based on actual events and figures, Shōgun narrates how European interests and internal conflicts within Japan brought about the Shogunate restoration.
By 1980 six million copies of Shōgun had been sold worldwide. The novel has been adapted into two TV series (in 1980 and 2024), a stage production (Shōgun: The Musical), a board game, and three video games. Though its historical setting is the earliest, it is the third of six published books in Clavell's broader Asian Saga series.
For nearly 30 years, Japan had been fractured by dynastic clashes and was without a Shogun (central ruler). Japan was also interfered with militarily and politically by Catholic Portugal in concert with the Roman Papacy and its Jesuits stationed in Japan and elsewhere in North East Asia. Their prime interests in Japan were to control trade with Europe and to propagate Roman Catholicism. Portugal had profited as Japan's exclusive European trading partner for more than 50 years, but it became uneasy when the newly arrived Protestant Dutch threatened their monopoly.
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