John Blackthorne in ‘Shōgun’ Is Based on an Epic Historical Figure

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SHŌGUN IS POISED to be the television breakout hit of 2024. Previously adapted in the '80s’ for NBC with a cast that included the legendary Toshiro Mifune, the long-gestating FX adaptation has finally arrived, to the tune absolutely rave reviews. The historical epic comes from the beloved James Clavell novel of the same name, a legendary and impactful book that is said to have done more to familiarize readers with the understanding of 1600s Japan than some textbooks.

Clavell’s novel focuses on an English navigator, or pilot, as they were called at the time, John Blackthrone, who was the first Englishman to reach Japan. Blackthorne isn’t there for a vacation, but rather to gain the upper hand in breaking a Portuguese trade monopoly. Blown off course, he stumbles into a simmering conflict: the reigning Japanese ruler, aka the titular shōgun, has recently died, leaving a young heir and a council to guide the country. As a veritable game of thrones kicks off, Blackthorne finds more than he bargained for—and a chance to turn the power vacuum in his favor.

Clavell’s novel is a totemic work of fiction, sure, but it’s also inherently rooted in reality. Blackthrone is loosely based on a man named William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan. Adams would go on to play a considerable role in the country’s international politics and would become a samurai himself. If you’re digging into Shōgun and want to know more about the man behind the legend, we’ve got you covered.

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What is the History of William Adams Before Arriving in Japan?

Adams was born in Kent and served as an apprentice to a shipyard owner, where he learned all kinds of relevant nautical trades before joining the Royal Navy, where he served under the command of Sir Francis Drake (yes, that one!) during the Anglo-Spanish War in 1588. He married and had two children before becoming a pilot for the Morocco Company.

In 1598, Adams left England along with a group of Rotterdam merchants—who, fun fact, served as the predecessors of a little organization called the Dutch East India Company—alongside a fleet of five ships that were seeking Japan to break up the Spanish monopoly. Throughout the journey, ships fell off for various reasons, leaving only Adams’ ship, the Liefde, behind. The ship eventually arrived in Japan in 1600, a staggering 19 months later, with only 23 out of 100 men originally on board. Of that 23, only 9—including Adams—stepped foot onshore.

What is the History of William Adams in Japan?

Local Portuguese missionaries considered Adams and his remaining crew to be pirates and suggested they be tried and executed as such. As they awaited their fates, the crew ventured to Osaka Castle and was held captive by the feudal lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Japanese locals also ransacked the Liefde, taking the ship’s cannons under their control.

Adams and Ieysau met a handful of times while he was held in the castle, eventually conveying his naval knowledge to the leader. Eventually, Ieysau freed Adams and commanded him to build a Western-style ship for him. Impressed by the final product, Ieyasu granted Adams and his crew special favors, and many of them returned home. After Ieyasu became shōgun, Adams was granted samurai status, was provided a home, and served as a diplomat and trade advisor.

Adams was critical in helping to establish more trade routes and partnerships between Japan and other nations, including helping the Dutch East India Company get a foothold in the country, an eventual English trading partnership, and New Spain.

In the later portions of his life, Adams charted a number of commercial expeditions on behalf of the English East India Company, working with the shogun to permit these ventures. A series of expeditions in the mid to late 1610s saw him travel to what’s now Thailand and Vietnam. Adams died in 1620 at the age of 55 and is buried in Nagasaki. He’s appeared in a few forms of media, including as an inspiration for Shōgun, a character in the second season of NBC’s Heroes, and as the lead of the video game Nioh, which reimagines his origins but keeps his namesake.

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