Shōgun

It is the year 1600. A Dutch ship runs aground on the shores of Japan. Leader of the few survivors of its starved, diseased crew is Englishman John Blackthorne, the pilot. The crew soon become prisoners of the Japanese who, influenced by the local Portuguese priests, enemies of the English and Dutch, treat them as savages and pirates. Unbeknownst to Blackthorne he has arrived at a crucial juncture in the history of the land, with political machinations shaping power. His path is soon crossed with that of Lord Yoshii Toranaga, one of the five rulers of Japan and a man that will have a significant bearing on Blackthorne's fate.—grantss