Shōgun is the hit Hulu and FX miniseries that took audiences by storm, hitting streaming providers in 2024 to unanimous approval from critics. The present relies on a novel by James Clavell, and is about within the Edo Interval of Japan. The story and characters are completely fictional, however take inspiration from actual historic figures, making it a kind of alternate historical past TV present. Whereas the collection was initially supposed to be a “one and finished,” consisting of not more than eight episodes, its huge success has prompted the showrunners to develop a second season, set to be launched later this 12 months.
However till then, it’s possible you’ll be in search of one thing to fill that void. Maybe you desire a nearer have a look at the politics of Feudal Japan or the internal workings of the samurai code, or maybe you are simply within the temper for a candy new samurai story. In any occasion, there are many books that it is best to undoubtedly try when you anticipate the following season of Shōgun to be launched.
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‘Tai-Pan’ (1966)
Written by James Clavell
Tai-Pan is one other novel written by James Clavell, the identical creator behind the unique Shōgun novel. Clavell wrote a number of historic fiction novels, a lot of which occur in East Asia, forming a loosely related assortment referred to by followers because the “Asian Saga.” All of those books, Shōgun included, all heart on European vacationers in historic East Asia, and Tai-Pan is not any exception to this.
As an alternative of being about Feudal Japan, nonetheless, this novel takes place in British Hong Kong after the First Opium Conflict within the mid-Nineteenth Century. Whereas it’s undoubtedly extra targeted on China and is a departure from the Japanese setting of Shōgun, Tai-Pan is seen as a companion piece to different Clavell novels, and is equally written, containing a variety of the identical themes and politics as Shōgun. It is undoubtedly value trying out should you’re a fan of Clavell’s storytelling methods.
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‘The Samurai’ (1980)
Written by Shūsaku Endō
Come on, who would not love a great samurai story? Shūsaku Endō‘s The Samurai was initially printed in 1980, however wasn’t translated into English for an additional 17 years. The Samurai serves as kind of an inverse of the plot of Shōgun—whereas the latter targeted on European vacationers setting foot on Japanese soil, the previous facilities on Japanese vacationers setting foot on European soil, set across the similar time interval, after all.
That is really loosely primarily based on true occasions, specifically a couple of diplomatic mission to Mexico by Japanese nobles, which occurred within the seventeenth Century. The protagonist is real-life samurai Hasekura Rokuemon, who led the mission, and located himself caught in a cultural conflict upon his arrival. It attracts some attention-grabbing parallels to Shōgun, particularly with its themes of overseas intervention and samurai tradition, which makes it an ideal match for followers of the TV present.
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‘Taiko’ (1937)
Written by Eiji Yoshikawa
Taiko is an absolute monster of a novel, coming in at over 900 pages. The novel is primarily historic fiction, but in addition semi-biographical, because it largely follows the lifetime of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, also called “The Nice Unifier.” Because it occurs, Hideyoshi lived close to the top of the sixteenth Century, and really serves because the inspiration for one among Shōgun’s characters, that being Nakamura Hidetoshi (Yukijirō Hotaru), who is usually known as “The Taiko” within the present.
This novel could be seen as a pseudo-prequel to the occasions of Shōgun, detailing Hideyoshi’s childhood, political profession, rise to energy, and his eventual loss of life in 1598. Initially printed as a bunch of newspaper serials in 1937, the absolutely compiled e-book wasn’t launched in English till 1992. For followers of Shōgun, this e-book is the final word little bit of context, analyzing why issues are the best way they’re within the present, and the real-life occasions that led as much as it.
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‘The African Samurai’ (2023)
Written by Craig Shreve
The African Samurai is a novel about an actual historic determine, one who has obtained a variety of fame lately. The person in query is Yasuke, a slave who was probably from present-day Mozambique, whom the Portuguese bought to the Japanese. Yasuke later grew to become a well-respected bodyguard of Lord Nobunaga, with some historic information stating that Yasuke could have obtained the total title of samurai for saving the lifetime of his lord twice, making him the one Black man to ever obtain the title.
That is an attention-grabbing e-book for followers of Shōgun as a result of the real-life Lord Nobunaga served as the premise for one of many present’s characters, Lord Kuroda (Eijiro Ozaki). One other comparable characteristic is the outstanding themes of a foreigner turning into a part of Japanese samurai politics and the blood feuds between clans, which is primarily as a result of Lord Nobunaga was a fan of just about something overseas. The African Samurai is a good novel a couple of historic determine who, for the longest time, was neglected, but one who’s fascinating, nonetheless. It is also implausible for Shōgun followers because of the means it options actual characters that served because the inspiration for the Clavell novel.
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‘Cloud of Sparrows’ (2002)
Written by Takashi Matsuoka
Cloud of Sparrows is the primary in a duology by Takashi Matsuoka, which is about on the finish of the Edo Interval, within the mid-Nineteenth Century. The Edo Interval is slowly coming to a detailed because the 12 months 1861 dawns within the warring states of Japan. Following centuries of isolation, Japan lastly opens itself as much as overseas nations, inflicting a complete new set of cultural disputes. Lord Genji, a feudal lord with the reward of prophecy, goals that his life might be saved by a foreigner. His goals come true, intertwining his life with that of an American missionary despatched to Japan to unfold Christianity.
Now it is as much as Genji and his newfound associates to cease the makes an attempt on his life and earn extra respect amongst the opposite warring factions. Cloud of Sparrows obtained nice evaluations from critics and from followers of James Clavell’s novels, which ought to be no shock. There’s a clear resemblance in its themes of Christian missionaries in Japan, and with a feudal lord discovering an sudden ally in a foreigner, making it a great selection for Shōgun lovers.
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‘The Samurai’s Story’ (1984)
Written by Erik Christian Haugaard
The Samurai’s Story is a novel that is not precisely good, however that’s liked by historic fiction followers as a result of its comparatively shorter size and its inherent simplicity. There’s not a complete lot about politics, wars, conspiracy, or betrayal in right here; it is only a strong, beginning-to-end, fictional story concerning the lifetime of a boy who turns into a samurai. The boy in query is Taro, whose village is slaughtered amidst the fixed turmoil of Feudal Japan. Happily, he’s spared and is taken in by the very clan that turned his life upside-down, the place he lives as a servant, although he goals of being a samurai like his ancestors.
If a number of the different books on this checklist are too intimidating as a result of their immense measurement or complicated narratives, The Samurai’s Story is one that’s undoubtedly extra palatable, because it’s solely about 250 pages and is not padded with any pointless fluff. It isn’t a e-book for everybody, and it is not an ideal supply of historic data or something like that. Nonetheless, if any Shōgun followers are within the temper for a easy little story, it is a wonderful e-book to decide on.
4
‘Musashi’ (1935)
Written by Eiji Yoshikawa
Musashi is written by Eiji Yoshikawa, who additionally wrote Taiko. Consider it or not, the previous is definitely even longer than the latter, coming in at practically 1000 pages. Even regardless of its daunting size, the e-book is extraordinarily informative and thrilling, and may be very comparable in tone to Taiko. As an alternative of being about The Nice Unifier, Musashi is a fictionalized biography of Miyamoto Musashi, who is not simply one of the crucial well-known Japanese swordsmen who ever lived, however can also be the creator of The E book of 5 Rings, one of many definitive texts about Japanese martial arts and swordsmanship.
Like Taiko, Musashi wasn’t compiled and printed in English till a few years later, with it starting as a bunch of Japanese newspaper serials. It is a good selection for followers of Shōgun, because the e-book not solely follows the lifetime of an necessary determine in Japanese historical past but in addition examines swordsmanship and court docket practices in Feudal Japan, including further historic context and data to the world of the present.
3
‘The Blade of the Courtesans’ (1986)
Written by Keiichiro Ryu
The Blade of the Courtesans is about throughout the early Edo Interval, centered on the fictional samurai Matsunaga Seiichiro. Seiichiro is the adoptive son of the aforementioned swordsman Musashi, who educated him within the methods of the samurai and swordsmanship. Nonetheless, Seiichiro’s true ancestry is a secret that he should hold in any respect prices: he’s the son of retired Emperor Go-Mizunoo, rescued from the Tokugawa clan’s purge by his adoptive father.
Critics have been throughout this e-book, primarily for its prose and pulse-pounding motion. The fight sequences are described in such a means that they really feel like fashionable martial arts films, going by at breakneck pace, but in addition sustaining management and magnificence. Historians additionally liked the e-book for a way properly it was researched, together with delicate nuances about samurai tradition. Followers of Shōgun will love The Blade of the Courtesans for its historic tackle one among Japan’s most turbulent eras, and for its political conspiracies and blood feuds.
2
‘The Forty-Seven Ronin Story’ (1970)
Written by John Allyn
John Allyn‘s The Forty-Seven Ronin Story is a fictionalized retelling of a really true story. The actual occasions occurred within the Edo Interval, when Lord Asano was focused by a rivaling clan, resulting in his compelled seppuku and the stripping of his title and honor. This meant that the 47 samurai underneath his command grew to become rōnin, samurai with out rank, and with out a lord to serve. Angered and dishonored, these rōnin led a bloody campaign for revenge in opposition to the rival clans.
It is a story that’s well-known in Japanese historical past, one which has spawned two film diversifications: one masterpiece in 1941, and one really horrible movie remake within the twenty first Century, starring Keanu Reeves. The e-book serves as a little bit of a distinct tackle the acquainted story, presenting the occasions by prose fairly than movie. Nonetheless, for followers of Shōgun, that is a completely important learn, because it examines samurai politics and familiarizes readers with one of the crucial well-known items of Japanese historical past.
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‘The Samurai’s Backyard’ (1995)
Written by Gail Tsukiyama
The Samurai’s Backyard is written by Gail Tsukiyama, an American creator of Japanese ancestry, and tells the story of Stephen, a younger Chinese language painter who contracts tuberculosis and is distributed to a coastal village in Japan to recuperate. Right here, Stephen is overseen by Matsu, who serves as a non secular mentor to Stephen. Stephen additionally discovers that Matsu considers himself not a samurai within the conventional sense, however a “samurai of the soul,” dedicated to seeing the sweetness on the earth, and to nurturing and defending the character of life.
Whereas the setting and characters within the novel are drastically totally different than these within the TV present, there are definitely some parallels to it. Primarily, it includes a foreigner who’s a samurai, within the conventional or the non secular sense, takes underneath his wing, permitting him to study their lifestyle. Those that preferred Shōgun‘s sense of drama and deep feelings will probably take pleasure in The Samurai’s Backyard as properly, although their settings are like night time and day.