How Shōgun broke the mould of depicting the Japanese

Japanese audiences could have been forgiven for bracing themselves when Disney announced Shögun, a 10-part adaptation of James Clavell's classic 1975 novel.

- Justin McCurry

With few exceptions, Hollywood depictions of Japan and the Japanese have relied on one-dimensional characters whose purpose is to confirm cultural stereotypes, set against the backdrop of an inscrutable archipelago whose people have much to learn from the western hero.

But Shōgun, which began airing late last month, may have broken the mould, with FX's high-budget series winning plaudits in Japan not only for its lavish production values and illustrious Japanese cast, but also its respect for the smallest details of the country's culture and politics.

In echoes of previous Japanthemed productions - such as Lost in Translation and Mr Baseball - Shōgun draws heavily on the east meets west narrative, this time via the arrival of the shipwrecked Englishman John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), whose character is based on the real-life adventurer William "Anjin" Adams.

But where a 1980 miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune was told largely through Blackthorne's eyes, this new series elevates the Japanese daimyo's role via a critically applauded performance from the acclaimed actor and martial artist Hiroyuki Sanada.