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Protestant (formerly) Shinto-Buddhist. Born. 1564, England. Died. c. 1620, Japan. Pilot major John Blackthorne, also known as Anjin (按針, lit. "Pilot", "Steuermann"), is the protagonist of James Clavell 's 1975 novel Shōgun. The character is loosely based on the life of the 17th-century English navigator William Adams, who was the first ...
- 1564, England
- Richard Chamberlain
- c. 1620, Japan
Feb 27, 2024 · The character of John Blackthorne in Shōgun is loosely inspired by William Adams. He is the first Englishman believed to have set foot in Japan, and considered one of the few Western samurai. Just as Blackthorne makes an ally of the warlord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) in the drama, Adams became a trusted advisor to the real figure who ...
Feb 27, 2024 · The character of John Blackthorne is based on the real-life William Adams, whose remarkable true story sets the stage for the acclaimed historical FX series. Adams was born in England in September 1564 and grew up learning shipbuilding, astronomy, and navigation before joining the Royal Navy at a time when England was at war with Spain.
- Greg Macarthur
- Senior Features Writer
- Overview
- Biography
- Personality
- Appearances
- Historical Background
John Blackthorne, the so-called Anjin (按針), is a character in the FX limited series, Shōgun, portrayed by Cosmo Jarvis.
Life in England
John Blackthorne was born in London, England, and raised in the Protestant faith, leading him to have a strong mistrust of Catholics. As a child, his first chore was to clean game his father illegally poached from an estate in Chatham so they could be aged properly. At some point, he married and had a son, Tudor, and a daughter, Elizabeth, both named for the reigning Queen. The horizon beckoned to Blackthorne from an early age. He studied shipbuilding as an apprentice, soon moved on to study navigation, and worked on ships until he gained the coveted position of pilot. Despite having a young family, Blackthorne left London before his daughter's birth, setting sail for the unknown.
Finding Japan
Blackthorne joins a Dutch privateer mission to search for "the Japans," intending to break the economic monopoly the Portuguese and Spanish have over New World imports into Europe, and by extension the spiritual influence of the Catholic Church. They begin with five ships, John being assigned to the Erasmus, and are armed in order to plunder any Spanish territory they find. During this, they steal a Spanish rutter detailing a route through Magellan’s Pass in Chile, enabling them to enter the Pacific. After entering the Pacific Ocean, they sack Manila (in modern day Philippines), and Blackthorne encounters a man who tells him of a Dutch military trading post at Macao, as well as the Catholic converted Ronin stationed there. However, the fleet's accumulated losses leaves the Erasmus the only ship left, owing to pestilence, starvation, and hostile conflict. Of the 500 men that left Holland, only 14 men remain. Giving up on finding any land despite Blackthorne's hope, the Captain of the Erasmus kills himself, leaving Blackthorne in charge of the ship and it's crew. Eventually, they drift onto the coast of Japan. Soldiers board the ship and take the surviving crew prisoner, including Blackthorne. They agree to insist they are merchants, worried that the Portugese will have them hanged if their orders and the stolen rutter are discovered.
Arrival in Ajiro
Blackthorne is taken to Kashigi Yabushige to discuss his intentions in Japan, and attempts to arrange passage home to no success. Despite the incorrect translations from a local priest who claims Blackthorne is a pirate, Yabushige insists there is no proof and sends him to be bathed. To appease the priest, another crew member is killed for piracy, boiled alive. Blackthorne wakes up the next day shaved, bathed, and naked. Due to the arrival of Toda Hiromatsu, Blackthorne is sent to Osaka with Rodrigues, a Spanish Pilot sailing for the Portuguese. The ship faces tumultuous waters but Blackthorne guides them through, saving one man from falling and throwing Rodrigues wood to cling to when he is tossed overboard. Once safely on land he urges they look for Rodrigues. They find him injured but alive, and Yabushige when challenged makes his way down a cliff to save him as Blackthorne watches. Rodrigues is saved, but when Yabushige thinks he is about to drown he attempts seppuku to Blackthorne's horror, who is both confused by his actions and relieved when Yabushige manages to escape the water just in time. He bows to Yabushige, who laughs. When Rodrigues wakes up he confronts Blackthorne about both the stolen rutter and a journal explaining his orders to plunder Spanish territory and open trade in Japan, and as a courtesy for saving his life, tells Blackthorne that he will inform the Portuguese. When Blackthorne then attempts to kill him, Rodrigues pulls a gun. Blackthone insists he will not die in this "wretched land," and Rodrigues tells him to look at Osaka and question if where they came from is truly civilised in comparison. Rodrigues then asks him to think about who wields power in such a land, "the one who schemes in the open, or the one you never see," and urges him to keep his heart hidden if he wants to survive.
John is restless and adventurous. He is a very confident man, whether it be with his crew on a ship, or in Japan when faced with a possible death or detainment.
•Shōgun
•Anjin
•Servants of Two Masters
•Tomorrow is Tomorrow
•The Eightfold Fence
•Broken to the Fist
John Blackthorne is based on the historical figure William Adams. William Adams, born September 24, 1564, was an English navigator who, in 1600, became the first from his nation to reach Japan. Adams chose to settle in Japan.
In Japan, Adams swiftly became a pivotal advisor to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Notably, he played a crucial role in overseeing the construction of the country's first Western-style ships for the shogun. Adams went on to facilitate Japan's approval for trading factories established by the Netherlands and England. Additionally, he actively participated in Japan's Red Seal Asian trade, leading and captaining four expeditions to Southeast Asia.
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Shogun is an FX original mini-series set in 17th Century Japan. Shogun follows John Blackthorne, who becomes a samurai warrior but is unknowingly a pawn in Yoshii Toranaga's plan to become Shogun ...
Feb 27, 2024 · John Blackthorne is the protagonist of the Shōgun series, and the lead from the novel. He is played by Cosmo Jarvis. His character more or less sticks to what the book entailed and to what Adams was: daring and eager to forge trade partnerships. In the first episode, "Anjin," Blackthorne's crew gets caught in bad weather.
Feb 29, 2024 · John Blackthorne in FX's Shōgun is based on William Adams, a real-life sailor and navigator who was instrumental in the true story of James Clavell's book.
