6. Visit the Real Japan Behind SHŌGUN
What if you could step into the world of SHŌGUN—not on a screen, but with your own two feet?
Many of the drama’s characters and events are rooted in real history, and the places that inspired them still exist across Japan. From battlefields to castles, sacred shrines to mountain passes, these sites offer a powerful, tangible link to the age of samurai.
Here are some of the most compelling destinations where history and fiction intertwine—and where you can begin your own journey into the world of SHŌGUN.
🏰 Osaka Castle – The Legacy of the Taikō
📍 Location: Osaka City
📖 Linked Guide:
In SHŌGUN, the recently deceased Taikō casts a long shadow. That figure is modeled after Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whose imposing Osaka Castle symbolized his ambition to unite Japan. Walk its massive stone walls and imagine the view from his throne.
🏯 Azuchi Castle – Ghost of a Fallen Unifier
📍 Location: Ōmihachiman, Shiga Prefecture
📖 Linked Guide: Comming soon!
Though never seen directly, SHŌGUN references the lost seat of Lord Goroda—modeled after Oda Nobunaga—who built Azuchi Castle as a symbol of central authority. Its ruins still echo with ambition and betrayal, providing context for the fractured world Toranaga inherits.
🏘️ Ajiro Village – Where the Journey Begins
📍 Location: Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture
📖 Linked Guide: Comming soon.
The dramatic arrival of Blackthorne unfolds in a fictional village deeply inspired by the real fishing village of Ajiro. Nestled on the Izu Peninsula, between verdant mountains and the vast sea, Ajiro’s picturesque setting of traditional houses and a bustling fishing harbor provided the visual and atmospheric foundation for the initial encounter, embodying the isolation and the dawn of a transformative journey. While the scenes were filmed on a set in Canada, the essence of Ajiro’s coastal charm and community informs this pivotal location in SHOGUN.
🏯 Edo – The Power Base in Waiting
📍 Location: Tokyo
📖 Linked Guide:
In the series, Lord Toranaga’s political ambitions center on Edo—a quiet backwater poised to become the heart of Japan. Based on the historical Tokugawa Ieyasu’s rise, this evolving power base would soon become the capital of a new shogunate.
🏞️ Sekigahara Battlefield – Where Power Shifted Forever
📍 Location: Gifu Prefecture
📖 Linked Guide: Comming soon!
While not named directly in the series, the final political showdown between Toranaga and Ishido is unmistakably inspired by the real-life Battle of Sekigahara (1600). This decisive conflict ended an era of war and ushered in over two centuries of Tokugawa rule. Today, you can walk the very fields where Japan’s fate was sealed.
🌸 The Hidden Paths of Mariko – Temples and Tragedy
📍 Location Inspiration: Primarily Kyoto and Osaka
📖 Linked Guide: Comming soon.
While Lady Mariko is a fictional character inspired by Hosokawa Gracia, her story resonates with the history of several locations:
- Hosokawa Gracia’s grave (Kyoto): The final resting place of the historical figure who inspired Mariko.
- The site of the Hosokawa residence in Osaka (Tamatsukuri, 玉造): Specifically, the area around the Etchu Well (越中井), where Gracia tragically took her own life.
- Places reflecting the persecution of Christians: Highlighting the context of her unwavering faith.
These locations together illuminate the historical backdrop and the profound choices that define Mariko’s compelling narrative.
✝️ Yokosuka – The Real Blackthorne
📍 Location: Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture
The English pilot John Blackthorne is based on William Adams, who washed ashore and later settled in what is now Yokosuka. You can walk where he walked, visit the Anjin Memorial, and reflect on how one outsider altered the course of Japanese history.
🧭 Plan Your Own SHŌGUN Journey
Each of these sites is part of the real Japan behind the story.
To explore them with historical context, travel tips, and visitor photos, browse our full guides:
You’ve watched SHŌGUN—now follow its footsteps through real castles, battlegrounds, and sacred spaces.
Japan is waiting.
