Shōgun

Despite their tumultuous surroundings, the girls grow and flourish. Mariko exhibits her skill in a naginata exhibition and soon learns that her intended husband, Buntaro, is in the audience.&nbsp;

When Ruri helps her prepare for the wedding, Mariko laments her father’s choice, wondering why he is marrying her to a less influential clan. As Mariko departs in her wedding procession, she looks at all she is leaving behind: her best friend, her family, and the political hotbed of Azuchi, ready to explode.

<figure class="table" style="width:89.5%;"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col style="width:6.18%;"><col style="width:93.82%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="width:50px;">&nbsp;</td><td>INSIDE THE EPISODE:&nbsp;Kuroda’s Killing of Monks, Mariko’s Wedding<a href="#historykuroda">LEARN MORE </a>&gt;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

In present-day Ajiro, Toranaga’s army mourns their losses from the earthquake at the foot of a mass grave. As the samurai look over the decimated camp, worrying about their chances of success in the upcoming war, Toranaga rewards Blackthorne with the cannon regiment for helping to save his life.

Back at home, Yabushige pours over the damage reports his region has suffered, while Omi is consumed with jealousy of Blackthorne. He and Yabushige have lost a valuable bargaining chip without control of the cannon regiment.

In Toranaga's camp, Buntaro apologizes for attacking Mariko but remains furious at her close relationship with Blackthorne. Later, Toranaga meets with Blackthorne and refuses his request to attack the Black Ship. Holding Mariko back, Toranaga asks that she accompany Blackthorne to the brothel, testing the true nature of their relationship.

We return to the West Palace, where Ishido has set fire to Toranaga's secret pigeon coop, destroying Hiromatsu and Kiri's means of communication. With Ishido locking the castle down in the hopes of forcing a Council vote against Toranaga, Hiromatsu flees, forced to leave behind Kiri and Shizu.

In the Mission, Dell'Acqua fumes after being turned away from Osaka Castle. Ishido has claimed that the Heir's life was threatened, but the priests see through the ruse. Ochiba is in control and has taken the Regents and their families hostage.&nbsp;We find Ochiba in Osaka Castle and glimpse the memory of the night she was cast out of her home after Akechi Jinsai killed her father.

In the present, at a Noh theater performance, the Regents debate their predicament. Kiyama tries to calm Sugiyama, insisting Ochiba will free the hostages once they impeach Toranaga. The play continues, valorizing the Taikō’s life, causing Ochiba to remember her less-than-glorious marriage to the much older man. When she had lost everything, Daiyoin had given her a chance to provide the Taikō with an Heir, preparing her for her husband. Daiyoin continues trying to advise Ochiba, insisting she ally with Toranaga instead of Ishido, but Ochiba quietly maintains her own path.

<figure class="table" style="width:89.5%;"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col style="width:6.18%;"><col style="width:93.82%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="width:50px;">&nbsp;</td><td>INSIDE THE EPISODE:&nbsp;The Taiko’s Quest for an Heir, The Samurai Class Changing Names<a href="#historytaikosquest">LEARN MORE </a>&gt;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

When the play has concluded, Ochiba facilitates a meeting between Ishido and Lord Ito. More concerned with his theatrical hobby than with politics, Ito easily agrees to fill Toranaga’s seat on the Council. Ishido and Ochiba are one step closer to impeaching Toranaga.

An exhausted Hiromatsu finally arrives in Ajiro with news of the hostage crisis in Osaka. Toranaga’s generals gather to discuss the possibility of their secret plan, Crimson Sky, a sudden violent rush on Osaka to form a new government in the Heir’s name.&nbsp;Gin, the brothel owner, meets with Mariko to negotiate a price for Blackthorne’s visit to her “tea house,” while Kiku convinces Omi that her arrangement with Blackthorne means nothing.

That night, Blackthorne and Mariko make their way to the brothel, bickering and uncomfortable. Kiku senses their connection and offers Mariko a private room with Blackthorne, but she declines.&nbsp;Still conflicted the next day, Mariko learns from Toranaga that her father only married her into the Toda family to protect her. When he rebelled, he hoped she would survive and one day carry on his fight.

<figure class="table" style="width:89.5%;"><table class="ck-table-resized"><colgroup><col style="width:6.18%;"><col style="width:93.82%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="width:50px;">&nbsp;</td><td>INSIDE THE EPISODE:&nbsp;The Tea House, Noh<a href="#historyteahouse">LEARN MORE </a>&gt;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

In Osaka, Ochiba tells Ishido how, as a child, she watched Toranaga plot against her father. Hoping to impeach him once and for all, Ishido calls the Council of Regents to vote. Just as Ishido has victory in sight, Sugiyama objects to being taken hostage and leaves the Council in another stalemate.

Attempting to flee, Sugiyama takes his family into the forest in the early dawn, but Ishido has an army waiting for them. Back in Ajiro, Toranaga gets word of the murder of Sugiyama and calls his council together. It's war.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">Kuroda's Killing of Monks 比叡山焼き討ち</h5>The scene in which Kuroda beheads the monks was inspired by the siege of Mount Hieizan by Kuroda's historical counterpart, Oda Nobunaga. This mountain was home to the Enryakuji temple and its fierce warrior monks. The reason for the attack was that the Enryakuji was providing substantial military assistance to Nobunaga's enemies.&nbsp;For Nobunaga, the defeat of Enryakuji was of utmost importance to break the resistance of his enemies. He ordered an attack on the mountain, led by Akechi Mitsuhide (Akechi Jinsai in Shōgun), among others. The temple complex was burned to the ground, and several thousand warrior monks and their families perished.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">Mariko's Wedding 輿入れ</h5>In Shōgun, Mariko's marriage was decided by her father, Akechi Jinsai. He chose Toda Hirokatsu Buntaro, son of Toda Hiromatsu, vassal of Yoshii Toranaga. Since both Mariko's father and Yoshii Toranaga were generals of Kuroda Nobuhisa, marrying the son of a Toranaga vassal meant that Mariko was forced to drop down one rank, something she lamented.In the Sengoku period, political marriages were the norm. The children themselves had no say in the choice of their partner. Mariko's role model, Akechi Tama (later Hosokawa Gracia), was married to Hosokawa Tadaoki (Buntaro in Shōgun). The decision was not made by her father, but by Oda Nobunaga (Kuroda Nobuhisa in Shōgun).&nbsp;Both her father Akechi Mitsuhide (Akechi Jinsai in Shōgun) and Tadaoki's father Hosokawa Fujitaka (Toda Hiromatsu in Shōgun) were Nobunaga's generals. However, a record of the Hosokawa clan states that Tadaoki used to say that he was lucky to marry the daughter of such a high-ranking warlord, suggesting that Akechi was of a higher rank at the time. The Hosokawas became vassals of Hideyoshi after Nobunaga's death and switched allegiance to Tokugawa Ieyasu after Hideyoshi's death.When Tama married Tadaoki, she was carried to her new home in a palanquin, called koshi 輿, as tradition dictated. Akechi's samurai escorted her from her father's castle (Sakamoto Castle near Lake Biwa) to a certain place between the domains of the two clans, probably Kyoto, where she was handed over to Hosokawa samurai, who escorted her to Fujitaka's castle (Shōryūji Castle in present-day Nagaoka-kyō City, west of Kyoto).When Tama arrived at Shōryūji Castle, a machijōrō (high-ranking lady-in-waiting) took her to the innermost room where Tadaoki was waiting for her. There the wedding ceremony (called 'shūgen') took place with only three people present, Tama, Tadaoki and the machijōrō as witness. A samurai wedding ceremony usually lasted three days. On the first and second day, the three persons perform the 'shiki sanken' ceremony (drinking saké three times from three cups each) and have a banquet.The bride was dressed in white, the color of death. It is said that this color was used to indicate that the bride went through a process of dying and rebirth during the wedding ceremony. On the third day, she finally took off their white dress and changed her clothes. This is called 'o-iro naoshi' (change of color). In this new dress, the bride meets the groom's parents and family, and they hold another wedding ceremony to consummate the marriage.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">The Taikō's Quest for an Heir</h5>Although Hideyoshi (the Taikō) had a happy marriage with Nene (also called Kita-no-mandokoro; Daiyoin in Shōgun), she couldn't give him a child. For the clan to survive in the Sengoku period, the more sons the warlord had, the better. Ieyasu was a master at this, having eleven sons and five daughters Hideyoshi surrounded himself with concubines, but remained childless for a long time.Eventually, a concubine bore him a son named Ishimatsumaru, but the child died young, and nothing is known for certain about his mother. Even more of a mystery surrounds Hideyoshi's next child, a daughter. In 1589, another son, Tsurumatsu, was born to a concubine named Lady Yodo (also called Chacha; Lady Ochiba in Shōgun). But this child also died young.&nbsp;The lack of an heir became a major problem for Hideyoshi, who needed someone to carry on the Toyotomi clan. Hideyoshi had to resort to adopting a son, a common practice among warlords at the time, to ensure the continuity of the clan. The adoption of his nephew Hidetsugu seemed to solve the problem.Shortly thereafter, Lady Yodo bore him another son, Hideyori (Yaechiyo in Shōgun), this time a healthy boy. An overjoyed Hideyoshi accused Hidetsugu of treason and ordered him to commit seppuku. The way was now clear to make Hideyori his heir. But was Hideyori really Hideyoshi's son? Rumors were already circulating that Lady Yodo's son was the result of adultery.&nbsp;It seemed that Hideyori did not resemble his father at all. Therefore, even today it is widely believed that Hideyori was not Hideyoshi's biological son. No one knows the truth, but Hideyoshi cherished his son so much that he did everything in his power to ensure that he would become the lord of Japan after his death.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">The Samurai Class Changing Names 改名</h5>Name changes usually occurred on the occasion of a change of position. For example, Asai Chacha (Lady Ochiba in Shōgun) was called Yodo-no-kata or Yodo-sama after she became the concubine of Hideyoshi (the Taikō). Concubines were often named after the place where they lived, in Chacha's case Yodo Castle. At other times she was called Ni-no-maru-dono, Nishi-no-maru-dono, depending on where in the castle she lived.In Shōgun, Lady Ochiba's real name is Ruri. Lady Iyo changes Ruri's name to Lady Ochiba when she comes to live as a concubine in Osaka Castle. "Ochiba" means "fallen leaves" and refers to the room Ruri will live in henceforth.Women changed their names again when they became nuns after the death of their husbands. Nene (Lady Iyo in Shōgun) was called Kita-no-mandokoro (the honorary title of the wife of the Kampaku, originally meaning "the person who reigns in the northern quarters of the palace") during her marriage to Hideyoshi, but received the name Kōdai-in five years after Hideyoshi's death. This type of name is called ingō and was given by the emperor as an honorific.&nbsp;Two years later, she founded the Kōdai-ji temple in Higashiyama, Kyoto, and built a mansion in front of its gate, where she lived for the rest of her life. Also in Shōgun, Lady Iyo changed her name to Daiyoin after the death of Taikō.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">The Tea House 茶屋</h5>Courtesans appeared in urban areas along the major roads and sealanes from about the late 8th century. They were known by various names. Their first appearance is recorded in the Manyōshū (8th century anthology of Japanese poetry) as "ukareme" 遊行女婦 ("wandering entertainers"). Later, names like "asobime" or "yūjo" 遊女 (both meaning "entertainment girls") became more common. "Entertainment" was added to their name because they entertained customers with music and dance. In addition to providing entertainment at banquets, they also engaged in prostitution.During the Sengoku period, several types of yūjo developed. At the upper end were courtesans who served the nobles of the imperial palace in Kyoto. There were also itinerant courtesans who had no fixed abode but traveled in groups from place to place, attending banquets and entertaining guests with song, dance, and sex. They were poor and dependent on the goodwill of their patrons.But there were also groups of courtesans who settled in houses in urban areas, where they lived and practiced their profession. These houses were mainly used by travelers. In the middle ages, "tea houses" 茶屋 appeared along the roads. A "tea house" was a resting place that began as a business offering tea by the roadside for people to rest and relax. In the late Sengoku period, some of these teahouses also provided courtesans.The courtesan groups had a hierarchical structure, consisting of the chief 長者, the vice-chief 上首, and the subordinate courtesans. In the Sengoku period, these were all women, including the chiefs, but later men became involved and took over as chiefs, causing the courtesans to lose their independence. A more rigid structure of brothels would eventually develop under the control of the authorities.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">Noh 能</h5>The world of the samurai was not limited to warfare. They also engaged in a variety of cultural activities, and many, such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the Taikō) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun), were fond of Noh theater, not only as spectators but also as actors. Noh is one of Japan's traditional performing arts and has been performed from the 14th century to the present day. It is a form of theater that uses Noh masks on a uniquely styled Noh stage, consisting of an entrance bridge and the stage itself against a panel with a painting, mostly of a pine tree.Noh is a fusion of abstract acting enhanced by dance and musical elements through chanting and accompaniment, performed a chorus and musicians who sit on the stage and play the flute and drums. The main actor is called shite (lit. "performer") and wears magnificent costumes and masks.&nbsp;Most of the acting and mysterious dances that attract the attention of the audience are performed by the shite. The waki (lit. "side [actor]") plays a supporting role and draws out the shite's performance. The waki does not wear a mask. Other supporting actors are one or more tsure ("companion"), who accompany and support the shite and wear masks too, and sometimes the wakitsure ("companion of the waki"), who supports the waki.Hideyoshi strongly supported Noh, providing grants to Noh groups, which led to an unprecedented flourishing of the art during his reign. He also performed Noh himself and commissioned the writing of new Noh plays that told the story of his many victories. One of the plays was called “Akechi-uchi” ("The Slaying of Akechi") and depicts his victory over Akechi (Akechi Jinsai in Shōgun) after Akechi killed their lord Oda Nobunaga (Kuroda Nobuhisa in Shōgun) at Honnōji Temple in Kyoto.&nbsp;The play depicts Hideyoshi as a loyal vassal who avenges his lord's death, thereby justifying Hideyoshi's subsequent seizure of power. Hideyoshi himself played the role of Hideyoshi. In this way, his self-aggrandizement reached an unprecedented level.

A secret place of pleasures.&nbsp;Host Emily Yoshida and guests break down episode 6 of FX’s Shōgun. Featuring actor Anna Sawai "Mariko," writer and producer Caillin Puente, historian Frederik Cryns, and director Hiromi Kamata. Discover what it takes to film the series' most intimate scene, the meaning of honors and titles, and the on-screen moment so haunting that it entered Anna Sawai's dreams.

Episode 6 - Ladies of the Willow World

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Lady Ochiba returns to Osaka in order to accelerate the Regents’ campaign against Toranaga. In Ajiro, Toranaga tests Mariko’s loyalty to his cause.

Close up of Kiku standing outside in Ajiro

Episode 6: Ladies of the Willow World | FX Shōgun Episode Guide

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Episode 6 - Ladies of the Willow World

Discover the warriors from Ladies of the Willow World

Toranaga

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Yabushige

Omi

Ishido

Hiromatsu

Nagakado

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