2. The Role of Jesuit Missionaries and Christianity
In Shōgun, the clash between foreign religion and native beliefs is a major theme, echoing real tensions in 16th- and 17th-century Japan. Portuguese Jesuits arrived to spread Christianity, fostering fear and fascination among warlords. The threat that this ‘foreign faith’ posed to traditional authority shaped both Shōgun’s narrative and Japan’s period policies (Source: Smithsonian Magazine).
