Shipwrecked off the coast of Japan, British sea pilot John Blackthorne, is in
danger of being executed by the suspicious, reclusive Japanese hierarchy, but
before long he has been accepted into the local culture.
Accordingly, he begins to think of himself as Japanese, adopting the nation's
customs and, while wearing the robes of a Samurai warrior, helping to defend
the land against its enemies.
The arrival of Blackthorne unfortunately arouses the interest of European
empire-builders, who hope to add Japan to their holdings