Why English Is Called Portuguese

Shōgun’s language confusion, which sees English be referred to as Portuguese, can take a while to get used to but makes sense within the context of the show. FX’s Shōgun remake is set in late 16th century Japan, during which Portugal controlled the islands’ commerce with the West. The Portuguese also acted as the middleman in the commercial route between Japan and China, as the letter was no longer directly negotiating with the former. John Blackthorne, a Protestant from England whose ship washed ashore in Japan, became the first non-Portuguese European to establish connections with the Japanese in Shōgun.

As an American show set in Japan at a time when Portugal controlled the region’s external commerce featuring English, Japanese, and Portuguese protagonists, Shōgun was set to have some language confusion. Fortunately the FX show does a much better job in handling its setting and cultural plurality compared to the previous adaptation of the Shōgun novel. That said, it can be strange to hear John Blackthorne and other Portuguese-speaking characters in Shōgun speak in English when they are referring to their language as something else entirely.

Why Shogun Considers The English Language To Be Portuguese

Portuguese Is The Language Used By John “In-Universe”

There are several instances in Shōgun where a character will announce they will speak in Portuguese, only for them to speak English. This is because, in-universe, the lingua franca used by John Blackthorne and the Catholic priests is Portuguese, but the show replaces it with English. Therefore, every time a character is speaking in English in Shōgun, they are supposed to be speaking in Portuguese within the story. Although John Blackthorne is indeed English, he only communicates with the Jesuits through Portuguese, which is also the language used by the translators every time the navigator talks to a Japanese person.

Portuguese was among the world’s key languages in the 15th and 16th centuries, serving as the lingua franca in several regions, including in African and Asian countries. Portugal was ahead of all European countries when it came to maritime imperialism in the early 16th century, establishing commercial routes and colonies in North Africa, West Africa, South Africa, and the region that would become known as Brazil. The Portuguese arrived in Japan in 1543, and by the end of the century, both the Portuguese language and the Christian religion had been assimilated by many Japanese.

Why It Makes Sense For FX To Use The English Language For Shogun

Shogun is an American production

While Shōgun is available to stream globally through Star+ and Disney+ depending on the region, the show is an American production that airs on FX and also streams on Hulu. Therefore, it makes sense for English to be used in addition to Japanese for most of the show. Apart from John Blackthorne, who is English, there would be no reason for other Shōgun characters to speak English. As a result, a fully accurate portrayal of the story would be entirely in Portuguese and Japanese, and all of Shogun would have to include subtitles.

Shōgun does not have its Japanese characters speak English, nor does it use an English voice-over. Instead, it adds subtitles, a great creative choice that, while logical, is something skipped over in other productions. For example, in the 1980 Shōgun series, dialogues in Japanese had no subtitles, and some scenes featuring only Japanese-speaking characters had a voice-over translation narrated by Orson Welles. The original Shōgun show also labeled English as Portuguese. While it can be odd to hear the characters reference a language and speak in a different one can be confusing, FX’s Shōgun makes sure it doesn’t break the immersion.

How History Plays Into Shogun

The FX Show Flicks Between Historical Accuracy And Fictional Events

Shogun is a difficult show to appraise when it comes to historical accuracy. It has an interesting relationship with real history, and this is in part because it’s based on the 1957 novel by James Clavell, which itself was based on true events but was also incredibly liberal with them. The original novel has often been at the center of debates around historical accuracy for several reasons. Clavell’s book was based on the diaries of William Adams, who really did end up in Japan in the 17th century and served as a key advisor for Tokugawa.

Adams really did serve in Tokugawa’s army, though he wasn’t made a samurai until later, and he never met Hosokawa Gracia (who the character Toda Mariko is based on). Adams, unlike John Blackthorne, never had a romantic relationship similar to that shared between Blackthorne and Marika. It’s inconsistencies like this which, of course, plague Shogun as a show, so it’s always important to remember the story it’s based on is itself a work of fiction.

However, there are also many ways that Shogun is historically accurate too. While it changes the names of many characters, the wider historical impact of their actions is unaltered. Tokugawa Toranaga is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu, the real feudal lord who worked with Adams. Ieyasu, much like his fictional counterpart, was pivotal in the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Where Shogun falters in historical accuracy is character specifics. However, in broad-stroke terms, the show is more accurate than many historical dramas that don’t change any names or details of key characters. Shogun has been praised by historians for how accurately it manages to capture the complex internal politics and international relations of feudal Japan. While Blackthorne wasn’t a real person, the way he’s treated and reacted to when he arrives in Japan is incredibly realistic.

All in all, Shogun has been commended for its approach and its choice to focus on what matters most from the complex period of history it showcases. It’s also been commented by many that Shogun does a great job of amending many of the inaccuracies of the source material, especially when it comes to language and Japanese culture.