Shōgun

In Osaka, Ishido celebrates Toranaga's surrender. Seeking to cement his status, he proposes marriage to Ochiba, but she is not so quick to relinquish some of her power.&nbsp;Nagakado's body is prepared for his funeral as his friends gather to mourn him. Omi, hit hard by the loss, praises Nagakado's unwavering loyalty towards Toranaga, who is conspicuously absent from the dinner.

The following morning, Nagakado's funeral procession moves through the city. Amidst unrest from the generals who still wish to fight, Hiromatsu informs Yabushige that he will be the first to surrender and deliver Blackthorne's weapons to Ishido. At the end of the procession, a Buddhist funeral is performed, and the samurai watch as Nagakado's coffin is turned to ash. Toranaga, still absent from the proceedings, views the smoke from afar.

Mariko visits Rin, Ochiba’s sister and Toranaga’s daughter-in-law, admiring her baby and thinking of her lost friend Ochiba. Buntaro interrupts their reunion to ask his wife to a tea ceremony, hoping to perform this meaningful gesture before they die in Osaka.&nbsp;In the heart of Edo, Alvito happens upon Blackthorne, and the two men square off. Blackthorne threatens Alvito, still intent on his battle against the Catholics, while Alvito questions Blackthorne’s place in Japan.

<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 Mourning Period, The Funeral, Three Arrows Stand Strong<a href="#historymourning">LEARN MORE </a>&gt;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

Alvito has an audience with Toranaga, lamenting that he could not sway Kiyama and Ohno to his side. The young priest tries to convince Toranaga to marry Ochiba so the Heir will turn against Ishido and he will lose his power. Hiromatsu agrees, but a sickly Toranaga snaps at his old friend and sends Alvito back to Osaka with the message that he wishes to die in peace. The unusual outburst fills Hiromatsu with hope — why would Toranaga want Osaka to believe in his utter defeat unless he still intends to fight?

Buntaro prepares an intimate and artful tea ceremony for Mariko. For the first time, it appears that the couple is in harmony. However, when Buntaro tries to reconcile with Mariko, the depth of the chasm between them becomes clear.&nbsp;In the funayado district, Blackthorne finds his raucous and filthy men. When he tries to recruit Salamon to journey home with him, the sailor confronts him for stranding them in Japan. Their argument comes to blows, and disgusted, Blackthorne leaves without seeing most of his crew.

Desperate for a plan, Blackthorne approaches Yabushige and asks to sail for him. Yabushige refuses, believing, like Hiromatsu, Toranaga has a trick up his sleeve.&nbsp;On the outskirts of Edo, Gin marvels at her new land, imagining a future courtesan district. Across the field, Alvito inspects the land given to the Church, a little disturbed when he sees his colorful new neighbors.&nbsp;

<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;Tea Ceremony, Yoshiwara<a href="#historyteaceremony">LEARN MORE </a>&gt;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

In Osaka, a conflicted Ochiba rushes to Daiyoin's deathbed after the formidable woman suffers a stroke. As Ochiba eases the pain of her one-time tormentor and advisor, Daiyoin makes one final plea: don't ally with Ishido.

Toranaga assembles his generals, demanding they pledge to die with him in Osaka. When some samurai begin to resist, Hiromatsu intercedes, finally challenging his oldest friend. If Toranaga refuses to fight, Hiromatsu will commit seppuku. Shocking everyone, Toranaga does not waver, and Hiromatsu calls for Buntaro to second him. Telling his son not to give up on their lord, Hiromatsu kills himself in protest, leaving Toranaga's vassals deeply shaken.&nbsp;That night, Toranaga reveals to Mariko that Hiromatsu's death has enabled them to continue their fight. Is Mariko ready to do her part?

<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;Seppuku as Protest, Linked Verse Poetry<a href="#historyseppukuprotest">LEARN MORE </a>&gt;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>

When Daiyoin dies, an isolated Ochiba defies her final wish and bows to Ishido, accepting his marriage proposal.&nbsp;Onboard the galley, Yabushige allies with Blackthorne. The pair have no plans to surrender in Osaka. Frustrated with his uncle's duplicity, Omi leaves them, passing a mysterious final passenger, Mariko.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">The Mourning Period 忌服</h5>Although he surrenders to Saeki, Toranaga returns to Edo to mourn his son for 49 days. In the case of a death, the family and those close to the deceased had to devote themselves to the memorial service of the deceased so that the deceased could pass away in peace, and they were to refrain from any worldly activities. It was believed that the spirit of the deceased remained in the house until the 49th day.&nbsp;Since death was considered impure, and the presence of the deceased's spirit made the living members of the family impure as well, they had to wait to go out or have contact with other people for the 49 days the spirit remained in the house. In addition, during this period, proper rituals, such as the recitation of the Amida Sutra, were considered necessary to help the soul of the deceased to be reborn in the Pure Land, the Buddhist equivalent of heaven. Thus, mourning was a valuable reason for Toranaga not to go to Osaka during those 49 days.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">The Funeral 葬儀</h5>Funerals in the Sengoku period took many forms. People with no relatives were simply left in the open without any burial. Ordinary people received a funeral based on the wealth of their relatives and were buried in barrel-shaped coffins. People of the nobility and samurai class, on the other hand, had a Buddhist funeral. The higher the status, the more ritual was involved.At a Buddhist funeral, the body of the deceased was washed and dressed in white, the color of death. It was then placed in a coffin, and the coffin was carried to the burial site, often in a palanquin. The memorial tablet (ihai) of the deceased, with his posthumous Buddhist name written on it, was carried in front of the coffin. The body was accompanied by many people in a funeral procession.&nbsp;The higher the rank of the deceased, the more people would attend. The participants consisted of friends and female relatives. The women were dressed in white silk, while the men wore their ceremonial dress, although sometimes samurai in armor could be seen. Many Buddhist monks would also participate, chanting and beating gongs and drums.The burial site itself was a place surrounded by gates on four sides. In the center was a pit filled with firewood, in front of which were two high tables on which were placed persimmons, honeysuckle, sweets, and many other food offerings. The coffin was placed on top of the pit and the fire was lit. Cremation was still rare in Japan, but it was incorporated into Buddhist funerals because the Buddha himself had been cremated. Therefore, it was believed by Buddhists that in this way they could become Buddha themselves.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">The Tea Ceremony 茶の湯</h5>Serving tea was one of the most important and required courtesies by which a host entertained a guest. It was so common among the upper classes that lords and high-ranking samurai had a room in their mansion dedicated to serving tea. Ideally, this was a small house or hut consisting of a room with only four and a half Japanese mats built of rustic, natural materials.&nbsp;This place had to be as solitary and sober as possible, away from worldly affairs and war, a place where the tea practitioner could come to rest and connect with nature. An alcove was made in the room where the host could hang a black water ink painting or calligraphy and/or place a vase of flowers, all appropriate to the season.Only special guests were taken to this tea hut. There, the host would prepare and serve the tea with his own hands. He drank with his guests and showed them his most precious tea utensils. The artwork displayed in the alcove was also admired.&nbsp;The way of serving tea and everything else in the teahouse was based on taste and simplicity. Samurai, monks, and merchants devoted themselves to the art of serving tea, and some brought it to a high level of perfection. These virtuosos became tea masters and taught others the art.&nbsp;The most famous tea master is undoubtedly Sen no Rikyū, a wealthy merchant who developed many aspects of the tea ceremony as we know it today. He became the tea master of Oda Nobubaga (Kuroda Nobuhisa in Shōgun) and, after Nobunaga's death, of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the Taikō). One of his most devoted students was Hosokawa Tadaoki, the historical model for Buntaro. It is no coincidence that Buntaro tried to win Mariko back by organizing a tea ceremony for her.A peculiarity of the tea ceremony in the Sengoku period was that the guest entered alone. At that moment, the room was empty except for some tea utensils. Then, without saying a word, the guest began to examine everything in the room. First, she went to the tokonoma (alcove) to look at the hanging scroll and the flowers in an old copper or clay vase, and pondered their meaning. Then she would go to the stove, the kettle, and the arrangement of the burning charcoal, all so neatly and tastefully arranged as to leave nothing to be desired. Finally, the guest would sit down in silence and wait for the host to appear.Because of its connection to Buddhism, the tea ceremony had strong ritual features. The tea hut was a sacred place. Samurai who participated in the ceremony were not even allowed to take their swords inside. There were no class distinctions in the hut. Everyone who participated in the ceremony was treated equally. Thus, the tea ceremony was a ritual of peace and harmony, disconnected from the mental hardships of power struggles and war.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">Yoshiwara 吉原</h5>Toyotomi Hideyoshi (the Taikō) was the first to gather all the brothels in Kyoto and Osaka in one place under the control and protection of the authorities. When Tokugawa Ieyasu (Toranaga in Shōgun) built Edo, many workers moved in to construct the castle and buildings. Ieyasu's samurai settled in the city. Merchants soon followed. In this situation, the population was mainly male, so the city also attracted many courtesans. Brothels began to dot the city.As the city grew and space was allocated for samurai residences, brothels were repeatedly ordered to move. In 1612, Shōji Jin'emon, a former samurai who had become a townsman and brothel owner, petitioned the authorities to designate a place where all the brothels would be gathered in one district, following the example of Kyoto and Osaka. In 1617, his request was granted and the brothels were moved to a place called Yoshiwara (lit. reed field) near Nihonbashi, the great bridge of Edo, in the center of the city.In the mid-seventeenth century, the authorities ordered the red-light district to be relocated. A new, larger district was built on the northern outskirts of the city, surrounded by moats, fences, and rice fields. The place was called Shin-yoshiwara ("New Yoshiwara"), but soon the first part of the name (shin /new) was dropped.&nbsp;Yoshiwara existed until the middle of the 20th century. In 1911, it was largely destroyed by a great fire and only partially rebuilt. Further damage and many deaths among the courtesans were caused by the great Kanto earthquake of 1923. When the Anti-Prostitution Law was passed in 1957, the remaining Yoshiwara brothels closed their doors.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">Seppuku as Protest 諫死</h5>There were many reasons for a samurai to commit seppuku, ritual suicide by slashing his belly. &nbsp;Near defeat in battle was by far the most common reason, followed by dishonorable conduct. &nbsp;Later, being ordered to do so by a lord also became common. &nbsp;In all these cases, seppuku was committed to restore the samurai's honor. &nbsp;But there was one case where another motive was involved, namely, to stop the lord from doing something or to protest against the lord's bad behavior. &nbsp;This type of seppuku is called kanshi.The most famous example of kanshi at that time was the seppuku of Hirate Masahide, a major vassal of Oda Nobunaga (Kuroda Nobuhisa in Shōgun). &nbsp;Masahide was a skilled negotiator and an educated man who excelled in the tea ceremony and poetry. &nbsp;With these qualities, it was natural for him to become Nobunaga's tutor and chief advisor.&nbsp;However, the young Nobunaga was like a wild horse that no one, even a man like Masahide, could tame. Because of his many eccentricities and bad behavior, he was once called "the great fool." &nbsp;Masahide's remonstrations were in vain. &nbsp;To bring Nobunaga to his senses, he committed seppuku. &nbsp;In the same mood, Hiromatsu committed seppuku in front of Toranaga.

<h5 class="ckHeading5">&nbsp;</h5><h5 class="ckHeading5">Linked Verse Poetry 連歌</h5>It is no accident that Shogun contains so much poetry. You were not considered a real samurai if you were not a good poet. &nbsp;One of the most respected warlords of the time, Hosokawa Fujitaka (Toda Hiromatsu in Shōgun), wrote a poem that can be translated as follows. "Those who dislike uta, renga, noh, and the tea ceremony show us something about the level of their education."Uta in this poem means traditional Japanese poetry, while renga means linked verse poetry. Renga was especially popular among the samurai. &nbsp;The warlords regularly held renga poetry parties. &nbsp;It was an important cultural activity for them, so important that Akechi Mitsuhide (Akechi Jinsai in Shōgun) held one just before he attacked his lord Oda Nobunaga (Kuroda Nobuhisa in Shōgun) at Honnōji Temple in Kyoto. &nbsp;The wives of the warriors were also highly educated and especially skilled in writing traditional Japanese poems called waka.Renga evolved from waka. Waka is based on the rhyme scheme of the so-called "5-7-5-7-7" syllable pattern. &nbsp;Waka evolved into tan-renga (short renga), a form of waka in which one person composes the upper part of the poem (three lines of 5-7-5 syllable pattern) and another person composes the lower part (two lines of 7 syllables each) to complete a single poem.Later, several poets would join together to compose three or more stanzas, alternating the upper part of a five-line poem by one participant with the lower part by another, and adding new stanzas in the same pattern, linked to the previous stanzas. &nbsp;These were called chain renga and became very popular among samurai in the Sengoku period.Renga was composed according to a set of conventions. &nbsp;The first poet had to set the direction of the poem. &nbsp;The second poet had to make use of the previous poet's poem and also think about how the next poet could extend it while expressing his own individuality. &nbsp;There were many stylistic requirements, such as the inclusion of seasonal words and certain punctuation words, pillow words (epithets), metaphors, topics, and motifs. Knowledge of the classics was also an important aspect.&nbsp;The poet had to use words from the previous poet's poem, but was not allowed to repeat the same content. &nbsp;It was an advanced game that required a great deal of knowledge, wisdom, and skill, but also the ability to quickly grasp the situation and communicate with the other warrior poets, an intellectual ability that would prove useful on the battlefield.In Shōgun, most poetry is of the short renga variety, or two-stanza form. &nbsp;In the short renga, the 5-7-5 and 7-7 syllable patterns are often reversed, as in the exchange between Toranaga and Mariko. &nbsp;Toranaga begins the renga with the following verse.&nbsp;木の葉しぐれの konoha shigure no音きこゆなり oto kikoyu nariThe sound of rain on the leavescan be heard.&nbsp;"Konoha" means “leaves,” or in this case “fallen leaves,” and is often used in Japanese poetry to suggest the beginning of winter. In the series, we are in spring, when new life begins, but Toranaga brings up early winter, which symbolizes death and parting, intentionally to express his loneliness after losing his friend. &nbsp;The rain symbolizes Toranaga's tears. Mariko gives the following reply.&nbsp;春になお haru ni naoもろきは涙 moroki wa namida袖のつゆ sode no tsuyuStill more fragile isthe dew of tears on my sleeveseven in springtime.&nbsp;Here, Mariko builds on Toranaga's allusion to tears. &nbsp;Her verse means that even though it has become spring, the tears still flow unabated (the grief of losing a friend is never forgotten). &nbsp;These are fragile tears that wet her sleeves like morning dew. &nbsp;By using the word moroki (fragile), she emphasizes the impermanence of life. Toranaga then composes a new stanza, changing the setting back to winter.&nbsp;松ばかりには matsu bakari ni wa冬枯れもなし fuyu kare mo nashiWaiting, the pine treenever withers in winter.&nbsp;The pine tree survives the winter while the other trees wither. &nbsp;In this sense, the pine tree is a symbol of solitude, of standing alone. &nbsp;The word "pine" in Japanese, matsu, has the same sound as “waiting.” &nbsp;So Toranaga's verse expresses that he is waiting for his friend who will never come back. &nbsp;Using elements of Toranaga's verse, Mariko once again succeeds in bringing the setting back to the springtime with the following response.花みだれ hana midareことの葉散りて koto no ha chiriteたき火かな takibi kanaIf I could use wordslike scattering flowers and falling leaves,what a bonfire my poems would make.&nbsp;Mariko takes up the concept of "withering" in Toranaga's verse by introducing falling leaves, but pulls it back to spring. &nbsp;The biggest problem for her was how to connect the withered trees of early winter with spring. &nbsp;Mariko's solution was to make it a spring storm in which flowers and young leaves are scattered. &nbsp;In this sense, her poem embodies the unexpected, in contrast to Toranaga's poem, which embodies permanence.&nbsp;While Toranaga's poem adheres strictly to the conventions of classical Japanese poetry, Mariko's poem is sparkling. &nbsp;She reuses "koto no ha" (leaves), a word Toranaga used in his first stanza. &nbsp;In Mariko's poem, however, the word is used in two senses: "leaves" and "words," or poems.The pine tree that stood firm in Toranaga's poem, and to which Mariko must respond because it is the keyword of Toranaga's verse, is now used as firewood in Mariko's poem, as the use of the word "bonfire" suggests. &nbsp;The inclusion of the flowers places the poem firmly in the spring, while retaining the fallen leaves and making a connection to the bonfire, as the scattering of the flowers and leaves by the spring winds resembles the sparks of a bonfire.

A question of loyalty.&nbsp;Host Emily Yoshida and guests break down episode 8 of FX’s Shōgun. Featuring showrunner Justin Marks, production designer Helen Jarvis, historian Frederick Cryns, and director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour. Creators and experts deep-dive into the intricacies of the tea ceremony, the fates of the real-life shipwrecked sailors, and the evolution of a region that would become Tokyo.

Episode 8 - The Abyss of Life

In war and in peace, a good enemy can be more valuable than a good ally.

Discover the warriors from The Abyss of Life

Samurai Armor

Uncover the breathtaking world that hundreds of craftspeople painstakingly bring to life episode by episode.

An Unwavering Way of Life.

Watch all episodes on Hulu.

Get the latest news and exclusives from FX including show premieres and more.

Toranaga’s defeated clan moves to Edo and awaits their fate. Blackthorne must decide who he fights for — the lord who has turned his back on him, or  the ambition that brought him to Japan in the first place.

Yabushige dressed in a green kosode sits in his Edo meeting room in front of his armor

Episode 8: Abyss of Life | FX Shōgun Episode Guide

The Secret Heart

INSIDE THE EPISODE

Episode 8 - The Abyss of Life

Discover the warriors from The Abyss of Life

Toranaga

Blackthorne

Mariko

Yabushige

Omi

Ishido

Hiromatsu

Nagakado

Explore scenes from The Abyss of Life

An Unwavering Way of Life.

More Shōgun awaits