Toranaga’s Kanagawa Fief Offer In Shogun Explained (& What Blackthorne Wants Instead)

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Shōgun episode 6.

Lord Toranaga gives John Blackthorne another major display of honor and trust in Shōgun episode 6. After unexpectedly ending up in Japan from a treacherous storm at sea at the beginning of Shōgun, Blackthorne has quickly ascended through the ranks of Toranaga’s clan despite being widely seen as a “barbaric” outsider. Toranaga named Blackthorne Hatamoto already, a distinct and privileged honor that instantly gave him status and luxurious living quarters. At the start of Shōgun episode 6, titled “Ladies of the Willow World”, Toranaga’s earthquake fate ends up rewarding “the Anjin” after he saves Toranaga’s life once again.

Shōgun episode 6 reveals the behind-the-scenes plans of Ochiba-no-kata, the Mother of the Heir who has mostly remained out of the picture until this point in the series. Lady Ochiba’s backstory is discovered to be intertwined with that of Lady Mariko, as the two were once close childhood friends. Ultimately, a grave tragedy involving both Mariko’s father and Ochiba’s father ended up dividing the two friends and changing their lives forever. Lady Ochiba is now incredibly suspicious of Toranaga’s tactics as she believes he was the one who had convinced Mariko’s father to kill her father, Lord Kuroda.

Lord Toranaga Offered John Blackthorne A Fief & Commander Role After The Earthquake

For John’s heroic actions during the earthquake, marking the second time in the series that the Anjin saved Toranaga’s life, he was offered a fief in Kanagawa that would provide 600 koku. One koku is roughly 180 liters and was a unit of measurement used in ancient Japan to determine a fief’s total output of rice. Blackthorne was also given another esteemed role as chief admiral of Toranaga’s cannon regiment, an honor that Blackthorne didn’t necessarily want. While Blackthorne introduced Toranaga’s army to the great power of the advanced and extremely precise Western cannons, he’s not asking for any of these roles.

As a feudal lord, Toranaga is seen as a supreme owner of various lands and resources throughout Japan. In this way, the greatest honor under this feudal system is to be granted status, land, and resources from Toranaga, who still apparently owns all of his assets even after resigning from the Council of Regents. As Blackthorne discovers, however, every gift has a string of expectations attached to it based on the ritualistic customs of the culture. As much as Toranaga honors Blackthorne for his knowledge and courage with rank and resources, he also prevents him from leaving Japan.

John Blackthorne’s Counterproposal To Lord Toranaga Explained

Blackthorne has quickly adapted to serve both his best interests and that of Toranaga in order to protect himself and have a chance of being sent free. He has come a long way from being held prisoner and nearly killed upon his arrival in Japan, much to the surprise of other distinguished members of Toranaga’s clan. Blackthorne is grateful for the honors that Toranaga has given him, or at least is wisely feigning appreciation to better his relationship with Toranaga so that he may receive what he actually wants. As Blackthorne has already stated, he wants his ship and crew back more than anything.

Blackthorne proposed to Toranaga as an alternative to leading his cannon regiment that he could block trade controlled by Catholic regents and Portuguese as a way to serve Toranaga’s interests. Toranaga is not concerned about these matters at this time as he prepares for the inevitable Crimson Sky attack on Lady Ochiba and Ishido’s forces at Osaka. It’s not entirely clear whether Blackthorne, who has been a renegade sailor all his life, would honor this proposed deal with Toranaga or if he would promptly flee Japan never to return. Either way, Toranaga blows off Blackthorne’s second attempt to get his ship back.

Why Lord Toranaga Refused John Blackthorne’s Ship Request (Again)

Blackthorne has learned that it is nearly impossible to reject an offer from Toranaga as it would be incredibly disrespectful. Toranaga, however, holds all the power and leverage and refuses Blackthorne’s offer to give him his ship once again. After Blackthorne saves Toranaga’s life for the second time, Toranaga realizes that the Anjin is the only person surrounding him that he can actually trust. He strips the untrustworthy Yabushige from his position as an army commander and also chips at Omi’s authority by granting Blackthorne control of the cannon regiment. Without saying it, Toranaga needs Blackthorne to defeat Ochiba and Ishido in Shōgun.