Japan blossomed into its Renaissance at approximately the same time as Europe. Unlike the West, it flourished not through conquest and exploration, but by fierce and defiant isolation. And the man at the heart of this empire was Tokugawa Ieyasu, a warlord who ruled with absolute control. This period is explored through myriad voices-- the Shogun, the Samurai, the Geisha, the poet, the peasant and the Westerner who glimpsed into this secret world.
Production
Recreated Edo sets that cost more than some features.
Direction
DeSnoo and Goldfarb weave six voices into one hypnotic narrative.
Acting
Richard Chamberlain's narration: velvet with hidden steel.
Director
Deborah Ann DeSnoo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Richard Chamberlain filmed his narration in a single day, having previously starred in 'Shōgun'—making him possibly the most accidental Tokugawa expert alive.
The 'secret empire' framing influenced how Western audiences perceived Japan for two decades, though Japanese historians note it exaggerates the 'closed country' myth—foreign influence still crept through Nagasaki like water through stone.
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