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