Plot summery taken off wikipedia
"John Blackthorne pilot and acting captain of the Dutch trading ship Erasmus, is shipwrecked on the coast of Japan. He and his crew are taken captive and confined to a pit for a few days, until, in the eyes of their captors, they begin to act like 'civilized' men. The samurai (Omi-san) in charge of them throws slops on the crew whenever they misbehave. Eventually, Omi-san tells Blackthorne that he and his crew must pick someone to die the next day. He also specifies that Blackthorne is not to be picked. Eventually, Blackthorne ends up at the House of the Daimyo, Yabu-san. The daimyo plans to turn Blackthorne over to the custody of his lord, Toranaga. While in the household, Blackthorne is given the nickname Anjin, meaning "pilot," by the Japanese because they can't pronounce his name. Blackthorne insists that Omi-san apply the honorary suffix -san and so Blackthorne is henceforth known as Anjin-san. He eventually enters the service of Toranaga, a powerful feudal warlord who rules over the Kanto (Kwanto) plain, the site of modern-day Tokyo, and falls in love with Mariko, a convert to Christianity who is torn between her new religion and her native culture.
Despite a rocky start, Blackthorne slowly gains an understanding of the Japanese people and their culture, and eventually learns to respect it deeply. The Japanese, in turn, are torn over Blackthorne's presence; He is a cultural outsider, a leader of a disgracefully filthy and uncouth group of rabble (his ship's crew), but he is also a formidable shipbuilder, ship's captain, and navigator. As such, he is both beneath their contempt and incalculably valuable. A turning point in this perception is Blackthorne's attempt at seppuku (ritual suicide). He demonstrates willingness to commit suicide with honor which deeply impresses the Japanese, but is stopped as he is far more valuable alive than dead. The Japanese grow to respect the "barbarian" in turn and he is eventually granted the status of samurai and hatamoto. Blackthorne is torn between his love for Mariko (who is married to a powerful samurai), his growing loyalty to Toranaga, and his desire to return to the open seas aboard Erasmus and capture the "Black Ship," a treasure-laden Portuguese vessel. Eventually, he reunites with the survivors of his original crew and is so astonished at how far he's come away from the standard European way of life (rare bathing, meat-eating) and is disgusted by what he sees. Blackthorne's plans to attack the Black Ship are complicated by his friendship with that vessel's pilot.
In parallel with this plot, the novel also details the power struggle between Toranaga and Ishido (two great daimyos or feudal lords), and the political maneuvring of the Christians (Catholics), particularly the Jesuits. Some of the plot is driven by Blackthorne's enmity for the Jesuits, Spanish and Portuguese, and his revelation to the Japanese that Catholics are not the only Christians. There is also conflict between Christian daimyo's (who are motivated in part by a desire to preserve and expand their Church) and the daimyos who oppose the converts in favor of the native Shinto and Buddhist faiths. Toranaga's ultimate, but secret goal is to be named Shogun, the supreme military commander of Japan and second in power only to the Emperor himself.
This book is divided into 6 Books, the 3rd being the longest. It contains extremely intricate plots and counter plots and straddles the line between historical drama (tinged with romance and sex) and political drama."
I think this is a great book and recomend it to anyone looking for something new to read
