My reviews and insights are usually reserved for after I have finished watching but am currently on Shogun, a historical mini-series whose Episode 5 titled Chapter Five: Broken to the Fist which aired on Tuesday 19 March 2024 had an intricate plot point over a pheasant situation whose revelation just hit me, and if you watched it, you might have had the same questions too….
If you haven’t watched Shogun or haven’t reached Episode 5 yet this is the part you exit the conversation because there will be spoilers.
Why did someone have to lose their life over a stinky pheasant?
On the surface, the explanation is very simple, John Blackthorne as a Hatamoto ( – a high ranking title usually held by a samurai who served directly under shogunate ) had instructed his household and staff (-all of which came as part of the perks of his rank and title plus which included a generous salary) not to touch the pheasant he was preparing. In his limited Japanese, he had put his point across in three words “If touch — die” while pointing at the pheasant.
His high rank as hatamoto landed his words with a literal grave weight that whomever touched the bird would have to die.
We are as shocked and appalled as Blackthorne is, in finding out that someone died over the stupid bird. Watching the episode unfold, one could somehow predict that nothing good would come over the unpleasant pheasant especially after the dinner with the rabbit stew which everyone else was appalled by – but we did not expect the situation to actually end in a death.
To some of us, the death seems a meaningless loss of life, but looking at their culture the gardener made an honourable sacrifice to restore harmony in the village caused by the hatamoto barbarian’s stinky bird. Also, consider that he had a terminal illness which wouldn’t result in an honourable death for lowly gardner who most likely would never make a name for themselves in the samurai culture…
If you recall, in their initial interaction when Blackthorne is introduced to the gardner, The pilot addresses him with an honorific for which he is is rebuked by Mariko that -sama is only reserved for a certain class…
…In death he served a greater purpose….
Why did Blackthorn hang the pheasant to rot?
The seemingly senseless death aside, what kind of cookery was Blackthorne upto?…
Hanging pheasant was a way of tenderising the meat as well as enhancing its unique game flavour and texture. Fresh pheasant, tastes almost indistinguishable from the common fowl but when allowed to mature, it becomes a rich dish. Hanging pheasant is something that was mostly practised by the elite who did not live hunt-to-mouth. A pheasant would be hung for about 3 to 12 days depending on the weather or according to some people, until it fell off… then it would be ready to prepare.
While a well prepared pheasant dish was a feast worthy of a king did someone have to die over it?
Why Uejiro really died in Shogun
Deviously diabolical disingenuity.
Sure Blackthorne was ignorant of the Japanese culture and carried on like a belligerent foreigner, uncultured in the intricate ways of the Japanese – but was the gardner’s death on his hands?
In the opening act of the episode, Toranaga rebukes his son for being used to precipitate a war in the previous episode… later we learn Toranaga doesn’t seem particularly phased by the consequences because they play into something he had already envisioned or planned for -having the war come to him on his home turf where he has the advantage… Toranaga is a master-manipulator of both friend and foe.
The exchange between Toranaga and his son may foretell whats to come in how all men are broken but can be manipulated to serve one’s objectives just like a falcon can be trained or broken to a fist as the episode title implies.
You may or may not have missed the tidbit that his spy and trusted samurai is not only the spy whom is being hunted for by Yabushige but also the village head. To protect the village he offers to give himself up but is ordered to find an alternative.
The village head is the one who called the meeting to find a resolution over the unpleasant pheasant situation,where it was also ruled that it was a household situation, to be dealt with in the hatamoto’s residence, thereby cementing the fate of whomever disposed of the stinky bird to death, instead of a more diplomatic solution where Mariko could impresss upon the Anjin the consequences of his pheasant directive and its impact.
Very convenient for the Village Head Muraji, when you consider that he was in need of a scapegoat to pin the spy business on, as commanded by Toranaga to not give himself up.
While Blackthorn was a foreigner unaware of the customs and implications… there was a deliberate and brutal weaponisation of said ignorance by the village head which was to Toranaga’s bidding as nothing could possibly happen without Toranaga knowing about it, especially in the hatamoto’s home, where he is probaly many steps ahead…..
The episode ends with an interesting parallel on how words and action can give meaning when the Anjin gifts Toranaga his swords thus giving them meaning as hatamoto – bearer of the flag.
What are you thoughts on Episode 5 of Shogun?
Becoming The Muse 
Your thoughts.. if you will?