10 Fascinating Facts About the Making of Shogun

10 Fascinating Facts About the Making of Shogun

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re examining ten interesting tidbits about the making of “Shogun.”

It Was Filmed in Vancouver

Despite taking place in 17th century Japan, “Shogun” was filmed in 21st century Canada. Ah, the magic of filmmaking. A number of sets were constructed in the city of Port Moody, which is located in the heart of Metro Vancouver. The site hosted a sawmill for over 100 years, but high property taxes caused it to close in late 2020. Enter the show’s production team, who set up shop in the now-abandoned property. According to producer Hiroyuki Sanada, “the whole village,” the “castle stone wall,” and Osaka Harbor were all constructed in Port Moody. To thank the Canadian city for hosting them, the production crew donated a Japanese white pine that was used for filming, and it was planted at Port Moody City Hall.

It’s the Most Expensive Production in FX History

FX has hosted a number of acclaimed shows, including “The Americans,” “Fargo,” and “American Horror Story.” But of them all, “Shogun” is far and away the most expensive. The specific budget has not been released, but for the sake of comparison, the original 1980 miniseries was made for $22 million - about $80 million today. According to Bill Bradley of Adweek, “Shogun” is “the most expensive [show] in FX history,” and that includes the $7 million they spent on a thirty second Super Bowl ad in 2024. The modern adaptation is not only more ambitious than the 1980 original, but it’s also filled with digital effects, so its budget is likely well within nine figure territory.

There Were Two Different Production Crews

“Shogun” is a show that blends east and west, and its filmmaking was just as culturally inclusive as its story. According to the Chairman of FX Content John Landgraf, the show had “two full production crews: one in English and one in Japanese.” The cast is primarily Japanese, as is a good chunk of the crew, including producer Hiroyuki Sanada, who was adamant that the show contain authentic Japanese history. Meanwhile, husband-wife showrunners Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo are American. The show’s major theme around cultural melding was also inherent on set, like when the Japanese caterer became very popular with the local English crew.

The Japanese Extras Were Paid Much More Than Usual

“Shogun” required a large number of samurai extras to depict the various armies, not to mention background characters going about their daily lives in the village. As such, the production required a team of Japanese extras, and they were paid much more than they would have been in their native country. In Japan, it’s quite normal for extras to work for free, but if they are paid, they are given 5,000 yen a day - about $30. But on the set of “Shogun,” the Japanese extras were given 50,000 yen a day - the equivalent of $300.

Japanese Advisors Were Used to Make the Show Authentic

Wishing to be as authentic as possible, the production hired a number of Japanese advisors with expert knowledge in their respective fields. Virtually every aspect of the show and its characters were vetted by these advisors. For example, three Masters of Gesture were brought in to teach the actors how to move properly. Everything from sitting, eating, walking, and opening doors were extensively studied and practiced to be as period-accurate as possible. Furthermore, things like etiquette, behavior, and speaking style were taught to correctly portray the different social classes, with each distinguishing themselves in various unique ways.

There Was An Extensive Use of CGI

Creating 17th century Japan is no easy task, especially in 21st century Canada. Luckily, this century has one major thing going for it, and that’s digital technology. CGI was extensively used throughout the production of “Shogun,” with many scenes containing some degree of digital manipulation. The use of blue screen was abundant, and entire ancient cityscapes were made on the computer. Digital humans were also used to boost numbers in the army sequences, with only a handful of soldiers being real. And even in scenes with practical work, digital effects were often used to spruce up the visuals and make the action more exciting. According to VFX supervisor Michael Cliett, the typical effects-heavy show has 1,000-2,000 VFX shots - “Shogun” has 6,000.

The Costumes Were Entirely Handmade

The visuals of “Shogun” are breathtaking, and that extends to the gorgeous costumes. The original “Shogun” won an Emmy for its costuming, and we wouldn’t be surprised if this adaptation followed suit. Costume designer Carlos Rosario designed every article of clothing seen on the show, saying, “Every single costume piece…has been handmade.” Everything from the peasant’s modest indigo clothes to the lords’ extravagantly colored suits were made by Rosario and his talented team, as was the beautiful armor often worn by the samurais. Furthermore, each character was given their own specific color scheme, with Mariko often seen in whites and grays, Yabushige in greens, and Toranaga in yellows.

The Show Was Delayed Because It Wasn’t Good Enough

FX wanted to make “Shogun” as good as possible, and that meant sending production into a significant delay. The show was greenlit all the way back in 2018, but it soon fell into a number of pitfalls, including a script that wasn’t quite up to snuff. And in the winter of 2019, it was announced that “Shogun” was being delayed. While he hasn’t gone into specifics, FX CEO John Landgraf said, “We just didn’t think it was in a good enough shape” and that they needed “to aim higher.” He also claimed that “the bar for what would be the best limited series” had been significantly raised since 1980, all of which seems to insinuate that FX wasn’t happy with the show’s quality.

COVID Denied Shooting in Japan

An abandoned property in Vancouver was not the producers’ first choice for filming. In fact, FX wanted to shoot on location in Japan, and they were planning on doing so before COVID broke out in the spring of 2020. Showrunner Justin Marks claims that “[production] came to a pause” when the world locked down in March 2020, and it would have been years before they could shoot in Japan. As such, they were forced to shoot the show in Canada, or, as Marks says, they had to “bring Japan to us.” Principal photography on the show finally began on September 22, 2021, a full three years after it was initially greenlit by FX.

They Started Over From Scratch

The significant delay between green lighting and filming is not only attributable to COVID, but a complete revamping of the show. An Irish writer named Ronan Bennett was originally hired as showrunner, and he worked on the early versions of the scripts. But when “Shogun” was delayed in the winter of 2019, Bennett no longer had time to work on the show and was replaced by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo. Furthermore, FX Chairman John Landgraf told Deadline that “the scripts…[weren’t] as good as they could be,” so they completely scrapped Bennett’s work and started over from scratch. Turns out, “Shogun” wasn’t nearly as fun to make as it is to watch.


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