Contents
“Shōgun,” by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, adapts James Clavell’s 1975 novel. The series premiered in February 2024 on FX and Hulu, and internationally, including in Germany, on Disney+. In 2024, it became the first Japanese-language series to win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, and its first season won 18 Emmys in all. At its center stands a power player who masters the Six Measures of the Arthashastra without knowing them.
A regent in a trap
Situation
Japan, around the year 1600. The supreme ruler, the Taikō, has died. His heir is a child. Until the heir comes of age, a council of five regents governs. One of them is Yoshii Toranaga, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, a character based on Tokugawa Ieyasu. His main opponent on the council is Ishido Kazunari. The other regents want to remove Toranaga. He is at Osaka Castle, his opponents’ stronghold, and is effectively their prisoner.
Link to the principle
Toranaga’s situation is unfavorable. He is in the minority on the council and physically hemmed in. An open attack would be suicide. The six measures begin with the question: how strong am I in relation to the others?
Buying time
Situation
Toranaga does not seek an open fight. With a ruse, he escapes from Osaka and withdraws to his own territory.
Link to the principle
This is staying put. In the Arthashastra, it is the choice of someone who is not strong enough to defeat the opponent but does not want to be defeated either. Toranaga stays in the game and lets his opponents do the work. For him, staying put is not weakness but a deliberate choice.
Crimson Sky: marching held in reserve
Situation
Toranaga has a secret plan called “Crimson Sky,” an all-out attack on Osaka. With Blackthorne’s help, he has troops trained in the use of firearms. When his removal draws near, he declares Crimson Sky in order to protect the heir and limit bloodshed.
Link to the principle
The Arthashastra distinguishes marching from war. Marching means gathering the necessary resources and getting ready. Toranaga builds up the resources and declares the plan, but he calls it off before it comes to an attack. A prepared option changes the situation even if it is never used.
The apparent surrender
Situation
Later, Toranaga declares that there will be no Crimson Sky and submits to the council. His vassals sign a formal surrender. What looks like giving up buys him time for his next move. In Osaka, his confidante Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai) openly defies Ishido and pays for it with her life. Her sacrifice weakens Ishido’s position.
Link to the principle
According to Kautilya, peace is the measure of the weaker party. Toranaga uses it as a means, not as an end. He gives way outwardly so that the situation shifts. If you change your measure when the situation demands it, you stay flexible.
The double-dealer
Situation
A supporting character shows the flip side. Kashigi Yabushige, lord of Izu, serves Toranaga and at the same time secretly helps Ishido. He switches sides as soon as it seems useful to him. In the end, he confesses, and Toranaga sentences him to death.
Link to the principle
The double policy is the riskiest of the six measures. It works only if you are clever enough to manage both sides and if neither side sees through you. Yabushige plays a double game out of greed, not because the situation calls for it. He masters the technique but not the judgment of when it fits.
Key takeaways
Key lessons
- First determine how strong you are in relation to the others.
- Staying put can be the strongest choice, as long as you stay in the game.
- Build up options, even if you don’t use them yet.
- An apparent retreat can buy you time for your next move.
- Don’t play a double game just because you can.
Summary
In “Shōgun,” Yoshii Toranaga faces a council that wants to bring him down. He stays put, prepares an attack, holds it back and apparently surrenders until the situation turns. His foil, Yabushige, plays a double game and fails. The series shows what the six measures demand: not a favorite tactic but the choice of the right measure for each situation.
