Part 2/8:
Set against the backdrop of the Sengoku period's civil war, Shōgun follows the complex relationships formed between Lord Yoshi Toranaga and his adversaries. This tumultuous period was not only marked by political changes but also significant cultural transformations, particularly in cuisine. The arrival of the Portuguese in 1543, referred to as Nanban or "Southern barbarians," initiated a culinary exchange that would influence Japanese cooking for centuries to come.