The Shōgun, administrative leaders who ran Japan under the emperor, have always been great fodder for dramas, but what do you know about their real history? This account goes over the early years of British contact with Japan, to coincide with the fictional account in the 1975 novel Shōgun by James Clavell. English navigator William Adams found himself in Japan in the year 1598. This began a period of communication and trade between Japan and the British and other Western powers. It only lasted a few short years until Japan decided not to have anything to do with Western foreigners anymore. If you've been following the new TV series Shōgun on Hulu, this video from Weird History might help you understand more about what Japan was really like during that time.