Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2012

Japanese promotion giant Horipro and the Royal Shakespeare Company revive their 2009 blockbuster coproduction. Anjin chronicles the adventures of the “blue-eyed samurai” William Adams, a British navigator who sailed to Japan in 1600 and eventually became advisor to Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. The bilingual (largely Japanese) production examines a man who served as a vital conduit for Western culture—and the basis for James Clavell’s Shogun. Directed by the RSC’s Gregory Doran, the show stars Stephen Boxer as Adams and celebrated actor Masachika Ichimura returning as the shogun.

Kanagawa Arts Theater, Dec 1-2 and Aoyama Theater, Dec 11-16