A Kent sailor who became the first Englishman to set foot in Japan has inspired a new Disney+ series. Shōgun is based on a 1975 novel which details the remarkable true story of Gillingham-born Will Adams. The series is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village. Its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip …