What Does Blackthorne’s New Name Mean in ‘Shōgun’?

The Big Picture

• Episode 4 of Shōgun is a turning point for the historical drama series.
• Blackthorne’s new title,
  hatamoto
  , carries weight, honor, responsibilities, and potential for closer integration into Japanese society.
• Blackthorne’s journey as a
  hatamoto
  signifies a shift in his identity, a deepening trust in the Japanese, and a potential friendship with Toranaga.

This week’s episode of Shōgun is definitely the most explosive one so far and feels like a turning point for the series as a whole. While the previous episodes have been interesting in their own ways, there was a sense that they were mostly working out the logistics, transporting the key characters to important locations, and setting up the historical and cultural context of the world. Now, with all the pieces in place, Episode 4 has propelled the show forward — with at least one character earning himself a title change as of last week. Out of the many developments that have arisen so far, there is one that stands out as the most important thing to happen to John Blackthrone (Cosmo Jarvis) since his arrival in Japan, and that is his being named hatamoto.

‘Shōgun’ Has Reached a Turning Point

Since the very first episode, Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) had been held hostage (though the situation is never pronounced) in the Osaka castle ruled by Lord Ishido (Takehiro Hira). So far, Toranaga had mostly been reacting to the events unfolding around him, but now, he’s finally taking a proactive role in shaping future events. He starts by summoning Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) and winning back his ally’s faltered loyalty through a mix of promises and intimidation. Then, we witness Toranaga’s famous trickery as he escapes the Osaka palace, trading places with Lady Kiri (Yoriko Doguchi) in a palanquin with a clever distraction.

Of course, Toranaga’s escape wouldn’t have been possible without a little help from his friends. Blackthorne feigns a hilarious outburst to keep his new ally from being discovered, Yabushige proves his reinvigorated loyalty during a scuffle and Buntaro (Shin’nosuke Abe) honorably sacrifices himself at a harbor so that Toranaga can sail off and live to fight another day. While Toranaga might be grateful for the sacrifices, he knows better than to play “the game of friends and enemies.” So, later, when an armada of enemy boats block his escape, and the only out is through a deal with the Portuguese captain of the Black Ship that forces Toranaga to leave Blackthorne on a smaller and easily drown-able ship, he does so without much hesitation.

But Toranaga isn’t the only one keen on self-preservation; Blackthorne is just as desperate to make it out alive. So, he takes fate and the ship’s tiller in his own hands, and uses the Black Ship as a cover to ferry himself to safety. Toranaga becomes visibly impressed by Blackthorne’s sheer stubbornness to survive, and despite being handed undeniable proof of his piracy, Toranaga proposes to turn a blind eye to his misdeeds if the English pilot agrees to train the Lord’s men in modern weaponry. Initially reluctant, Blackthorne eventually realizes that this might be his only way out alive, and so he agrees. And now that he is officially allied with Toranaga, he gets bestowed with a new identity: hatamoto.

What Does “Hatamoto” Mean?

Blackthorne has previously been referred to as “Anjin” by the Japanese with such a dismissive tone that it might make any non-Japanese speaker conclude that it was an insult. But “anjin” simply translates to “pilot,” and is a reference to Blackthorne’s skills and profession. Now that Lord Toranaga has proclaimed Blackthorne to be his vassal, he is bound to be more respected within the lord’s circle.

Hatamoto isn’t just a random new name for Blackthorne; it’s an actual historic title that carries a lot of weight and honor. Hatamoto is a high-ranking samurai post that literally translates to “Guardian of the Flag” and is equivalent to “bannermen” from the English feudal system. As a government official serving under powerful lords, hatamoto would receive a substantial amount of salary in the form of rice rations anywhere between 100 and 10,000 koku (1 koku is equivalent to approximately 330lb) and a comfortable house to live in. Besides the material benefits, they also held certain privileges, such as the right to an audience with the ruling shōgun.

Since hatamoto are in direct service of their lord, they often acted as bodyguards, couriers and color-guards. Besides that, hatamoto also played a crucial role during the battle, with their presence or absence having a considerable impact on the outcome of it. And if a hatamoto was adept at his job and shrewd enough, he could also rise to the rank of a daimyo (a lord), though it was very rare. William Adams, who the character of John Blackthorne is based on, was the first foreigner to receive this honor. There was only one Westerner to receive this title: a Dutch trader named Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn, who was Adams’ crewmate on the ship that drifted them to Japan.

What Does Being Hatamoto Mean for John Blackthorne in ‘Shōgun’?

The early scenes of Episode 4 saw the privileges that Blackthorne received as hatamoto — a handsome salary, a luxurious house, and a native consort. (Though it should be mentioned that he seems utterly disinterested in any of them.) Still, Blackthorne becoming a hatamoto goes beyond his material or safety needs and touches upon a critical moment in his arc as he finally penetrates the barrier of Japanese society and inches closer to becoming widely accepted. Consider the funny yet touching scene right after Blackthorne becomes a hatamoto, where he teaches Toranaga how to dive before racing him to the shore.

Up until this point, the relationship between Blackthorn and Toranaga was mostly transactional, with both men using each other to further their goals. But the diving scene feels far removed from such self-serving motivations and hints at a potential friendship that might be brewing between the two. Since Toranaga, a highly respected lord, has deemed Blackthorne worthy enough to be a hatamoto, Blackthorne automatically becomes more respectable and approachable to Japanese society.

In turn, Blackthorne too, has learned to trust the Japanese people — a population he referred to as “savages” in the show’s first episode — made evident by the surrendering of his weapons to his new consort, Fuji (Moeka Hoshi), in the midst of a standoff in the latest episode. But as Blackthorne becomes hatamoto, he could grow more detached from his English identity. Such is the tragedy of being reborn — you have to leave your past life behind, no matter how precious. For Blackthorne, it may mean abandoning his home, his Queen, and his family, and that could be a heavy price to pay.

Shōgun is streaming now on Hulu.

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