Ishido, the leader of the Western Army, was based on the real-life historical figure Ishida Mutsunari. It seemed only fair that, with the release of Episode 5, Shogun has now reached halfway through the war. Previously, we discussed Yoshi Toronaga, the fearsome warrior and commander of the Eastern Army, who was based on Ieyasu Tokugawa.
What follows is an exploration of the character’s background, fight performance, and ultimate fate as it relates to the character we see portrayed as Ishido in the film. Therefore, let us not waste any more time and go straight in. The true tale of Ishido is told here. You should be aware that this contains historical events that could potentially ruin what’s to come in the show because of the spoilers.
Spoiler Alert!
Therefore, you may wish to skip this post if you prefer to enter the show blind to the possibilities. I wanted to inform you just in case. Throughout the first five episodes of Shogun, we have seen the adversary Ishido. His screen time has been minimal, despite the fact that he is the main adversary.
Lord Ishido Character Breakdown And History
On the other hand, after receiving Jozen’s head in Osaka, Toranaga learned why Nagakado attacked Jozen, and Ochiba is now trying to get Ishido to kill Toranaga in revenge. In the second half of the season, we can expect Ishiro to take centre stage in the war and be held accountable for some of the bigger events that unfold.
When we consider the actual Ishida Mutsunari, we find that he was a Buddhist monk before he served Taiko Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Nonetheless, scepticism surrounds that claim due to the fact that it was only brought up during the Edo period. Since they first crossed paths in 1577, when Ishida was just eighteen years old, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the daimyo of Nagahama rather than the taiko, their friendship lasted for quite some time.
Hideyoshi promoted Ishida to the rank of samurai officer as time passed. Reportedly, Ishida’s proficiency in the tea ceremony was the reason for his transfer to Hideyoshi’s office. However, he also demonstrated abilities in financial management and administration, which he and his brother provided to Hideyoshi beginning in 1585.
Reportedly, many of the other men did not trust Ishida, but Hideyoshi did. They often betrayed him because they thought he was a bit of a schemer. For instance, in a letter he sent to Hideyoshi, he criticised Kuroda and Kobayakawa Hideaki, two other men, for a campaign’s failure and said that they weren’t competent leaders.
For this reason, Hideyoshi considered expelling them from Japan in shame; however, Ieyasu Tokugawa intervened and persuaded him to reconsider. According to popular belief, this marked the beginning of Tokugawa and Ishida’s schismatic relationship and their divergent worldviews. Ishida eventually took part in a number of engagements, including Shizugutaki, Komaki, and Nagakuti.
Not only that, but he was also in command of an operation to gather intelligence about the enemy force. During this time, he was proving his worth to Hideyoshi and earning his trust. One of the Five Bugyo positions was offered to Ishida by Hideyoshi when he became Taiko and achieved power.
He was a senior official in Hideyoshi’s administration, which led to his elevation to the rank of daimyo (Daimyo of Sawayama). After his death, Hideyoshi kept his position in government thanks to the loyalty and trust shown during his reign. However, as we saw in the play, it was divided among the five regents who were representing Hideyoshi’s son, who was not yet old enough to rule.
It was expected that the five regents would rule in his stead until he reached adulthood, and then they would be replaced by the new taiko. I think the show is leading up to the central story of Mutsunari Yoshida, which is the one that has been written into history books for generations: the Battle of Sekigahara.
A conflict involving the armies of Tokugawa Ieyasu (the Western Commander) and Mitsunari Yoshida (the Eastern Commander). Tokugawa Ieyasu considered the death of the Taiko of the time, Hideyoshi, as a chance to gain power and become ruler of Japan, which further exacerbated the animosity and friction between them.
On October 21, 1600, the Battle of Sekigahara took place, thus culminating all of this. Standing in line and supporting the Toyotomi administration, whose master was still too young to lead, was basically asking for trouble with Ieyasu Tokugawa. Ishida, seeing Ieyasu as a thread, gathered loyalists from the Toyotomi clan, established alliances, and planned to stand up against Tokugawa.
The other three council regions were the primary sources for these coalitions. While Ishida was in charge of the Eastern Army, a certain event is said to have changed the course of the war and may have been detrimental to its outcome.
Osaka Castle, home of the relatives of Hideyoshi’s generals, was the destination of a massive army led by Ishida Mutsunari at that time. If the generals did not join his armies and become his allies, he threatened to kill them and take them captive. Tamako, the real-life inspiration for Mariko, was assassinated by their family retainer at this time because she was afraid Ishida would kidnap her; the mansion she lived in was subsequently burned down.
Even before the Battle of Sekigahara, Ishida’s reputation took a hit due to her death. It was said that both armies, not only Ishida’s, were affected by her death. The news affected Ishida since it diminished his prospects of enlisting additional Western Army friends; rumours circulated that some of his potential supporters were hidden Christians, a fact that Tamako had already admitted.
In addition, Ishida’s luck ran out when other daimyo from the Western Army began betraying him after Ieyasu Tokugawa offered them land and amnesty after the war in exchange for switching sides. Ieyasu was able to gain the upper hand because Kobayakawa Hideaki switched allegiances to the Tokugawa.
Not wanting to risk supporting a losing side, many of the other lords opted to remain neutral as well. After losing badly at the Battle of Sekigahara, Ishida attempted to flee, but he was apprehended by a group of villagers who had sided with the Eastern Army. The next stop was Kyoto, where he would be put to death.
He sincerely doubted that he would be executed and hence abstained from eating his last meal the night before. Having said that, that was completely incorrect. The execution took place the next day, and the citizens of Kyoto could see his severed head displayed on a stand. Because of his defeat in war, Ishida was typically remembered as being weak, so history was not kind to him.
But as time has passed, the general’s reputation has grown; legend has it that he could have won the fight and changed the outcome if more people had remained loyal to him instead of siding with Tokugawa. It appears that the last five episodes of Shogun will cover all of that.
Seeing the Battle of Sekigahara portrayed on film will be an incredible experience. The moment we witnessed Jozen and his men being destroyed was so intense, even though it was brief—just a matter of seconds—but it left a lasting impression. It was already a major conflict before an all-out war broke out, with the fate of Japan hanging in the balance.
I also expect that we will witness people betraying Ishido and changing sides, which will weaken him even further. It is intriguing to observe how Shogun portrays Ishido as the antagonist, whereas in reality, historical evidence suggests that he was actually the hero who stood by his son and the taiko who had died, paying tribute to their memory.
Also, I’m curious if they’re going to paint Ishido as a weakling. Torunaga isn’t exactly terrified of him, but he is well aware of the danger he poses; yet, it appears that he is currently leading the regents’ council. I am curious if the landslide in the last episode will play a role in explaining why Tokugawa’s western force was overwhelmed by Ishida’s eastern army.
Conclusion
Regarding the Ishida family, there were six members total: three sons and three daughters. After his father died, one of the sons, Shignarai, altered the family name to ensure his survival after the conflict. A lot of us have grown to care about Mariko, a character on the show, and her plight is directly affected by Ishida’s story.
Ishido has been a strong presence thus far, but he has mostly remained in the background; thus, I am forward to see how the show handles his portrayal in the upcoming five episodes. You now know the truth about Shogun Ishiro.
To access more movies on Shogun, simply click on the card located in the upper right corner. If you’re interested in seeing more of my analysis of the show and its historical personalities, I’ve been posting episode recaps and analyses on the channel. If we were to dive further into one character, who would it be?
Post your opinions in the space provided. For now, I’ll leave you with this and look forward to the next one.
