What is a Consort in Shogun?

In Shogun, having a Consort meant that the samurai had a legal wife to take care of him.

Shogun has been one of the biggest series to come out in 2024. The series, based on influential figures in early Japan, included various plots and storylines that had its fans at the very edge of their seats. The series has characters influenced by historic people in early Japan where the region was ruled by Lords, Daimyos, and Shoguns.

Shogun was created under the banner of FX and was released on February 27, 2024. The first season of the series had a total of 10 episodes and displaced the complex journey of John Blakthorne in Japan under the leadership of Lord Toranaga in the region of Kanto in Japan.

What is a Consort in Shogun?

In Shogun, a Consort is known to be the legal wife or partner of a samurai or a Lord. In early Japan (around the timelines of when Shogun is set) the Lord and Shoguns of the land of Japan were allowed to have only one wife in their life. Any other woman that the Lord or the man would bring to his house was known as a concubine. Around this age and time, legal marriages were finalized by the father of the family or lords of the region to gain political partnership, whereas women who were directly elected by the samurais were known to be concubines.

Consorts had a special role in the place of the Lord's house or family. A child born during the relationship between a consort and the Lord is likely to be the heir of the family. The consorts are also known to be the “innermost person” of the house, better known as the Seishitsu, who manage the entire ongoings of the house, from managing her lord's needs to deciding to take care of the work in the house.

Who are the consorts introduced throughout Shogun season 1?

The first season of Shogun showed us various characters having quite an important role with impact in the series. Some of the female characters in the series were introduced as consorts and they are as follows:

Kiri no Kata

Kiri no Kata is known as the Consort wife of Lord Toranaga in Shogun. While we haven’t seen much from the character as per the storyline perspective, it is known that Kiri no Kata is one of the most vibrant personalities among Toranaga's wives and is quite vigilant about all that is happening in her surroundings. The character of Kiri no Kata is played by Japanese actress Yoriko Dōguchi.

Ochiba-no-kata

Ochiba-no-kata is one of the most influential characters in the series. Being the late Taiko’s wife, as a Consort, Lady Ochiba was seen taking serious decisions, taking power into her own hands, and making sure that the future of her son and herself is completely secure in Japan. While earlier, Lady Ochiba was seen in a negative light, as the story continues, we see Ochiba discovering the manipulative nature of Ishido and deciding to side with Toranaga.

Usami Fuji

Usami Fuji is one of the main characters in the Shogun series. While earlier she was to be married to Tadayoshi having a child with him, after their deaths due to the events of season one, Fuji was seen as completely devastated to the point where she wanted to end her life. It was Toranaga who gave her a purpose to live again, by making her the consort to the newly appointed Hatamoto John Blackthorne. While in the beginning Lady Fuji was completely against being a consort to John, after spending some time with him she grew to be quite impressed and happy to help him out in his journey. By the end of the series, we learn that Fuji decides to leave Blackthorne and become a nun.

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