Hiromi T. Rogers was born in the Shiba district of central Tokyo into a family of steel manufacturers, headed, unusually in those days, by her redoubtable grandmother. Her ancestors were samurai and from an early age she immersed herself in samurai films and literature. Graduating from Hosei University in 1983, she left Japan for the UK in 1989, initially to improve her English but ultimately obtaining a PhD at the University of Exeter. Hiromi lives in Devon, with her husband a former diplomat. She is also a prize-winning calligrapher and botanical artist.

• Plate section faces page 140 Preface Acknowledgements List of Illustrations Prologue 1 The Lure of the East 2 A Punishing Passage 3 Life or Death 4 The Shogun Decides 5 The Battle of Sekigahara 6 The Shogun’s Adviser 7 An Exceptional Honour 8 Samurai Life and Nuptials 9 The Battle for Naval Supremacy 10 Trade with the Dutch 11 A Toehold for the Spanish 12 Betrayed 13 A Welcome for the English 14 An Agonizing Decision 15 A Political Earthquake 16 Private Disgrace and Company Debt 17 War and Death 18 Epilogue Afterword Bibliography Index

Hiromi T. Rogers was born in the Shiba district of central Tokyo into a family of steel manufacturers, headed, unusually in those days, by her redoubtable grandmother. Her ancestors were samurai and from an early age she immersed herself in samurai films and literature. Graduating from Hosei University in 1983, she left Japan for the UK in 1989, initially to improve her English but ultimately obtaining a PhD at the University of Exeter. Hiromi lives in Devon, with her husband a former diplomat. She is also a prize-winning calligrapher and botanical artist.

• Plate section faces page 140 Preface Acknowledgements List of Illustrations Prologue 1 The Lure of the East 2 A Punishing Passage 3 Life or Death 4 The Shogun Decides 5 The Battle of Sekigahara 6 The Shogun’s Adviser 7 An Exceptional Honour 8 Samurai Life and Nuptials 9 The Battle for Naval Supremacy 10 Trade with the Dutch 11 A Toehold for the Spanish 12 Betrayed 13 A Welcome for the English 14 An Agonizing Decision 15 A Political Earthquake 16 Private Disgrace and Company Debt 17 War and Death 18 Epilogue Afterword Bibliography Index

Hiromi T. Rogers was born in the Shiba district of central Tokyo into a family of steel manufacturers, headed, unusually in those days, by her redoubtable grandmother. Her ancestors were samurai and from an early age she immersed herself in samurai films and literature. Graduating from Hosei University in 1983, she left Japan for the UK in 1989, initially to improve her English but ultimately obtaining a PhD at the University of Exeter. Hiromi lives in Devon, with her husband a former diplomat. She is also a prize-winning calligrapher and botanical artist.

• Plate section faces page 140 Preface Acknowledgements List of Illustrations Prologue 1 The Lure of the East 2 A Punishing Passage 3 Life or Death 4 The Shogun Decides 5 The Battle of Sekigahara 6 The Shogun’s Adviser 7 An Exceptional Honour 8 Samurai Life and Nuptials 9 The Battle for Naval Supremacy 10 Trade with the Dutch 11 A Toehold for the Spanish 12 Betrayed 13 A Welcome for the English 14 An Agonizing Decision 15 A Political Earthquake 16 Private Disgrace and Company Debt 17 War and Death 18 Epilogue Afterword Bibliography Index