The show is set in feudal Japan in the year 1600, where Portuguese Catholics dominate trade while European Protestants are kept at bay. With the supreme ruler Tao passing away, five Regents, including Toranaga and others, compete for control and form alliances. Amidst this chaos, an English ship, the Erasmus, approaches Japan. Pilot John Blackthorne navigates the crew through perilous waters, eventually reaching land near the village of Erro where they are captured by the local Lord Yushi Samurai.