Photo/Illutration Hiroyuki Sanada in the drama series “Shogun” (Courtesy of FX Networks)

This past spring, the Oxford English Dictionary added 23 words of Japanese origin, including “donburi” and “okonomiyaki.”

This makes me wonder if the OED may be a tad too obsessed with food, but never mind. It’s good to know that the English-speaking world’s image of Japan has now expanded beyond sushi and tempura.

As testimony to the West becoming familiar with Japanese culture, the OED also contains Japanese words that were introduced to Europe by Christian missionaries up to the early Edo Period (1603-1867).

They are interesting. Among them are “miyako,” “bento,” “typhoon,” and, of course, “shogun.”

The drama series “Shogun,” starring Hiroyuki Sanada, won recognition in the United States by winning a record 18 Emmys including the award for Outstanding Drama Series.

A period drama of epic proportions, its main characters are based on real historical figures such as Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) and the English navigator William Adams (1564-1620) who lived through the turbulent times, seeking hegemony.

Watching the series, I was quite impressed with the meticulous attention to detail with which every scene was depicted.

From the way maid servants carried themselves to the interior decor, everything came across as authentically Japanese—something that is not the case with many foreign-produced dramas set in Japan.

Sanada, who was also an executive producer of “Shogun,” recalled that he even corrected the hand positions of extras playing samurai when they bowed. He was determined to “introduce Japanese culture to the world correctly.”

That reminded me of an episode about Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998) when he directed the 1950 film “Rashomon.” In his commitment to realism, he ordered every roof tile in one scene engraved with the words “Enryaku 17-nen” (the 17th year of the Enryaku Era).

It is said that skimping on time and effort will not result in a world-class masterpiece. I think the 18 Emmys won by “Shogun” proved that point.

“It was an East-meets-West dream project,” said Sanada during the awards ceremony.

There is no doubt that 400 years after the word “shogun” first became known overseas, its global image has just acquired a greater depth.

—The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 18

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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