Kashigi Yabushige (樫木 藪重) is a character in the FX limited series, Shōgun, who is portrayed by Tadanobu Asano.
Charismatic, brilliant, and brutal, Yabushige is lord of Izu within the Kanto region. While he serves Toranaga, he peddles his treachery to either get ahead or simply survive, all the while changing his loyalties accordingly.
Biography[]
Arriving in Ajiro to see the Barbarian Ship[]
In Ajiro, Kashigi Omi calls his uncle Lord Yabushige to arrive after John Blackthorne's ship turns up on the coast of Japan. Yabushige has his priest translate to understand Blackthorne's intentions. The priest accuses them of being pirates and refuses to properly translate his requests. Blackthorne refuses to have the priest represent him but Yabushige tells him to get bathed since there is no proof he is a pirate.
One of Blackthorne’s men get boiled alive at Yabushige’s orders. Lord Yabishige comments that the man’s end of death was inarticulate and that he took a long time to die. Meanwhile, Kiku, a courtesan, entertains Lord Yabushige by seducing another man in front of him.
Hiromatsu arrives in Ajiro and questions Lord Yabushige about the ship, insisting that it belongs to Lord Toranaga. Reluctantly, Yabushige assures Hiromatsu he is loyal to Toranaga and that the ship is his.
Bringing Blackthorne to Osaka[]
With Blackthorne and Lord Rodrigues, they take off for Osaka however they encounter a rough storm. They run into trouble on the water and lose Lord Rodrigues overboard. Blackthorne insists they look for him because he never leaves a man behind. They find him washed up onto a rock. Blackthorne insists on getting him but instead, Yabushige goes himself but the rope severs and he falls onto the rocks below. Yabushige finds Lord Rodrigues is still breathing but he falls into the water. The men get more rope and throw it down to him. Both Yabushige and Lord Rodrigues survive. Yabushige takes Blackthorne to Lord Toranaga.
After Blackthorne gets ordered to die by the Council of Regents, Yabushige intercepts the plan on behalf of Lord Toranaga. He appears and unties Blackthorne as his men kill the others, later blaming "bandits" for the incident. Yabushige takes Blackthorne to Toranaga, who thanks him for bringing him the barbarian to him not once but twice.
Returning Again to Ajiro[]
Yabushige writes a new will after being summoned by Toranaga. Yabushige goes to meet with Toranaga and hands over his sword to Yoshii Nagakado before entering. Toranaga tells him about the attack from the night prior and asks him what he knows about the society of the Amida. Yabushige explains that he only knows what everyone knows -that they are assassins sworn by the most sacred oaths of the Buddha Amida. Toranaga asks what he might pay for his head, implying that Yabushige was behind the attack. Instead of sending Yabushige to be killed, he asks him what he wants, which is the Suraga Province to expand his fief. Toranaga tells him he shall have it.
Yabushige, Yoshii Nagakado, and a group gather to set off to Ajiro with John, Kiri no Kata, Mariko, and others - without Toranaga. However, Ishido shows up upset that Toranaga did not give a day’s notice before Kiri’s departure so that he could pay his respects. Ishido speaks to Kiri and she informs him there are too many assassins in Osaka and this is why she plans to leave. Ishido insists his men escort them to the gates of Osaka.
Under Yabushige's command, the convoy proceed to leave and head to Ajiro. Suddenly, the group get attacked by ambushers with flaming arrows. Mariko opens the door to Toranaga’s carriage and his men are surprised to see him there. Many men get killed. Ultimately, Toranaga, John, Yabushige, Fuji, and Mariko escape and reach the harbor. John recognizes the crew there and they see the Black Ship. They board row boats to head to the ship. After Toranaga makes a deal with the captain, they take off and successfully escape Kiyama's men and safely ride to Ajiro.
Supporting in Ajiro[]
Yabushige oversees the training of the soldiers in Ajiro by John. He is surprised and impressed by John's skills with the canons. During the training, a man comes running to warn everyone that Lord Ishido’s men are coming from the west. Nebara Jozen leads the pack. Yabushige goes to speak to Jozen who hands him a letter instructing him to return to Osaka to renew his oath of loyalty to the Council. Yabushige tells him this is all a misunderstanding but Jozen tells him he’ll take this refusal as a sign he is now an enemy of Ishido. Yabushige shows him he is only trying to help Ishido- by learning the ways of war from the barbarian. This seems to satisfy Jozen for the time being. He invites him to stay in Ajiro for the time being.
The next day, Jozen and Yabushige gather on the field. Nagakado comes out and accuses Jozen of intolerable behavior, offensive to his father. He has canons pointed at Jozen’s men and his men begin firing. Yabushige begs him to stop, confused about what is happening. Nagakado brings down the final blow on Jozen, killing him and essentially declaring war.
Preparing for War[]
Yabushige gets Toranaga up to date about the training. Toranaga asks about Jozen’s request for him during his visit and Yabushige assures Toranaga that his loyalty is with him. Toranaga accuses him of playing both sides and manipulating his son but Yabushige insists it wasn’t him. He admits maybe it was his nephew. Toranaga says they must prepare for war now that Jozen is dead. He assumes Ishido will attack them there so he starts to make preparations. He tells Yabushige to let Omi know he is giving him command of the Anjin’s artillery.
Yabushige sends one of his men to Osaka to make amends with Ishido. He demands Omi find Tomonaga’s spy. Eventually, they find the "spy" (planted by Lord Toranaga) who was a gardener who died the day before.
Yabushige anxiously waits for this possible war, getting more nervous by the day especially as he feels his power being taken away after Lord Toranaga gives the Anjin control of the cannon regiment. He advises Omi that they might be in trouble.
Saeki's Arrival[]
Yabushige eats dinner with Lord Toranaga and his brother, Saeki, and some others as they joke around. Saeki informs them Lord Toranaga must surrender as he has joined the Council of Regents. Yabushige knows he's in a sticy situation with his wavering loyalties.
While waiting for Toranaga to decide to engage in war or surrender, he toys with the Anjin and tries to teach him how to use his sword.
Waiting in Edo[]
Yabushige goes to Edo with the others to wait for their surrender. Hiromatsu tells Yabushige that Ishido requested he first go to Osaka alone to return the guns and cannons. Later, John goes to Yabushige and offers to sail a ship on his behalf but Yabushige refuses, insisting that Lord Toranaga hasn’t given up. Eventually, Yabushige decides to partner with the Anjin but Omi disapproves, believing the Anjin to be dangerous. Yabushige calls them allies. Mariko arrives, informing Yabushige that Lord Toranaga has requested she join him in Osaka.
Arrival in Osaka[]
Yabushige sails to Osaka. He advises John to stay close once they arrive because Ishido’s men will meet them immediately. John and Yabushige go to see the Council of Regents to surrender and offer condolences for Daoyoin’s death. Yabushige claims he was deceived into leading Toranaga out of Osaka but Ishido isn’t buying Yabushige’s story believing him to be a traitor. He delivers the Anjin as a gift to apologize but Ishido says the heir isn’t interested in barbarians.
Later on, after Mariko's act of defiance, Yabushige receives an offer from Ishido- get pardoned from death but in exchange do him a favor.
It seems Yabushige agrees to do this favour because later that evening when someone comes to relieve Yabushige from his post at the watch at the castle walls but he kills the man. Someone throws hooks over the wall guarding the castle. Yabushige goes and kills someone else before letting a mysterious man and group of people into the castle. The intruders, later revealed to be Shinobi, kill many people.
Yabushige pretends to be a victim like the others and runs to hide. He goes with Mariko and John and they try to hide but the Shinobi plan to blow open their hiding spot. They successfully explode the door open.
Yabushige wakes up John after the explosion. John rushes to Mariko and finds her dead. He says a prayer. The others cry desperately and Yabushige feels the guilt of his actions.
Yabushige's Downfall[]
Ishido speaks to Yabushige about the attack. Yabushige, wracked with guilt, laments Mariko's death, with Yabushige pointing out that Mariko died because she resisted. Nevertheless, Ishido informs Yabushige that he is grateful to him and that his seat in the Council is assured once Lord Toranaga has been dealt with. However, Yabushige ignores Ishido's promises and attempts capturing a catfish in an empty pond, muttering about how the earthquake that had occurred earlier in the day was a bad omen to Ishido. Unsettled, Ishido leaves Yabushige to his ramblings.
As he and John head back to Izu, Yabushige pleads with John to take him to the Erasmus and bring him to England. Yabushige then asks John to teach him how to dive like how he taught Lord Toranaga months before, even stripping off his robe, having apparently lost his mind. However, Yabushige stops when they spot the wreckage of the Erasmus, apparently having been sunk by Christian spies.
When they land on Ajiro, Yabushige is arrested by Omi, who informs him that Lord Toranaga requests his presence. Once brought in front of Lord Toranaga, Yabushige attempts to beg forgiveness for Mariko's death. Omi reveals to his uncle that he'd been informed by the maidens from Osaka that Yabushige had been seen letting the intruders inside the castle. When questioned, Yabushige admits his involvement, leading to Toranaga sentencing him to death by sepukku the next day. Yabushige begs Lord Toranaga to execute him in various methods instead of sepukku and that Omi be named his heir, both of which Lord Toranaga informs him that he has no power to choose anymore. Initially choosing John to be his second, Yabushige requests Toranaga himself to be his second instead, with the latter agreeing.
The next day, Yabushige bids his farewells to his squire and to his nephew, affectionately calling the latter the son he never had, before going to sit with Lord Toranaga. Yabushige laments how his frustrations to Lord Toranaga, wondering aloud how the latter expects to win the fight against Ishido. Toranaga reveals that Crimson Sky is complete and what his true intentions behind sending Mariko were. Mariko got to Ochiba, who grew tired of her relationship with Ishido, and Ochiba no Kata pledged to Lord Toranaga that she would not send the heir’s army to support Ishido in war. He believes the Council will not support Ishido after that. He implies that he wants to become a shogun after all. Yabushige then stabs himself and Lord Toranaga seconds him, cutting his head off.
Personality[]
Yabushige is a charming charismatic man. He is brilliant, strategic, and can be brutal at times particularly when it comes to killing.
Appearances[]
Notes and Trivia[]
Yabushige's swaying loyalties may be exaggeratedly referencing a lesser-known member of the historical Honda clan whom sided with uprisings against the Tokugawa early on, and is thought to have been scheming whenever he wasn't brazenly feuding with his lord's other retainers.