'Shogun' star Hiroyuki Sanada paves Hollywood path for Japanese talent

Movie star wanted to make sure everything in the series, filmed in Canada, looked authentic

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Japanese film star Hiroyuki Sanada plays the fictional warlord Yoshii Toranaga on "Shogun." (Courtesy of FX Networks)

NORIKO SEKIHARA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- After roughly two decades working in Hollywood, Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada took on a new challenge by playing the leading warlord in the Japanese historical drama "Shogun." 

The 10-episode series depicts the exploits of the fictional general Yoshii Toranaga, who is modeled after Tokugawa Ieyasu. The real shogun unified Japan after winning a civil war and his Tokugawa Shogunate ruled the country in relative peace for over 260 years.

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