To historian Frederik Cryns, Japan feels more like home than his birthplace in Belgium. So back in 2021, when he was asked by American screenwriter Justin Marks to come on board as the historical advisor for "Shogun" (2024), it was a "childhood dream come true."
Cryns was first introduced to "Shogun" as a boy: The original 1980 TV show sparked what would become a lifelong love affair with Japanese culture. Aged just 19, he read James Clavell's unwieldy, 1,000-odd page novel, before heading to Japan for the very first time -- where he has lived ever since.
