Hiroyuki Sanada on the Idea of Filming ‘Shogun’ Season 2 in Japan: “We Are Finding the Possibilities”

[This story contains spoilers for season one of Shōgun .]

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Hiroyuki Sanada, star and producer of Shōgun , is teasing a bit about the hit show’s second season.

The actor was asked at The Hollywood Reporter and SAG-AFTRA’s star-studded Emmy Nominees Night event on Friday if the upcoming season could potentially be filmed in Japan. Season one was filmed in Canada due to COVID-19.

“We are finding the possibilities, of course,” he revealed. “Not everything but maybe part of [the show].”

In an interview with THR last month, Sanada said Vancouver was a “perfect location for Shōgun ” as it’s a convincing stand-in for pre-modern Japan.

“They have a big studio, and a 20-minute drive from the studio they have a forest, river, harbor, everything, without any modern buildings or wires or cables,” the actor added at the time. “In Japan, it’s so hard to find that. Modern things are everywhere.”

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In May, FX and Hulu announced that they were developing two more seasons of the breakout drama, based on author James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name. Shōgun later scored 25 Emmy nominations , including best drama series , leading the pack for this year’s awards ceremony on Sunday. Sanada also earned a best dramatic actor nod for his role as Lord Yoshii Toranaga.

At Friday’s event, Sanada was also asked if audiences could still expect to see Anna Sawai reprise her role as Toda Mariko in the upcoming season, as her character sacrificed her life for Lord Yoshii Toranaga in Shōgun ’s ninth episode, “Crimson Sky.” When THR pitched the idea of Sawai returning as a ghost or in a flashback, Sanada quipped, “Or twins?”

“I have no idea,” the actor admitted. “Only she could do that role so no one can do that like that. I am so proud of her and then hopefully we can work together again but who knows.”

Tiffany Taylor contributed to this story.

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