Yoshii Toranaga, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, delivers some of Shogun's most memorable lines. Below are 4 of the best Yoshii Toranaga quotes from Shogun, each with the scene or episode where it appears, plus 4 pieces of trivia about the character.
Best Yoshii Toranaga Quotes
"A man of low rank must work twice as hard to achieve half as much. And then work harder still."
— Yoshii Toranaga, Season 1, Episode 3 - Tomorrow Is Tomorrow
"I do not run. I maneuver."
— Yoshii Toranaga, Season 1, Episode 5 - Broken to the Fist
"War is not a sword. It is a garden. It must be tended long before you harvest."
— Yoshii Toranaga, Season 1, Episode 7 - A Stick of Time
"Every piece on the board moves according to its nature. My task is to know that nature before my opponents do."
— Yoshii Toranaga, Season 1, Episode 9 - Crimson Sky
Yoshii Toranaga Trivia & Fun Facts
- Lord Toranaga is based on the real historical figure Tokugawa Ieyasu, who went on to unify Japan and found the Tokugawa Shogunate.
- Hiroyuki Sanada spent years advocating for a faithful, Japanese-language adaptation of James Clavell's novel before the 2024 FX version was made.
- Toranaga's apparent submission to the Council of Regents throughout the series is ultimately revealed as a long-running strategic deception.
- The character's love of falconry is historically accurate to Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was known to be an avid falconer.
Explore More
Read the full Yoshii Toranaga character profile or browse all Shogun quotes.