NEWS that hit FX TV show Shogun has been renewed for another two seasons has been greeted with joy from the series’ many fans – and now Japanese tourism chiefs have shot three short films to trace the real-life seven century-long Shogun culture.

Beautifully filmed in 4K high definition, the videos, created for Tourism Shizuoka, Japan, tell the story of three famous military leaders, showcasing the prefecture’s past and present, and are currently being featured on the bureau’s YouTube channel.

The series begins with the story of Minamoto Yoritomo, who spent most of his life – and married his influential wife – in the Izu Peninsula before he came to power in the 12^th century and established the first Shogunate in Japanese history.

Visitors today can visit the original outdoor onsen, hunting grounds and shrines – including the Mishima Taisha Shrine (pictured above) – frequented by Yoritomo, and where his presence still echoes in the streets and countryside of the prefecture.

The second film highlights Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who grew up in what is now prefecture capital Shizuoka City, in the 16^th century. He became known as Japan’s most famous ruler, establishing the Edo Period laying the foundations for modern-day Tokyo.

Tourists can still visit the site of his Hamamatsu Castle, near Shizuoka Prefecture’s western border, where a replica – pictured above – now stands, and can take the same journey across Lake Hamana that Ieyasu would have taken many years ago.

The final video details the life of the last Shogun, 19th-century Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who retired to Shizuoka City after his expulsion from Edo by revolutionary forces. His abdication allowed Japan to set up its first constitutionally elected government.

Visitors can enjoy a Kaiseki meal at Yoshinobu’s 19th-century retirement mansion, which is home to one of the most beautiful Japanese gardens in all of Shizuoka, can visit the prefecture’s lush green tea fields and dine on soba noodles.

Shizuoka prefecture, one hour from Tokyo by bullet train, is home to the iconic Mount Fuji, and boasts a spectacular coastline, mountains and lakes, including the Izu Peninsula, dubbed “Japan’s Riviera” and designated as a Global Geopark by UNESCO.

The video series has been launched on Tourism Shizuoka Japan’s Explore Shizuoka YouTube channel and there’s tourism advice on Shizuoka here.

Season One of FX’s Shōgun, a new adaptation of James Clavell’s novel set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, is available to stream in the UK on Disney Plus. Starring Hiroyuki Sanada, it will return for two additional seasons.

I watched the first episode out of curiosity and was instantly hooked, making it a must-see binge over a couple of evenings. Much – but not all – of the dialogue is in Japanese, with subtitles, adding to the atmosphere and authenticity.