'Shōgun' star reacts to 'amazing' fame after season one

In Shōgun, Hiroyuki Sanada plays the dynamic Lord Toranaga Yoshii. For this, he received tonnes of praise and scores of awards.

Reacting to this, he shares, “It was a great surprise, big surprise. We got a lot of awards, and for me, especially as a producer and as a leading actor, each time I got a award, that was amazing."

"I could never have imagined shooting in Vancouver a few years ago," the veteran actor, who also serves as series executive producer, tells Variety.

It is worth noting that Hiroyuki became the first Japanese actor to receive an Emmy Award for Best Actor.

This milestone comes after he worked for 40 years in his country and an additional 20 years in Hollywood.

“Being recognized in this way is a significant point in my life,” he recalls his excitement at the time. “During the awards ceremonies, the faces of all the people involved, my seniors and teachers, appeared in my mind. In a sense, I feel I was able to repay them.”

As Shōgun's season two is in the works, Hiroyuki acknowledges the pressure to mimic the success of season one.

“Of course, I have pressure for Season 2, but we have a teamwork from season one, and we have a lot of great new casts, so I can’t wait to start shooting, and I can use my pressure as strength to create even better season two,” he shares.

It is unclear when Shōgun season two will arrive specifically, but broadly, it is expected to arrive in late 2026.