Civilisations: Rise and Fall

The collapse of Japan's Tokugawa shogunate in the mid-19th century

Sophie Okonedo narrates a look at the collapse of Japan's Tokugawa shogunate in the mid-19th century, which saw a dramatic collision between the country's rulers, ii's samurai class and the industrialised West. This clash is explored through the characters of US naval commander Matthew Perry, who was eager to establish a US-Japan trade route, the shogun aiming to keep his grip on power, and samurai Saigo Takamori, a warrior and reformer dedicated to protecting Japan's independence