WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Shōgun episode 5.

• Lord Toranaga manipulates the untrustworthy Yabushige to his advantage, using his betrayal against him and his nephew Omi strategically.
• Toranaga cleverly assigns Omi authority of the regiment over Yabushige, signaling a clear and deliberate shift in power dynamics.
• Yabushige’s constant lies and betrayal have led to his loss of rank and trust with Toranaga, who is keeping his friends close and enemies closer.

Lord Toranaga’s master plan in Shōgun could aim to pit Lord Yabushige against his noble nephew Omi. Following the shocking ending of Shōgun episode 4, Lord Toranaga was forced to deal with the aftermath of the sudden death of Lord Ishido Kazunari’s messenger, Nebara Jozen. Before Toranaga’s son Yoshii Nagakado murdered Nebara Jozen after a surprise artillery attack, Yabushige had tried to make a deal with the Ishido messenger, which reinforced the notion that Yabushige is openly playing both sides.

Upon Toranaga’s return from Edo, or modern-day Tokyo, in Shōgun episode 5, he disciplines his son’s impulsive and risky strategy to take out Nebara Jozen, revealing that the practice was not part of his original plan. Still, Toranaga is able to spin it around on Yabushige, implying that Yoshii Nagakado brilliantly planned the attack on Nebara Jozen so that Ishido and the other Council of Regents would have no choice but to retaliate. This would allow them to entrench and defend against their attack and would provide a significant advantage on the battlefield.

Lord Toranaga is not as focused on dividing Omi and Yabushige as he is subtly stripping Yabushige of his rank and power, essentially making him a glorified prisoner.

Lord Toranaga is more than aware of Yabushige’s two-faced tactics and wisely uses them against him in Shōgun episode 5. Toranaga initially suggests that Yabushige manipulated Yoshii Nagakado into attacking Jozen so that he could delay his response to Ishido and continue to play both sides, which Yabushige firmly denies. Yabushige insists that Nagakado came up with the idea himself in order to prevent Jozen from reporting Blackthorne’s advanced cannons to Ishido and the Council of Regents.

Fumbling for a satisfactory explanation, Yabushige switches his story mid-conversation and claims that it was his nephew Omi who gave Nagakado the idea in the first place. This shows how willing Yabushige was to throw his own relative under the bus in order to save his own face. Toranaga, who sees right through Yabushige’s constant lies, then reframes his perspective on the attack and deems Omi’s apparent decision to attack Jozen a brilliant success. Thanks to “Omi”, the battle will now come straight to Toranaga, which is why he assigns Omi the regiment as a reward.

Is Lord Toranaga Trying To Cause Conflict With Yabushige & His Nephew, Omi?

Toranaga sees how readily Yabushige threw Omi under the bus and wisely put Omi in a position of authority rather than Yabushige.

Lord Toranaga is not as focused on dividing Omi and Yabushige as he is subtly stripping Yabushige of his rank and power, essentially making him a glorified prisoner. Toranaga sees how readily Yabushige threw Omi under the bus and wisely put Omi in a position of authority rather than Yabushige, who at this point cannot be trusted whatsoever. Toranaga maintains his formality with Yabushige, framing the Jozen situation as a success for him and Omi rather than highlighting Yabushige’s blatant betrayal. Toranaga is the embodiment of the saying “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” in Shōgun.