'Shogun' star Hiroyuki Sanada paves Hollywood path for Japanese talent

TOKYO -- After roughly two decades working in Hollywood, Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada took on a new challenge by playing the leading warlord in the Japanese historical drama "Shogun." 

The 10-episode series depicts the exploits of the fictional general Yoshii Toranaga, who is modeled after Tokugawa Ieyasu. The real shogun unified Japan after winning a civil war and his Tokugawa Shogunate ruled the country in relative peace for over 260 years.