Alternate versions

Originally a twelve-hour TV miniseries narrated by Orson Welles, it was later reissued for television in a somewhat shortened version with narration by Anne Bancroft. Shogun was re-edited into a 125-minutes movie for USA network TV with the addition of a new voice over narrated by Orson Welles

The DVD release represents the original broadcast version, except that only part 1 has opening credits and only part 4 has closing credits (presumably removed to avoid repetition).

The 1987 UK CIC video featured the shorter edited version and was cut by 10 secs by the BBFC to remove footage of Japanese throwing stars, and the same edits were maintained for the 1994 box set video release. DVD releases are uncut and feature the full original version.

Later released theatrically in Europe with the addition of new scenes featuring nudity and graphic language.

Released on video in an extremely truncated, two-hour form as Shogun (1980). Among the changes:

• A more gruesome version of an early scene where a man is beheaded.
• A brief moment of full frontal nudity on the part of one of the young Japanese women.