shogunates

Shogunate, or bakufu, designates the form of government in premodern Japan in which the shogun possessed the real political and military authority, while the emperor remained a largely ceremonial figure. The term refers both to the office of the shogun and to the periods during which military rule, backed by the samurai, dominated national governance.

Japan's first lasting shogunate was the Kamakura shogunate (1192–1333), established by Minamoto no Yoritomo after the Gempei War. In this system the shogun controlled military and civil administration, while the imperial court in Kyoto retained symbolic legitimacy. Central power rested with the shogun, who governed through a network of retainers, jito land stewards, and shugo provincial governors.

The Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period, 1336–1573) succeeded Kamakura but faced weaker central authority as regional daimyō expanded their power. The ensuing Sengoku period featured nearly constant military conflict among rival lords, with the shogunate often unable to enforce unity beyond its core territories, though it continued to provide a formal framework of rule and ceremonies in Kyoto.

The Tokugawa shogunate (Edo period, 1603–1868) established a more centralized and lasting regime after the Battle of Sekigahara. It implemented a rigid class structure, the sakoku policy of limited foreign contact, and the alternate-attendance system (sankin-kotai) to deter rebellion. The shutdown of internal and external pressures ultimately unravelled as internal reform movements and external pressures culminated in the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

Etymology: shogun means "great general" and originates from the title Sei-i Taishōgun; bakufu translates to "tent government," reflecting the military origin of the authority.