In the time period between 1185 and 1868 the Emperor ruled in name at Kyoto however the real strength of power came from the Shoguns, wealthy lords (daimyo) who wanted to increase their wealth, power and political standing. Even though the emperor was seen as the head of the Japanese social society he didn’t have any real power. ‘Shogun’ in Japanese means a military leader equivalent to a general. However the shoguns wielded far more power than generals or even governor general would have. The shoguns had their military office and residence in Edo (modern day Tokyo) while the emperor remained at the old capital, Kyoto. The shogunate system was originally established under the Kamakura Shogunate by Minamoto no Yorimoto. The land was split between wealthy lords who had lesser lords pledging their allegiance to them. The reward for the lord’s loyalty was samurai, agricultural surplus or labour services. Close ties of loyalty between samurai and their subordinates reinforced the hierarchy that held this system of government together. In this time power was constantly shifting and authority was often vague. Even though he had no real power the emperor was a constant threat to the shogunates. A few times the emperor was banished. Each shogunate reflected the necessity of new ways of balancing the changing requirements of central and regional authorities. The shoguns ruled japan with an iron fist. They were close to dictators, backed up by a ruthless military force of samurai. Many think that the ruler of japan was always the emperor but the for a time he was simply a figurehead. The shogun on the present time had all the power.
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