A lesson in history. Shogunates and Periods.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

As I've been reading up on things to see, do and eat in Japan, it's turning into a one giant history lesson.

As I read up on the various temples and historic sites that considered "must-see's" in Japan, I would inevitably come across mention of a historic period. For example, Heian Period. I had no idea what that is. Then, every now and then, I would see mention of the Tokugawa Shogunate or the Ashikaga Shogunate. I have a vague idea of what a shogunate is but I have no idea of what, if anything, a shogunate has to do with the historic periods in Japanese history. Is there a correlation between the two? I set out to find out the answer to that question. That landed me chest deep into Japanese history :-)

First, let's start with the word "shogun" which is the title given to the military rulers of Japan.  The full title was Sei-i-tai Shogun (translates as "barbarian-subduing great general").  The title was passed from father to son.  With the exception of a 3 year period from 1333 to 1336, hereditary shoguns effectively controlled Japan - although always receiving formal authority from the Emperor.

By extension of definition, a shogunate ("bakufu" in Japanese) is defined as "the government, rule, or office of a shogun". 

There were three shogunates in Japan's history:

• The Kamakura Shogunate (1192-1333) which was established by Minamoto no Yoritomo but ruled by the Hojo clan after his death.
• The Ashikaga Shogunate (1338-1597) which was established and ruled by the family of the same name and based in Kyoto.
• The Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1867) which was established and ruled by Tokugawa Ieyasu and  based in Edo which is present day Tokyo.

When the shoguns were not in power, the Emperor was.

The historic timeline of Japan goes back to 30,000 BC but the first period, Jōmon period, started around 300 BC.  The progression of periods and the ruling government is described in the table below which was extracted from a page on Japanese history posted on wikipedia.org.


The first shogunate to exist was the Kamakura Shogunate which was established in 1185.  Before the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate, civil power in Japan was primarily held by the ruling emperors and their regents, typically appointed from the ranks of the imperial court and the aristocratic clans that vied there. Military affairs were handled under the auspices of the civil government. However, after defeating the Taira clan in the Gempei War, Minamoto Yorimoto seized certain powers from the aristocracy in 1185 and was given the title of 1192. The system of government he established became formalized as the shogunate.  It is said that every shogun that ever ruled Japan was somehow descended from Minamoto no Yorimoto.

My history lesson on Shogunates and Periods was going swimmingly well until I got to the Muromachi Period.  It was the first instance in the timeline where there are defined sub-periods.  The early years (1336 to 1392) of the Muromachi period is known as the Nanboku-chō  (lit. "North and South courts") Period because during this time, there existed a North Imperial Court, established by Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and the South Imperial Court, established by Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino. The two courts fought for 50 years, with the South conceding defeat to the North in 1392.

Ashikaga Takauji

The Muromachi Period was essentially Japan's "Golden Age".  Architecture, calligraphy, tea ceremony, dance, ikebana, and other aspects of artistic culture achieved prominence during this period.  Interest in Zen was renewed as were diplomatic relationships with China and both were strong influences during this period.  From a cultural perspective, the Muromachi Period was also subdivided into two periods....the Kitayama and Higashiyama Periods.

The Higashiyama Period, which covered the latter part of the Muromachi Period, gave birth to much of what is commonly seen today as traditional Japanese culture.  Kyoto was the base of the Ashikaga Shogunate so the historic landmarks that are there reflect either the Kitayama or the Higashiyama Period.  

The latter part of the Muromachi Period is known as the Sengoku Period (Period of Warring Kingdoms).  During this period, a central government had been largely reestablished by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, central authority fell to Tokugawa Ieyasu who eventualy received the title of shogun.  Thus, the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Edo Period,which was the period the shogunate ruled in,came into being. The Tokugawa Shogunate was the last shogunate in Japanese history. It came to an official end in 1868, with the resignation of the 15th Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu.


National Treasure
Nezame monogatari emaki
Picture Scroll of the Tale of Nezame
Heian period. 12th century

 As my knowledge and understanding of Japanese history grows, I'm getting more and more excited about going to Japan and seeing how it has influenced the country as I know it today!

Oh....and what about the Heian Period? That period that I knew nothing about? I now know. It's the last division of what is commonly referred to as Classical Japan.  The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō which is now present day Kyoto. The Heian Period is best remembered as the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height.  The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature.