Japan transitioned to rule by powerful military governors called shoguns starting in 1180 AD. The shoguns gained power after winning a civil war and were granted authority over military forces by the emperor, though the emperor remained the nominal head of government. Samurai were warriors who served noble families in exchange for land and were bound by a strict honor code. Under the shoguns, Japan experienced constant warfare between powerful lords and a period of centralized rule, while the economy grew as trade, agriculture, and crafts expanded.

2. • Japan was ruled by
emperors starting around
AD 500
• Emperors became weak
and Regents began to
govern for them
• Some wealthy people
began to control their own
areas
Japan and the Shoguns

3. Japan and the Shoguns
• Emperors granted land and tax
breaks to noblemen in
exchange for loyalty to the
emperor
• Noblemen passed on land to a
group of warriors for their
loyalty
• Warriors = Samurai

4. Samurai Warriors
• Samurai means “to serve”
• They lived by a strict code
of conduct called Bushido
• Bushido means “the way of
the warrior”

5. Code of Bushido
• The code required a Samurai
be loyal to his master (the
noblemen)
• Bravery and honor were
held highest
• Samurai should not be
concerned with riches
• It was better to die in battle
than be captured or betray
the master

6. Japan moves to the Shogunate
• 1180 AD civil war in Japan between two
most powerful families
• Won by Yoritomo
• Emperor awards him the title of Shogun
• title meant he was commander of the
military forces
• Emperor is official head of Japanese
government (more ceremonial)
• Shoguns actually ruled Japan

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13. Daimyo and the Shoguns
• A separate group of powerful men were
called the Daimyo
• Daimyo were pledged to both the emperor
AND the Shogun
• Beginning in the AD 1300s, Japan was in
constant warfare between Daimyo and
Samurai and Shogun, etc.
• Central government collapsed until 1567
when the Ashikaga Shogunate took over
Japan

14. Shogun Japanese Economy
• Most people were poor rice farmers
• They worked the land owned by the
Daimyo
• Better irrigation allowed for more crops
and fewer workers necessary
• Others could make armor, weapons,
pottery, paper and other tools
• Trade with Korea and China was introduced
• Japan grew in wealth

15. Mongol Invasion
• Mongols from China tried to invade twice
in the AD 1200s
• The ships were destroyed by typhoons
(hurricanes)
• Japanese believed the spirits saved them
from invasions
• They called these storms Kamikaze which
means “divine wind”

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Sup Signal: Middle School
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