Title
“Shogun” was the title of the military leaders appointed by the Tenno emperors. Although the imperial court was always at the highest position, in fact, shoguns ruled the country. The period of the rules by the Shogunate Bakufu, their offices, lasted from 1185 to 1868. The shogun position was succeeded by descendants of the same family. In history, there were three shogun families: Minamoto (1185-1333), Ashikaga (1336-1573), and Tokugawa (1603-1868).



the Edo Shogunate
Ieyasu Tokkugawa put an end to the civil war stage of Japan and established the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603. This lasted until 1867, when the samurai supporters of the imperial court collapsed the shogunate.
Edo, today’s Tokyo, was the government center place. This shogunate governed the country under the strict rules.
To avoid being invaded by foreign countries, it took the isolation policies of limiting the trading countries to China and Holland. Moreover, Christianity was banned to eliminate foreign influences.
To stabilize the society, it introduced the strict class system, in which Samurai class was the top position, followed by farmers, artisans, and merchants. And the government forced the Samurai class to maintain the feudal system of unbreakable master-supporter relationships.
The government appointed one family as the lord called “Daimyo” of each domain called “Han” to administer the people there. At the same time, the shogunate ruled the Daimyo lords under the severe regulations. If a Daimyo showed some improper administration, it was abolished or changed to another domain of lower rank. Daimyos were required to come to Edo and stay there every other year. They were allowed to own only one castle in their domains.
Under these policies, Japan ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate was stabilized to promote the industries. In spite of some small rebels among poor farmers or others, without being threatened by other countries, it maintained a rather peaceful society.
This shogunate ended in Meiji Ishin, the Meiji Restoration.