How did shoguns utilize feudalism in ancient Japan?

First off, the feudal period in Japan didn't happen in ancient Japan, it happened in the 1500's, in what historians call medieval Japan. read more

First off, the feudal period in Japan didn't happen in ancient Japan, it happened in the 1500's, in what historians call medieval Japan. It's important to make this distinction because ancient Japan isn't very interesting, and definitely didn't have any shoguns. read more

During Japan's feudal period the Shogun held the most power while the Emperor was more of a puppet figure with little actual power. As the Shogun was a military leader his sword, or Nihonto in Japanese (katana came later in the Mid-Muromachi period), was an important part of his attire. read more

Feudal Japan: The Age of the Warrior While most samurai warriors were men, some women were renowned for their skill in battle. A monument was erected to honor Nakano Takeko — a female warrior — at the Hokai temple in Fukushima prefecture because she asked her sister to behead her rather than die dishonorably from a gunshot wound in captivity. read more