Shoguns and Samurai in Japan

• In the 12th century, clans fought for control of Japan, leading to a new government headed by a shogun.
• Minamoto no Yoritomo was the first shogunate and awarded the samurai the rank of nobility.
• The shogun was the ruling military commander who controlled Japan, and this period of rule was called a shogunate.
• The shogunate was a Japanese system of government with a military governor, the shogun, holding complete power over Japan.
• The shogun gained so much power that he also held power over the emperor.
• As Japanese society resembled a feudal society, wealthy people needed protection for their land.
• They turned to the samurai to serve as protectors.
• Power struggles led to changes in the Japanese social structure.
• The samurai rose to power in the 12th century along with the shogun.
• The samurai was a highly skilled warrior who protected the shogun, evolving from protectors of nobles' lands to a powerful class of noble warriors.
• This coincided with the rise of the shogun and the focus on Zen Buddhist beliefs.
• Many Japanese people emphasized martial arts training due to a history of conflicts.
• The samurai underwent extensive martial arts and academic training, including politics and poetry.
• The samurai lived by strict self-imposed rules that reflected the foundation of the samurai culture.
• The samurai became nobles and developed a code of honor and studied poetry and art.
• Loyalty and honor were essential for the samurai, so they developed strict rules and an uncompromising code of honor known as the bushido code.
• Although samurai no longer exist, their legacy lives on in Japanese history.

During the 12th century in Japan, clans fought for control, leading to the rise of the shogunate. Minamoto no Yoritomo was the first shogun, elevating the samurai to nobility. The samurai were skilled warriors who protected the shogun and became a powerful noble class.