Library Guides: Shogunate Japan: Home

Source: The Loyal Ronin Crossing the Long Bridge to Embark for the Night Attack upon Moronaoca (1840) by Utagawa Hiroshige (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

In this topic you'll learn all about Japan under the shoguns (794-1867). This period of history covers a large range of topics, from the creation of the Imperial Family to samurai warriors all the way through to when the Western world made its way into Japan. Click through the tabs at the top of this page to focus in on a topic, or read through the resources below for a general overview to start off your investigation into shogunate Japan.

Timeline of Japanese history (University of Pittsburgh, n.d.)
This website gives a timeline of Japanese history from the Neolithic era right through to the present day, with helpful diagrams to show how Japan's borders have changed over the centuries, and with links to articles on each individual time period.
Tokyo National Museum
The Tokyo National Museum collects, houses, and displays a comprehensive collection of art works and antiquities from Japan as well as other Asian countries. It is a great place to look for primary sources and to read more about any part of Japanese history that interests you.
Medieval Japan (Asia for Educators, Columbia University, n.d.)
This website gives a dot point summary of all the major points in Japanese history from 1185 - 1600. All information is organised under sub-headings to make it easier to read.

Bushido: Meaning 'Way of the warrior', Bushido was a strict code of conduct the samurai followed.

Centralised government: government in which power is concentrated centrally at the higher level as opposed to it being more distributed at various lower level governments.

Clan: a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent.

Daimyo: A great leader who was the most powerful under the shogun. His job was manage a large area of land he was in charge of as well as serving the shogun. The daimyo also paid samurais to protect and work for them.

Emperor: The supreme ruler over Japan. He was looked up to by all of his people, but held little power.

Feudal system: An order of society in which people are given different levels of power according to their job and status.

Fief: a source of income granted to a person (called a vassal) by his lord in exchange for his services.

Filial piety: respect for family and ancestors.

Hinin: name given to the outcasts in Medieval Japan.

Kamikaze: a member of a Japanese air attack corps in World War II assigned to make a suicidal crash on a target (such as a ship).

Knights: a mounted soldier serving under a feudal superior in the Middle Ages.

Nobles: a social class normally ranked immediately below royalty and found in some societies that have a formal aristocracy.

Peasants: a pre-industrial agricultural labourer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord.

Ronin: In most simplest terms, a ronin is basically an 'ex-samurai'.

Samurai: a member of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan.

Seppuku: Suicide with honour. It was commonly practised by samurais after the death of their daimyo, or if they had caused disgrace in any way.

Shoen: privately owned or managed land which was over a certain scale and not under public governance (or limiting the public governance as much as possible).

Shogun: Probably the most important and powerful figure in society. He was in charge of military and all the decisions made in this field. He was ranked under the emperor, but held more power.

Shogunate: type of government in Japan that gave all power to the shogun or military ruler.

Vassal: a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty.

Warlord: A military commander.

100 facts: samurai by John Malam
ISBN: 9781848102989
Publication Date: 2010
Brilliantly portrayed through 100 facts, fantastic images and fun cartoons. Get the inside story on famous commanders, find out how weapons were made and learn about the clever tactics behind battle formations.
Japan by Richard Tames
ISBN: 9781841386522
Publication Date: 2003
Read about the Japanese Imperial family, Samurai warriors and Zen monks. Discover why Japan shut out all foreigners for more than 200 years from 1639 onwards. Find out how the Japanese have influenced the west, and westerners the Japanese, from the 1850s to the present day.
Shogunate Japan : Asia-Pacific Relations by Sarah Kemp
ISBN: 9780864271426
Publication Date: 2015
Japan's Shogunate period lasted from 1192 to 1867, with only occasional breaks from military government. This is the story of Emperors with prestige but little power, and of Shoguns who used political cunning and military force to control the nation. Dedicated soldiers, known as samurai, fought the Shogun's battles and maintained civil order among the population. This book explores the styles of the many Shoguns until the Meiji Restoration.
Samurai by Caroline Leavitt
ISBN: 9780736864336
Publication Date: 2007
As one of the most respected warriors of ancient Japan, a samurai's utmost goal was honour, even to the point of death. But aside from fighting, samurai were also masters of meditation and poetry. Give into your curiosity and unravel the mystery of what it meant to be a samurai. Go back in time and learn about history's most storied and courageous warriors. Get an in-depth look at the warrior's time and culture, along with details about weapons, skills, and missions. Find out why you wouldn't want to meet these warriors on the battlefield.
Samurai: an illustrated history by Mitsuo Kure
ISBN: 9780804832878
Publication Date: 2002
The Samurai fought for property, lands, and money - and sometimes even for honour. The violent, tumultuous, and surprisingly elegant world of medieval Japnese samurai is brought vividly to life in this book. The long bloody era of the samurai - when sons killed their fathers, brothers attacked their brothers, wives betrayed their husbands and hosts their gurst, and the forces of the samurai rulers destroyed those of the emperors and monasteries is depicted here in illustrations, in photos from the weapons collections of major museums, and in photos of meticulous reenactments of famous battles.
The samurai of Japan by Michael Gibson
ISBN: 9780853401964
Publication Date: 1973
The Samurai were fierce, grim warriors who dominated the long and bloody civil wars which shook Japan in the Middle Ages. Sword and bow were their most prized possessions, loyalty and honour their cherished ideals. Confident of their strength and skill, they fought courageously in battle and, when defeated, died bravely. Yet gruesome tales have also been told of how they tortured, impaled, roasted and boiled their enemies, quite without pity. The history of the Samurai are traced from the dynastic battles of medieval times to the suicide missions of the Second World War. Their military tradition is described in detail as well as their weapons and armour, and the role they played in Japanese society. A vivid picture is painted of the more peaceful side of their lives, their house, food and pastimes, their religious and their culture.
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Japan by Richard Bowring & Peter Kornicki
Publication Date: 1993
The essential reference guide to Japan; Comprehensive coverage of geography, history, society, religion, politics, economy, literature and the arts; Fifty-four expert contributors; Eighty-seven maps and charts in full colour; More than three hundred evocative photographs; Ready-reference tables, information panels, further reading guides and a glossary.
Life in ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Publication Date: 2005
Explains the life and civilization in pre-modern Japan.
Samurai warrior : operations manual by Chris McNab
Publication Date: 2019
This book explains every aspect of the samurai life, from their role as imperial palace guards through to the peak of their power and influence. It includes detail on their military training and fighting techniques, their literacy and artistic sensibilities, attitudes to women, ritual suicide, and much more.

Shogunate Japan: Home

Samurai Archives Podcast

History of Japan

A Short History of Japan