Political Features of Shogunate Japan
Under Shogunate rule, Japan was a country undergoing a political metamorphosis, dictated by the shogun (a military warlord), and was under a form of government known as the bakufu. Unlike the precedent Heian period, where the Emperor had political power of the country, the shoguns had control in most areas of society and in the text, Japan-Its history and culture, historians William Scott Morton and J. Kenneth Olenik evidently state that the reason the shoguns had so much political power was due to the fact that they were highly strategic in their decisions. By attaching warriors to themselves and categorising them into succinct groups, they were able to stop any military alliances between the warriors, which could be potentially harmful to them and overthrow their rule. Furthermore, the Edo period screen (shown below), illustrating the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 AD, is an ideal example that demonstrates how fragile the government was at the time. During the Shogunate period, Japan was politically unstable and prone to sudden changes. It was a time in history which could be also referred to as “the Warring States.” The screen depicts numerous flags, representing the different clans (Sengoku daimyo), and a large number of warriors, fighting against each other. Battles were a common occurrence in medieval Japan and were believed to be the only way to gain ascendency of power and land title. Towards the end of this era, in the Tokugawa Shogunate, an important political decision was made to prohibit trade with western nations (except the Dutch), isolating Japan from the rest of the world. As stated by historian Marius B. Jansen in his text, The Making of Modern Japan, Japan’s “national security was now at stake.” It was believed that foreign influence would inspire and provoke rebellion against the bakufu, resulting in a collapse of government. Hence, one can conclude that fear of loss of power alongside the formation of a fragile military government by the shoguns distinctively reveal the main political features of medieval Japan.