The Japanese Imperial Family

The Japanese shogunate is one of the most fascinating political systems in history. There were three shogunates, military governments also called bafuku, between the late 12th and mid-19th centuries. There were differences among the three, but also many commonalities. One of the continuities throughout Japanese history is the continued presence of the imperial family. The way that this ancient line of emperors relates to the feudal power structure politically and spiritually is a defining characteristic of these periods. The feudal power structure of local lords called daimyo under a military dictator called a shogun in conjunction with a beaurocratic central government. Transitions between shogunates clearly reveal these complex interactions of the Japanese court. The Japanese shogunal period (CE 1192-1867) was a time
As legend has it, the Japanese Imperial family is directly descended from Jimmu, the great-grandson of Ninigi, who was the grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu. This lineage is unbroken from the first emperors at Nara in the early 700’s CE to modern day. The first emperors functioned as a blend of shaman and politician, gaining their power through their spiritual ability to make crops grow. The imperial system was the main power structure for a relatively short amount of time, peaking in the 8th century and declining shortly thereafter. With the rise of regents, the imperial family was relegated to purely symbolic and religious roles. Because of their religious significance, the imperial family never lost the heavenly mandate, as happened in