History of Shogun in Timeline
Shogun, officially sei-i taishōgun, was the title given to the military rulers of Japan from 1185 to 1868. Although nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns often served as the de facto rulers of the country. During parts of the Kamakura and Sengoku periods, shoguns were figureheads with real power held by the shikken of the Hōjō clan and the kanrei of the Hosokawa clan. Notably, leaders like Taira no Kiyomori and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who did not hold the shogun title, still managed to become the de facto rulers by securing other high-ranking positions such as daijō-daijin and kampaku, the highest offices of the aristocratic class.
1912: End of the Meiji Era
In 1912, the Meiji era came to an end, marking the conclusion of a period where Japan rapidly modernized and emerged as an international military and economic power. This period saw significant educational advancements and a thriving publishing culture.
December 1945: Disappearance of the Honjō Masamune
In December 1945, Tokugawa Iemasa gave the Honjō Masamune, a prized sword crafted by Masamune and inherited by successive shoguns, to a police station at Mejiro. The sword subsequently went missing.
2016: Japanese History Textbooks Update
In 2016, Japanese history textbooks stopped specifying a specific year for the beginning of the Kamakura period due to various theories about when the Kamakura shogunate was established.