Institution

Shōgun

Also known as Seii Taishogun, shogun, shogunate, shogunal, Barbarian-Subduing Generalissimo

Shōgun was the title of the military rulers of Japan, short for Seii Taishōgun, meaning barbarian-subduing generalissimo. Shoguns held real power while the emperor retained ceremonial authority. The Tokugawa Shogunate ruled Japan from the early seventeenth century until the Meiji Restoration, when the shogunate was abolished and power returned to the emperor, as accounts of the Empire of Japan note.

Mentioned in 5 profiles

Empire of JapanFoundationTokugawa ShogunateFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryRyukyu KingdomImpactConfucianismSpreadShintoBeliefs, Spread

Mentioned in 36 state histories

Kamakura shogunateKenmu RestorationAshikaga shogunateKamakura-fuKoga kuboAsakura clan domainMiyoshi clan domainOda regimeTokugawa clan domainKaga DomainTakamatsu DomainOdawara Domainand 24 more

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Shōgun. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shogun
MLA
“Shōgun.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shogun. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Shōgun.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shogun.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Shōgun’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shogun (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻