This is the glossary of Japanese history including the major terms, titles and events the casual (or brand-new) reader might find useful in understanding articles on the subject.

A

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ashigaru were peasant infantry employed by the warlords of Japan to supplement the samurai in their armies. The first known reference to ''ashigaru'' was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period) that the use of ' ...

'' (足軽) – feudal foot soldiers drawn from the peasant or commoner class, rather than from the samurai hereditary warrior class. *'' Ashikaga'' – ''bushi'' clan from

Kamakura , officially , is a city of Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. It is located in the Kanto region on the island of Honshu. The city has an estimated population of 172,929 (1 September 2020) and a population density of 4,359 people per km2 over the tota ...

whose members ruled as ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

s'' over Japan from 1336 to 1573.

B

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bakufu , officially , was the title of the military rulers of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, except during parts of the Kamak ...

'' (幕府) – a ''

''s government; commonly called "shogunate" in English. * ''

bettō is a term which originally indicated the head of an institution serving temporarily as the head of another one, but which came to mean also the full-time head of some institution.Iwanami Japanese dictionaryEncyclopedia of Shinto, Bettō The Kama ...

'' (別当) – the head of a civilian, military or religious institution. *''

bugyō was a title assigned to ''samurai'' officials in feudal Japan. ''Bugyō'' is often translated as commissioner, magistrate, or governor, and other terms would be added to the title to describe more specifically a given official's tasks or jurisdi ...

'' (奉行) – a magistrate. Examples include the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

''machibugyō'' who administered the city during the Edo period. *'' bushi'' (武士) – a member of the warrior class (a samurai). *''

bushidō is a Samurai moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. Its origins date back to the Kamakura period, but it was formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido which evolved significant ...

'' (武士道) – purported warrior code of honor, analogous to Western

chivalry Chivalry, or the chivalric language, is an informal and varying code of conduct that developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christianity, Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of ...

C

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chōnin was a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. In the social hierarchy, it was considered subordinate to the samurai warrior class. Social class The ''chōnin'' emerged in ''joka-machi'' or castle t ...

'' (町人, "townsman") - a social class that emerged in Japan during the early years of the Tokugawa period. The majority of ''chōnin'' were merchants, but some were craftsmen, as well.

D

* ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and no ...

'' () – a feudal lord during the later

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

Sengoku period The was the period in History of Japan, Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as th ...

Azuchi–Momoyama period The was the final phase of the in Japanese history from 1568 to 1600. After the outbreak of the Ōnin War in 1467, the power of the Ashikaga Shogunate effectively collapsed, marking the start of the chaotic Sengoku period. In 1568, Oda Nob ...

and Edo period.

E

* ''

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

'' (江戸) – the old name of Tokyo when it was the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. Alternate, outdated spellings include Yedo and Yeddo. *Eikyō Rebellion (永享の乱 ''Eikyō no Ran'') –

Ashikaga Mochiuji Ashikaga Mochiuji (, 1398–1439) was the Kamakura-fu's fourth Kantō kubō during the Muromachi period (15th century) in Japan. During his long and troubled rule the relationship between the west and the east of the country reached an all-time ...

's 1439 rebellion against the Ashikaga shogunate. See also the article '' Kantō kubō''.

F

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fudai daimyō was a class of ''daimyō'' (大名) in the Tokugawa Shogunate (徳川幕府) of Japan who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa before the Battle of Sekigahara. ''Fudai daimyō'' and their descendants filled the ranks of the Tokugawa admin ...

'' (譜代) – a ''daimyō'' who was a hereditary vassal of the Tokugawa before the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was an important battle in Japan which occurred on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, ...

(1600). See also ''tozama daimyō''.

G

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gaikoku bugyō were the commissioners or "magistrates of foreign affairs" appointed at the end of the Edo era by the Tokugawa shogunate to oversee trade and diplomatic relations with foreign countries. In essence this was the beginning of the creation of a Mini ...

'' (外国奉行) – commissioners appointed to oversee foreign trade and relations between 1858 and 1868. *

Genkō War The , also known as the , was a civil war fought in Japan between the Emperor Go-Daigo and the Kamakura Shogunate from 1331 to 1333. The Genkō War was named after Genkō, the Japanese era corresponding to the period of 1331 to 1334 when the wa ...

(元弘の乱, Genkō no Ran) – a civil war which marked the fall of the Kamakura shogunate and end of the power of the Hōjō clan *''

Genpei War The was a national civil war between the Taira clan, Taira and Minamoto clan, Minamoto clans during the late Heian period of Japan. It resulted in the downfall of the Taira and the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate under Minamoto no Yori ...

'' (源平合戦 Genpei Kassen) (1180–1185) – a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans and in late-Heian period Japan that resulted with the defeat of the Taira. *''

genrō was an unofficial designation given to a generation of elder Japanese statesmen, all born in the 1830s and 1840s, who served as informal extraconstitutional advisors to the emperor during the Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa eras of Japan ...

'' (元老) – unofficial term for retired Japanese statesmen considered "founding fathers" of modern Japan who served as informal advisors to the emperor during the Meiji and Taishō periods. * ''

gokenin A was initially a vassal of the shogunate of the Kamakura and the Muromachi periods.Iwanami Kōjien, "Gokenin" In exchange for protection and the right to become '' jitō'' (manor's lord), a ''gokenin'' had in times of peace the duty to protect ...

'' (or ''kenin''; 御家人) – A vassal of the ''shōgun'' during the Kamakura, Ashikaga and

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

s. *''

Gosanke The , also called simply , or even , were the most noble three branches of the Tokugawa clan of Japan: Owari, Kii, and Mito, all of which were descended from clan founder Tokugawa Ieyasu's three youngest sons, Yoshinao, Yorinobu, and Yorifusa ...

'' (御三家)– Three branches of the Tokugawa clan from which a ''shōgun'' might be chosen if the main line became extinct. Established by

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

in the early Edo period. They were the ''daimyō'' of the Owari (or Bishū), Kii (or Kishū), and Mito Han. *''

Gosankyō The were three branches of the Tokugawa clan of Japan. They were descended from the eighth of the fifteen Tokugawa shōguns, Yoshimune (1684–1751). Yoshimune established the ''Gosankyo'' to augment (or perhaps to replace) the '' Gosanke' ...

'' (御三卿) – Three branches of the Tokugawa clan from which a ''shōgun'' might be chosen if the main line became extinct. Established by

Tokugawa Yoshimune was the eighth ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1716 until his abdication in 1745. He was the son of Tokugawa Mitsusada, the grandson of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Yoshimune is know ...

in the middle of the

. * ''gosho'' (御所) – The Emperor's throne or his residence. The residence of a member of the Imperial family, and a term to indicate those members. The residence of a prince or ''shōgun'', and a term for prince or ''shōgun''. *''

gōzoku , in Japanese, refers to powerful regional families. In historical context, it can refer to powerful non-royal families regardless of their area of influence, in contrast to the Imperial Family. The most powerful ''gōzoku'' families of the Yam ...

'' (豪族) – local samurai clans with significant local land holdings.

H

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haibutsu kishaku (literally "abolish Buddhism and destroy Shākyamuni") is a term that indicates a current of thought continuous in Japan's history which advocates the expulsion of Buddhism from Japan.shinbutsu bunri The Japanese term indicates the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, introduced after the Meiji Restoration which separated Shinto ''kami'' from buddhas, and also Buddhist temples from Shinto shrines, which were originally amalgamated. It is a ...

''. *''haimyō'' (俳名) – a "

haiku is a type of short form poetry that originated in Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases composed of 17 Mora (linguistics), morae (called ''On (Japanese prosody), on'' in Japanese) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern; that include a ''kire ...

pen-name". It was common in the

for artists, writers,

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

actors and others to take part in poetry circles and to take on pen-names under which they would compose poetry or create related works, such as ''

haiga is a style of Japanese painting that incorporates the aesthetics of ''haikai''. ''Haiga'' are typically painted by haiku poets (''haijin''), and often accompanied by a haiku poem. Like the poetic form it accompanied, ''haiga'' was based on simp ...

'' paintings. *'' han'' (藩) – feudal

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

s; the land owned and controlled by a noble lord or clan. *''hansatsu'' (藩札) –

scrip A scrip (or ''wikt:chit#Etymology 3, chit'' in India) is any substitute for legal tender. It is often a form of credit (finance), credit. Scrips have been created and used for a variety of reasons, including exploitative payment of employees un ...

issued by a ''han''. *''

Hatamoto A was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan. While all three of the Shōgun, shogunates in History of Japan, Japanese history had official retainers, in the two preceding ones, they were referred ...

'' (旗本) - high-ranking direct retainers of the Tokugawa shogunate *''Heian'' **(a) ''

Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mo ...

'' (平安京) – capital of Japan from 794 to 1185; located in present-day

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

. **(b) ''

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...

'' (平安時代) – historical period during which capital was located at

. *

Hiki Yoshikazu Hiki Yoshikazu was a Japanese samurai lord and a powerful ''gokenin'' of the Kamakura Shogunate during the Kamakura period. He was related to the ruling Minamoto clan through his daughter's marriage. He, and much of the Hiki clan, were killed for ...

's rebellion (比企能員の乱 ''Hiki Yoshikazu no Ran'') – Hiki Yoshikazu's rebellion against the

Hōjō clan The was a Japanese samurai family who controlled the hereditary title of '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate between 1203 and 1333. Despite the title, in practice the family wielded actual political power in Japan during this perio ...

. *

(北条氏) – branch of the Taira clan that ruled Japan from Kamakura during the Kamakura period. Not to be confused with the Later Hōjō clan (see below). *'' Hōkōshū'' (奉公衆) – During the Muromachi period, the

Gokenin A was initially a vassal of the shogunate of the Kamakura and the Muromachi periods.Iwanami Kōjien, "Gokenin" In exchange for protection and the right to become '' jitō'' (manor's lord), a ''gokenin'' had in times of peace the duty to protect ...

part of the ''shōgun''s personal army. They constituted five uits were in service from the time of

Ashikaga Yoshimitsu was the third '' shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate, ruling from 1368 to 1394 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimitsu was Ashikaga Yoshiakira's third son but the oldest son to survive, his childhood name being Haruō (). Yoshimitsu ...

to that of

Ashikaga Yoshinori was the sixth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1429 to 1441 during the Muromachi period of medieval Japan. Yoshinori was the son of the third ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). His childhood name ...

. The '' KantōkKubō'' had his own ''Hōkōshū'', which were an important part of his power base.

J

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jitō were medieval territory stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. Appointed by the shōgun, ''jitō'' managed manors, including national holdings governed by the '' kokushi'' or provincial governor. There were als ...

'' (地頭) – ''shōgun''-appointed officials that managed ''

shōen A was a field or Manorialism, manor in Japan. The Japanese language, Japanese term comes from the Tang dynasty Chinese language, Chinese term "莊園" (Mandarin: ''zhuāngyuán'', Cantonese: ''zong1 jyun4''). Shōen, from about the 8th to th ...

'' ( manors) during the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. *''

Jōkyū War , also known as the Jōkyū Disturbance or the Jōkyū Rebellion, was fought in Japan between the forces of Retired Emperor Go-Toba and those of the Hōjō clan, regents of the Kamakura shogunate, whom the retired emperor was trying to overthro ...

'' (承久の乱 ''Jōkyū no Ran'') – a 1221 war between

Emperor Go-Toba was the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198. This 12th-century sovereign was named after Emperor Toba, and ''go-'' (後), translates literally as "later"; ...

and the

Kamakura shogunate The was the feudal military government of Japan during the Kamakura period from 1185 to 1333. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Kamakura-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 459. The Kamakura shogunate was established by Minamoto no Yori ...

K

*'' kaikin'' (海禁) – "maritime prohibitions" imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate from roughly 1635 to 1853. See also ''

hai jin The Haijin () or sea ban were a series of related policies in China restricting private maritime trading during much of the Ming dynasty and early Qing dynasty. The sea ban was an anomaly in Chinese history as such restrictions were unknown durin ...

'', ''

sakoku is the most common name for the isolationist foreign policy of the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate under which, during the Edo period (from 1603 to 1868), relations and trade between Japan and other countries were severely limited, and almost all ...

''. *''

Kami are the Deity, deities, Divinity, divinities, Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits, mythological, spiritual, or natural phenomena that are venerated in the traditional Shinto religion of Japan. ''Kami'' can be elements of the landscape, forc ...

'' (神) - are the spirits or phenomena that are worshipped in the religion of

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

. *''

Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...

'' (神風) – were a part of the

Japanese Special Attack Units During World War II, , also called ''shimbu-tai'', were specialized units of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army normally used for suicide missions (specifically, suicide attacks). They included ''kamikaze'' aircraft, ''fukur ...

military aviators A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a di ...

who initiated

suicide attack A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are a form of murder–suicide that is ofte ...

s for the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

. It also means "divine wind" or " spirit wind". *'' kampaku'' (関白) – an Imperial regent who served a number of functions, including chief advisor and secretary. * ''Kannō'' disturbance (観応擾乱, Kannō Jōran), also called ''Kannō'' incident – a 1350 factional struggle with serious consequences pitting

Ashikaga Tadayoshi "Ashikaga Tadayoshi" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 624. was a general of the Nanboku-chō period, Northern and Southern Courts period (1337� ...

, Takauji's brother, against the Kō brothers, Moronao and Moroyasu. See also the article

Nanboku-chō period The , also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period, was a period in Japanese history between 1336-1392 CE, during the formative years of the Ashikaga shogunate, Muromachi (Ashikaga) shogunate. Ideologically, the two courts fought for 50 ...

. *''

kanrei or, more rarely, ''kanryō'', was a high political post in feudal Japan; it is usually translated as ''shōguns deputy''. After 1349, there were actually two ''Kanrei'', the ''Kyoto Kanrei'' and the ''Kantō Kanrei''. But originally from 1219 unt ...

'' (管領) - a high political post (''shōgun''s deputy) of the Kamakura and Ashikaga shogunates. Originally called shitsuji. *'' kenin'' (家人) – one of the lower castes under the ''ritsuryō'' system (see below). Also a direct vassal of the ''shōgun'' during the Kamakura period (see "gokenin" above). *'' Kentō-shi'' (遣唐使) – mission to

Tang China The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

(唐) for importing the technologies and culture of China to Japan. *'' Kenzui-shi'' (遣隋使) – mission to

Sui China The Sui dynasty ( ) was a short-lived Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 581 to 618. The re-unification of China proper under the Sui brought the Northern and Southern dynasties era to a close, ending a prolonged period of political div ...

(隋) for importing the technologies and culture of China to Japan. *''

koku The is a Chinese-based Japanese unit of volume. One koku is equivalent to 10 or approximately , or about of rice. It converts, in turn, to 100 shō and 1,000 gō. One ''gō'' is the traditional volume of a single serving of rice (before co ...

'' (石) – an amount of rice equal to the amount one man eats in a year; used in feudal times as a measurement of income and of wealth. *''Koga kubō'' (古河公方) – title arbitrarily assumed by

Ashikaga Shigeuji ( – 1497) was a Muromachi period warrior and the Kamakura-fu's fifth and last '' Kantō kubō'' (''Shōgun'' Deputy). Fourth son of fourth ''Kubō'' Ashikaga Mochiuji, he succeeded his father only in 1449, a full decade after his death by '' ...

after his escape from Kamakura to the city of

Koga, Ibaraki is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 137,512 in 58,276 households and a population density of 1113 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 28.98%. The total area of ...

. *'' kubō'' (公方) – ''shōgun''. Title later also assumed by the Kantō ''kanrei'', who became known as '' Kantō kubō''. * ''

kugyō is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank un ...

'' (公卿) – a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. *''

Kyōtoku Incident The Kyōtoku incident (享徳の乱, ''Kyōtoku no Ran'') was a long series of skirmishes and conflicts fought for control of the Kantō region of Japan in the 15th century. The conflict began in 1454 with the assassination of by '' Kantō kubō ...

'' (享徳の乱, ''Kyōtoku no Ran'') – a long series of skirmishes and conflicts fought for control of the Kantō region of Japan in the 15th century.

L

*''

Later Hōjō clan The was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply , but were called "Later Hōjō" to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan who h ...

'' (後北条氏) – also known as Odawara Hōjō clan. A powerful warrior clan of the Sengoku period, it had renamed itself after the original Hōjō clan from Kamakura (see above).

M

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Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

'' – The 1867 restoration of the

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

to being the true ruler of the country, in practice as well as name, and the downfall of the last shogunate. *''

Minamoto was a noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility since 814."...the Minamoto (1192-1333)". ''Warrior Rule in Jap ...

'' – the Minamoto clan defeated the rival

Taira The was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period of Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto, the Fujiwara, and the Tachibana. The clan is divided into four major groups, named ...

clan in 1185, establishing the first shogunate.

N

*''

Nagaoka-kyō was the capital of Japan from 784 to 794. Its location was in Otokuni District, Yamashiro Province, corresponding to a 4.3 x 5.3 kilometer area spanning the borders of modern cities of Mukō and Nagaokakyō, Kyoto, the town of Ōyamazaki ...

'' (長岡京) – the capital of Japan from 784 to 794 (after Nara, before Kyoto).

O

* ''

Ōnin War The , also known as the Upheaval of Ōnin and Ōnin-Bunmei war, was a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, during the Muromachi period in Japan. ''Ōnin'' refers to the Japanese era name, Japanese era during which the war started; the war ende ...

'' (応仁の乱, Ōnin no Ran) – a civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477 during the Muromachi period.

R

*''

rensho The was the assistant to the '' shikken'' (regent) of the Kamakura shogunate in medieval Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on th ...

'' (連署) – "co-signatory", the ''rensho'' was the assistant to the regent of the Kamakura shogunate. *''

ritsuryō is the historical Japanese legal system, legal system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Legalism (Chinese philosophy), Chinese Legalism in Feudal Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (). ''Kya ...

'' (律令) – the East Asian historical law system based on the philosophies of

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

and Chinese Legalism. In Japan, ''ritsuryō'' was in effect during the late

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710, although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato period, Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after the ...

, the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...

and the early

. The ''Taihō-ritsuryō'' (大宝律令, Code of Taihō) was a key element of the ''ritsuryō''. *''

rōjū The , usually translated as ''Elder (administrative title), Elder'', was one of the highest-ranking government posts under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan. The term refers either to individual Elders, or to the Council of Elders as a wh ...

'' (老中) – one of the highest-ranking government posts in the

. There were usually four or five ''rōjū''. *''

rōnin In feudal Japan to early modern Japan (1185–1868), a ''rōnin'' ( ; , , 'drifter' or 'wandering man', ) was a samurai who had no lord or master and in some cases, had also severed all links with his family or clan. A samurai became a ''rō ...

'' (浪人) – a

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

without a lord or master during the feudal period (1185–1868) of

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

S

* ''

sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan during the Asuka to Meiji era. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''Sadaijin'' in the context of a cent ...

'' (左大臣) – Senior Minister of State overseeing all branches of the Department of State with his deputy, the ''udaijin''. *''

'' (鎖国) – the "self-isolation" policy followed during the

(1603–1867), under which Japan engaged in limited trade or communication with the outside world. *''

'' (侍) – the feudal Japanese noble warrior class. *''

sankin-kōtai ''Sankin-kōtai'' (, now commonly written as ) was a policy of the Tokugawa shogunate during most of the Edo period, created to control the daimyo, the feudal lords of Japan, politically, and to keep them from attempting to overthrow the regi ...

'' (参勤交代) – the

(1603–1867) policy under which feudal lords (''daimyōs'') had to travel to the capital in

annually, and to leave their families in Edo year-round. This was used by the ''shōgun'' (warlord leader of the nation) to prevent rebellion. *''

'' (戦国時代, sengoku jidai) was a time of social upheaval and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. *''

seppuku , also known as , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near ...

'' (切腹) – honorable ritual suicide. Also called ''hara-kiri''. One of the death penalties which respected a samurai's honor. The belly was ceremonially cut and an assistant then cut the head from the back. Suicide allowed a samurai to keep his honor because it was considered dishonorable for a samurai to be killed by others. *'' sesshō'' (摂政) – Imperial regent for a child emperor or empress; the regent often continued in this role, changing titles to '' kampaku'' once the child emperor came of age. *''

shikken The was a senior government post held by members of the Hōjō clan, officially a regent of the shogunate. From 1199 to 1333, during the Kamakura period, the ''shikken'' served as the head of the ''bakufu'' (shogun's government). This era was ref ...

'' (執権) – the regent for the ''shōgun'' during the Kamakura shogunate. The

monopolized the ''shikken'' post and was therefore the effective ruler of Japan. *''

shinbutsu bunri The Japanese term indicates the separation of Shinto from Buddhism, introduced after the Meiji Restoration which separated Shinto ''kami'' from buddhas, and also Buddhist temples from Shinto shrines, which were originally amalgamated. It is a ...

'' (神仏分離) – The forcible separation of Buddhism and Shinto, in particular during the Meiji era. *''

shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

'' (神道) – is the traditional religion of Japan that focuses on ritual practices to be carried out diligently to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past. *Shinto and Buddhism Separation Order (神仏判然令, Shinbutsu Hanzenrei) - A Meiji era law that forbade the mixing of Buddhism and Shinto, an effort to weaken Buddhist temporal power. See

*''shitsuji'' (執事) – see ''kanrei'' above. *''

shizoku The was a social class in Japan composed of former ''samurai'' after the Meiji Restoration from 1869 to 1947. ''Shizoku'' was a distinct class between the ''kazoku'' (a merger of the former ''kuge'' and ''daimyō'' classes) and ''heimin'' ( comm ...

'' (士族) – "warrior families", term used to refer to former samurai after the abolition of the class system following the Meiji Restoration. *''

'' (荘園 or 庄園) – a manor and its fields. *''

'' (将軍) – warlord dictator; the practical head of the nation, having seized power militarily or inherited it from another ''shōgun''. *shogunate – see ''bakufu'' *''

shugo , commonly translated as ' ilitarygovernor', 'protector', or 'constable', was a title given to certain officials in feudal Japan. They were each appointed by the shogun to oversee one or more of the provinces of Japan. The position gave way to th ...

'' (守護) – officials appointed by the ''shōgun'' to oversee one or more provinces.

T

*'' taikō'' (太閤) – a title frequently taken on by retired '' kampaku'' (Imperial regents). The term is most commonly used in reference to

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

. *''

tairō ''Tairō'' (, "great elder") was a high-ranking official position in the Tokugawa shogunate government of Japan, roughly comparable to the office of prime minister. The ''tairō'' presided over the governing '' rōjū'' council in the event of an ...

'' (大老) – the highest-ranking government post of the Tokugawa shogunate. There was usually only one ''tairō'', or, at times, none. *''

tandai The term is a Kamakura and Muromachi period colloquialism for any very important governmental, judiciary or military post in a determinate area."Tandai", ''Iwanami '' Japanese dictionary, 5th Edition (2000), CD version During the Kamakura shoguna ...

'' (探題) – during the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, ''tandai'' was a colloquialism for a high-ranking official (for example a ''shikken'' or ''rensho'') with governmental, judiciary or military responsibilities within a certain area. *'' Tokugawa'' (徳川) –

united Japan through force, becoming its ''shōgun'' in 1603.

His family ''His Family'' is a novel by Ernest Poole published in 1917 about the life of a New York widower and his three daughters in the 1910s. It received the first Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1918. Plot introduction ''His Family'' tells the story ...

ruled in that position until 1867. *''

tokusō was the title (post) held by the head of the mainline Hōjō clan, who also monopolized the position of '' shikken'' (regents to the shogunate) of the Kamakura shogunate in Japan during the period of Regent Rule (1199–1333). It’s important ...

'' (得宗) – the head of the mainline Hōjō clan, who monopolized the position of ''shikken'' (see above) during the Kamakura shogunate. *''

tozama daimyō was a class of powerful magnates or ''daimyō'' (大名) considered to be outsiders by the ruler of Japan during the Edo period (江戸時代). ''Tozama daimyō'' were classified in the Tokugawa shogunate (江戸幕府) as ''daimyō'' who becam ...

'' (外様) – a ''daimyō'' who had become a vassal of Tokugawa Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara (see ''fudai''). There were ''tozama'' who had fought both for and against Ieyasu.

U

* ''

udaijin was a government position in Japan during the Asuka to Meiji era. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 701. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''Udaijin'' in the context of a central administrat ...

'' (右大臣) – Junior Minister of State overseeing all branches of the Department of State during the late Nara and Heian periods, deputy of the ''sadaijin'' (see above). *''

Uesugi clan The is a Japanese samurai clan which was at its peak one of the most powerful during the Muromachi period, Muromachi and Sengoku periods (14th to 17th centuries).Georges Appert, Appert, Georges. (1888) ''Ancien Japon,'' p. 79./ref> At its heigh ...

'' (上杉氏, Uesugi-shi) – a clan, descended from the Fujiwara clan, important for its power in the Muromachi and Sengoku periods (roughly 14th–17th centuries). *

Uesugi Zenshū , also known as Uesugi Ujinori, was the chief advisor to Ashikaga Mochiuji, an enemy of the Ashikaga shogunate in feudal Japan. When he was rebuked by Mochiuji in 1415, and forced to resign, Zenshū organized a rebellion. Zenshū received aid ...

's rebellion (上杉禅秀の乱 ''Uesugi Zenshū no Ran'') – Uesugi Zenshū's 1416 rebellion against

W

*''Warring states period'' - See ''

Y

* Yūki War (結城合戦) – 15th century rebellion by the

Yūki clan is a Japanese samurai kin group.Edmond Papinot, Papinot, Jacques Edmond Joseph. (1906). ''Dictionnaire d’histoire et de géographie du Japon''; Papinot, (2003)"Yūki," ''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 71–72 retrieved 2013-5-6. History The Yūki c ...

against the Ashikaga shogunate.