The Tokugawa Shogunate

THE TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE

After the death of Hideyoshi in 1598 and the defeat of his son in 1615 the Tokugawa family ultimately changed the spirit of Japan when they tightened their grip on the country. Tokugawa Ieyasu formed the feudalistic shogunate and took control through military power. He established the head of the government as the shoguns and each was a member of the Tokugawa clan.

Tokugawa Ieyasu

When the Tokugawa Shogunate was at the peak of it's power, there was a brief campaign to expand to some northern islands in the Ainu territories, even involving a brief clash with Russian forces. The Ainu territories were disputed throughout the rest of the Tokugawa period, but they were the only expansive colonization attempt beyond the islands of Japan.

Tokugawa Ieyasu's dynasty of shoguns presided over 250 years peace and prosperity in Japan. During the 1500s, power was decentralized in Japan, which was torn apart by warfare between competing feudal lords(daimyo) for nearly a century. Just 7 years after the Meiji period, a newly modernized Japan was recognized as one of the 'big five' powers.

Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu used military force to capture and control Japan, expanding upon his original territory, and the Tokugawa Shogunate kept a legion of samurai to enforce the laws of the shogunate and discourage rebellion.

1600–1868

Military

Power

Conflict

Exploration

Religion: Buddhism, Shinto