For imperial loyalists of the late Edo Period, the experiences of Emperor Go-Daigo from five centuries past were an ...

The emperor’s shogun was the military commander, a de facto ruler who was feared and respected by all. The title of shogun is adapted from the term seii taishogun, meaning “supreme commander ...

At the top was the Emperor, who was considered the undisputed ruler of Japan but held little actual power. The Shogun, or military ruler, was the figure who wielded the most power, and was ...

As the Emperor’s most trusted adviser he hoped to become Shogun. When Go Daigo appointed his son instead, Takauji, furious but resourceful, persuaded the Emperor that his son was a traitor ...

Aside from a brief period in the 14th century, the emperor was little more than a figurehead while true power rested in the hands of the shogun, the country’s military leader. Under the first ...