Warrior government: the Kamakura bakufu
After 1185 Minamoto no Yoritomo set up a warrior government (bakufu) at Kamakura and became shogun in 1192. He placed shugo (provincial military governors) and jito (estate stewards) across the land. His vassals, gokenin, received confirmation of their land (goon, favour) and in return served in war and guard duty (hoko, service). After Yoritomo, the Hojo family held power as shikken (regents) for the shogun. In 1221 (Jokyu War) the Kamakura side beat a retired emperor who tried to restore court rule, and the Goseibai Shikimoku law code (1232) gave warriors clear rules.
The Mongol invasions
Mongol-Yuan fleets attacked Kyushu in 1274 and 1281. Storms and stone walls helped the defenders. But a defensive war gave no new land to share as rewards. Vassals who had paid for the fight became poor and angry, and the Hojo were blamed. The bakufu fell in 1333.
Industry, farming and trade
- Farming: iron tools, ox and horse ploughing, fertiliser and double cropping (rice, then wheat or barley).
- Crafts: swords, paper, cloth and dyes, with specialist craftspeople.
- Markets held several days each month; traders' guilds (za) shared rights.
- Money: copper coins imported from China became common; rice and cloth were exchanged for coin.
- Towns: ports and temple towns grew; moneylenders and sake makers became rich.
Change of warrior rule: Muromachi and Ming trade
Ashikaga Takauji became shogun in 1338 and the Muromachi bakufu sat in Kyoto. It ruled through shugo, who now gained power over the warriors of their provinces and became shugo-daimyo. The third shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, began trade with Ming China around 1404 using tally papers (kango), checked against halves held in China, to separate official trade from pirates. Japan sent copper, swords and sulphur; it received copper coins, silk and books.
Why warrior rule changed: the Onin War
Strong shugo built their own armies. A quarrel over who would succeed the shogun split them into two camps and began the Onin War (1467-1477), which burned much of Kyoto. The shogun lost control, and regional lords (daimyo) ruled their own lands. This began the Warring States (Sengoku) period. Peasants also formed leagues and uprisings against heavy demands.
Try it
Make two arrows on paper: "favour down" and "service up" between a shogun and a vassal. Now cross out the "favour" arrow and write what happens to the "service" arrow. Then tap each period in the 3D free-play step and read its weak point.
Key formulas and definitions
- Kamakura bakufu: 1185/1192; Yoritomo; Hojo regents (shikken)
- Goon (favour) down + hoko (service) up
- Mongol invasions: 1274, 1281
- Muromachi bakufu: Takauji 1338; Yoshimitsu; Ming tally trade 1404
- Onin War 1467-1477, then the Warring States period
Worked examples
1. A vassal owned land and paid for 20 soldiers in the Mongol war, but got no new land. Explain what this does to the favour-and-service bargain.
He gave service but got no favour. The bargain broke on one side, so loyalty to the Hojo and the bakufu weakened.
2. Why did the Muromachi shogun use tally papers in Ming trade?
The Ming court allowed only official trade and wanted to stop pirates. Each Japanese ship carried a paper that matched a half kept in China, so the official ships could be recognised.
3. A village grew rice in summer and wheat in winter, sold the extra at a monthly market for copper coins. Name two changes in medieval society this shows.
Double cropping (more food) and a coin-based market economy. Both made villages richer and more connected.
Common mistakes
- Thinking the emperor disappeared. He stayed in Kyoto as a respected head.
- Mixing Kamakura (east) and Muromachi (Kyoto) bakufu.
- Saying Japan lost to the Mongols. The invasions failed, but the cost hurt the bakufu.
- Forgetting that shugo became more powerful over time.