Kamakura Shogunate

What hides behind the facade of the social structure? This is the question of the Kamakura Shogunate periods, which redrew the map of power in Japan. The social classes of the Kamakura period were respected officially, but in practice all was not as it seemed on the surface. What was the true, opposed to the official, social order of the Kamakura Shogunate?

Kamakura Shogunate Map

The Kamakura Shogunate is named for the city of Kamakura, from which it ruled. The city is located in the East of Japan, just 27 miles to the South of Tokyo. Unlike dynasties, the Kamakura Shogunate period was ruled by two different clans. Its continuity was derived from the physical location of the seat of power, Kamakura.

Kamakura Shogunate Period

The Kamakura Shogunate was born out of the Genpei War, fought from 1180 to 1185, resulting in the victory of the Minamoto Clan over the Taira Clan. While the conflict had arisen over influence on the imperial court, the Minamoto went a step further in their victory. They did not just influence the Emperor's court in Tokyo, but actively ruled as a military government from the Kamakura. The Emperor was now reduced to simply a figurehead, but the complexities of the Kamakura Shogunate would not end there.

Hojo Regency

Another level was added to the Japanese government with the Hojo Regency, beginning in 1199. Under this unusual arrangement, layers of strict formality were respected in a superficial manner, while the true nature of power was obscured. After the leader of the Minamoto clan, Minamoto no Yoritomo, suddenly died, his father-in-law, Hōjō Tokimasa, took on leadership as Regent due to the young age of Minamoto's son.

Fig. 2: Hojo Takimasa.

This arrangement continued for the rest of the Kamakura Shogunate. As the Minamoto clan had respected the hereditary legacy of the Japanese Imperial Family, yet held the true power as Shogun, the Hōjō clan respected that it did not have the status to declare a Shogun. Instead, they installed puppet Shoguns while holding on to the true hereditary power as Regents. This elaborate system was finalized as a puppet Emperor as a front for a puppet Shogun, who was, in turn, a front for a Hōjō regent.

Return to Imperial Rule

Emperor Go-Daigo had decided that it was time for a return to direct imperial rule of Japan. His plans were discovered, and he was exiled to the province of Hoki in 1331. His ambitions did not subside, though. He escaped and raised an army in 1333.

Ashikaga Takauji, the very man sent to lead Kamakura forces against Go-Daigo, ultimately sided with the Emperor while another army loyal to Go-Daigo conquered the city of Kamakura. The Hōjō response was a mass suicide of 870 clan members in their family temple. Despite the Emperor's return to power, disputes with Ashikaga Takauji would soon lead to a new Shogunate.

Kamakura Shogunate Religion

The Kamakura Shogunate was heavily influenced by the Confucian and Buddhist religious traditions imported to Japan from China in the seventh century. Confucianism set a base for the class structure of Japan, while Buddhism explained the defeat of Mongol invaders. From these beliefs came the social structure of the Kamakura Shogunate.

Fig. 3: Statue of Buddha Erected during the Kamakura Shogunate.

Kamakura Shogunate Social Structure

One of the most notable elements of the Kamakura Shogunate was how it shook up the social structure of Japan. Previously, the civilian government had ruled the country. From the rise of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Emperor and his court in Tokyo had become purely ceremonial. The true power lay in the Shogun, and later the Regent, seated in the city of Kamakura.

Four Social Classes of Kamakura Shogunate

The period continued the practice of leaving the Emperor and religious leaders outside the social structure.

The major social classes of the Kamakura Shogunate were Samurai, Farmers, Artisans, Merchants.

• Samurai were at the top of the social order. That it is no surprise in a military government–warriors always held prominent positions in these societies. Under the Shogunate, a Samurai could kill anyone of a lower status simply for failing to show the proper respect.
• Farmers occupied a tricky place in Japanese society. Technically, they were above artisans and merchants in the social order, but in practice they were impoverished by heavy tax burdens. Their respect was rooted in Confucian ideas that those who grew the food that all others required were deserving of high respect.
• Artisans included those who made everything from beautiful works of art, to practical tools, to deadly Samurai weapons. They typically lived in cities, providing them with enough customers to practice their trade.
• Merchants may be viewed as almost the opposite of farmers. Their making a livelihood on the work of others, through trading for a profit, caused them to be considered lowly. This again related to Confucian ideas about the value of work and productivity. Despite their place on the social ladder, many became very wealthy.

Marginal Social Classes of Kamakura Shogunate

Even below the major social classes were groups that were marginalized for a variety of reasons. These included performing work that was seen as unclean, such as butchering, work that was seen as disreputable, such as prostitution, or even just being a member of the Ainu ethnic minority.

Kamakura Shogunate Significance

The Kamakura Shogunate is significant for demonstrating the feudal Japanese commitment to formal tradition, religion, and status, while the unspoken realities may be quite different. The Emperor may be the face of government, but the Regent holds the true power. The farmer may hold a high social rank, but is poor compared to the merchant. The survival of Japan is the will of the gods, protected through Kamikaze.