Shogun Is Short for a Much Longer Title
A shogun was Japan's military ruler. The full title means great general who subdues the barbarians, and shoguns held real power while emperors reigned.
A shogun was the military ruler of Japan. The word is a clipping of *sei-i taishogun*, great general who subdues the barbarians โ a title first given for northern campaigns and later held by men who governed the whole country while the emperor remained a ceremonial figure. From 1192 to 1868, real power sat with shoguns for most of Japanese history.
- Japan's military ruler. *The last shogun.*
- Shogunate โ the government or the period. *The Tokugawa shogunate.*
- Bakufu โ the Japanese term for that government. *Bakufu policy.*
- Figuratively, a power behind a throne. *The party's shogun.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | shogun | A powerful shogun. |
| Plural | shoguns | Fifteen shoguns. |
| Abstract | shogunate | The shogunate fell. |
| Japanese | shลgun | ๅฐ่ป |
| Related | samurai | Samurai retainers. |
- The shogun ruled from Edo, not Kyoto.Tokugawa period.
- The shogunate ended in 1868.The Meiji Restoration.
- The emperor reigned; the shogun governed.The key distinction.
Japanese words in English
- Shogun โ military ruler
- Tsunami โ harbour wave
- Karaoke โ empty orchestra
- Emoji โ picture character, unrelated to emotion
- Honcho โ squad leader, from *hancho*
Japanese *shลgun*, from Middle Chinese elements meaning to command an army. English recorded it in the 1610s through Dutch and Portuguese contact with Japan.
Was the shogun more powerful than the emperor?
In practice, yes, for most of the period from 1192 to 1868. The emperor kept religious and ceremonial authority.
What does the full title mean?
Sei-i taishogun means great general who subdues the barbarians. It began as a temporary command for frontier campaigns.