Feudalism in Japan

Feudalism in Japan was a hierarchical social and economic system from the 12th to 19th centuries. It centered on a land-based structure where the Emperor was the figurehead, but real power belonged to military leaders called shoguns. Below them, powerful landowners called daimyo controlled large territories, and they granted land to samurai warriors in exchange for military service. Farmers and peasants worked the land and paid taxes. This system created a rigid social order, with loyalty and protection exchanged for service and land, maintaining stability but limiting mobility across classes.