Introduction
From the dawn of Japanese civilization until 1185 an emperor ruled all of Japan. However, the emperor slowly lost power. A civil war broke out in 1336 that ended the real power of the emperor. The emperor awarded military leaders the title of Shogun, so they would not take him over as emperor.
The samurai warriors were also known as bushi. True bushi were supposed to give their lives without hesitation.
The leaders of different armies controlled smaller pieces of land in Feudal Japan, rather than one emperor controlling everything. This is usually called Feudal control, known as Feudalism hence where the name of the empire.
The time during this empire was when powerful families, daimyo. The military power of warlords, shogun. Their warriors, the samurai. They ruled Japan.
The Yamato family remained as emperor, but their power was seriously reduced because the daimyo, shoguns, and samurai were so powerful.
During this time period, the emperor appeared at ceremonies, celebrations, and parades, but had no real control over the people.
Most of the time, Japan tried to model themselves after China, but during this feudal time, Japan created their own unique identity.