Shogunate: Did you mean...?

A painted silk portrait thought to represent Ashikaga Takauji (r. 1338-1358), first shogun of Japan's Ashikaga shogunate (aka Muromachi shogunate) which would rule Japan until 1573. (The Shogun is show in a traidtional seated...

Stone ramparts of the inner ward at Hara Castle, photograph by Matthew Allison, 4 October 2025. Unlike much of Hara Castle at the end of the Shimabara Rebellion, the ishigaki (stone ramparts) that form...

Statue of Amakusa Shiro at Hara Castle, photograph by Matthew Allison, 4 October 2025. Amakusa Shiro (1621-1638) was the supposed leader of the Shimabara Rebellion, a Christian uprising in southern Japan from...

Artist's impression of samurai before their shogun, inside a ceremonial building. Created by Amplitude Studios for the video game Humankind.

Stone statues overlook the Ariake Sea at Hara Castle, photograph by Matthew Allison, 4 October 2025. At the highest point of Hara Castle, where the inner ward housing the Shimabara Rebellion's leaders...

Fortifications of one kind or another had been used in Japan since ancient times, but in the period from 1576 until 1639, a new and distinctive style of castle was constructed. Rather than being used for fighting, these were impressive...

The medieval Ryukyu castles on the island of Okinawa, Japan are impressive testimony to the kingdom's power and wealth from the 12th to 16th century. Notable castles include Shuri Castle, the royal residence, and four...

Scale model of the Honmaru and Ninomaru Palaces of Edo Castle, as they would have appeared during the late Tokugawa Shogunate. (Edo-Tokyo Museum, Japan)

In which John Green teaches you about Nationalism. Nationalism was everywhere in the 19th century, as people all over the world carved new nation-states out of old empires. Nationalist leaders...

Nijo was built as the main residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns. In 1867, the shogunate fell, and Nijo was eventually donated to Kyoto City. It has since become a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular...