Kamkura shogunate, which was established by Yoritomo Minamoto, started in 1192 A.D. The shogunate was samurai government. However, there was also the Imperial Court in Kyoto at the same time when the Shogunate existed. Emperors and the peerage had strong political power in the early in this period,but the political power of those were getting weak as time went. Most of all real power was held by the shogunate, but shogun did not seized the power. The person who held the real power in Kmakura Period was represent of The Hojo. This is called the Hojo regecy.

Characteristic of this period is fundation of many political systems and a start of a federal period. Also, a growth of agriculture, a development of manufacture, and beginning of a money economy infiltrate into the society can be seen in Kamakura Period.

        Yoritomo Minamoto was the first person who became Shogun. Shogun was a represent of Samurai and had a vast land as his property. It was common that a samurai worked under more than one master. This type of relationship of lord and vassal is different from the relationship in Edo period, since Samurai in Edo period had only one master or worked under a family. Yoritomo founded an organization, which was like the police in present time. People who belonged to the organization maintained public order as thier role; however, they also became soldier when a war broke out. Samurais served Yoritomo were called Gokenin. Yoritomo guaranteed a control of Gokenins' land properties which were their ancestral estates as return of the survice from Gokenin. Yoritomo gave a land to Gokenin, who rendered distinguished service. Also, a right of land was given as a wage of Gokenin. That was a beginning of the federal system, and Yoritomo took the helm of state by using this system. A political power of the Imperial Court started to become weak due to the foundation of Kamakura shogunate; however, the political power was still strong. One of the reason why coexistence of two large organizations was because of immature of the Shogunate.

       After Yoritomo passed away, one of his son, whose name was Yoriie, took over Yoritomo's position. However, othetr people who served Yoritomo did not like the situation because Yoriie was still 18 years old but he got a strong political position as same as his father, Yoritomo. Therefore, 13 represents of Gokenin participated with Yoriie in the Kamakura Shogun ate . From this time, The Hojo began to have a strong political power because Yoritomo's wife was from Hojo family and became the mother of the shogun. None of people from Hojo become a shogun, but the Hojo seized a real political power. It implies that shogun held no political power at all; moreover, Shogun was changed by the Hojo whenever the shogun standed in Hojo's way.

A retired emperor considered about a behavior of the Hojo since the Hojo became much stronger than before. Therefore, the retired emperor war against the Hojo. However, majority of samurai took Hojo's side and Hojo won the war. The emperor who was a grand son of the retired emperor lost his position, the retired emperor was punished, and some peerages and samuraies who helped the retired emperor were killed. Hojo chose an emperor from royal family and started to interfere in everything of the Imperial Court. Moreover, an Imperial prince was chosen as a shogun by the Hojo. Those resulted in the Hojo's dictatorship in late Kamakura period.

Picture of a mandala from

Kyoto National Museum

     Gokenin started to become poor because of the smaller land and no war after middle Kamakura period. Gokenin started to sell their land to make a living. The Kamakura shogunate regarded the problem as important. Therefore, the shogunate tried to cope with the problem. The way shogunate took for helping Gokenin was a prohibitation of selling land. People who bought lands from Gokenin must have return to the owner of the land without getting money. Therefore, those people got a heavy loss. However, the idea was just a temporary expedient.

Samurai lived in samurai residence and wore simple cloth. Samurai only ate twice a day. Most of samurai did not have high education. However, samurai had created own moral, which is called Bushido in later Japanese history.

Growth of Agriculture, development of manufacture, and living.

   Most of goods were made in agricultural village and those goods were transported to other areas. Raising two crops a year resulted in an increase of the yield. New agricultural implement, plowing land with using caw and horse, and use of a water wheel had yielded an output of crops. Manufacture was developed among people, who worked for farms, as a side job. For example, making silk, paper, and lacquer ware were the second job among people who worked at farm. Some people started to become handicraftsman because they could make a living by producing goods and selling them. Also, those people pay tax with those productions. People, who cultivated rice, delivered between 30 and 40 % of the crop for a land tax. Each region had special products, and those were in circulation between areas.

  In this period, Japan trade with Sung dynasty in China, and much Chinese money was imported through this commerce. Therefore, the monetary system was diffused and it met the demand of a reciprocal-financial system. Many merchants and Zen monks had come and gone between countries due to the trading, and custom of drinking tea in Sung Dynasty was introduced by a Zen priest, whose name was Eisai. The custom was popular among peerage and Zen monks; however, common people also began drinking tea as a medicine with passing time.

Mongolian troops attacked Japan

     The first Mongolian emperor in the Yuan Dynasty, whose name was Khubilai, attaked Japan 2 times during Kamakura period. The emperor wanted to demanded obedience, so he raid on Japan in 1274 A.D. However, a tempest ranged a place where the battle between Mongol and Japan occurred and Mongolian got a huge damage because of the tempest. Mongolian troops retreated to a place, but Khubilai recommended to Japan to obey in 1275 A.D. The answer of the recommendation was "No". Therefore, Khubilai attacked Japan in 1281 A.D. but a typhoon struck during a battle. So Mongolian force lost a war potential. Khubilai planned to attack Japan again; however, he could not carry out his plan because people, whose countries were occupied, resisted to the the Mongolian empire.

The end of Kamakura Period

   Many Gokenin were not satisfied with the shogunate controlled by Hojo after a battle between Mongolian troops and Japanese force because Gokenins were in great need and the Kamakura shogunate did not cope with the situation. An emperor availed himself of the opportunity and planned overthrowing the Shogunate to take the political power back. However, the plan ended of failure. Gokenins' antipathy toward the Shogunate increased due to the worse situation, and Gokenin and Akuto take an action for overthrowing the Kamakura Shogunate. Kamakura period came to the end when the Hojo family and followers of the family fell.