Kamakura Japan
Explore Kamakura Japan — the era when the samurai class rose to power, establishing the shogunate system that would define Japanese politics for 700 years.
The Kamakura period (1185–1333 CE) marks a decisive turning point in Japanese history: the moment when real political power shifted from the imperial court in Kyoto to a military government — the shogunate — based in the coastal town of Kamakura. It was the beginning of samurai rule that would last, in various forms, until 1868.
The Minamoto clan established the Kamakura shogunate after defeating their rivals in the Genpei War (1180–1185). The shogun was technically the emperor's military deputy, but in practice held all real power. This dual structure — symbolic imperial authority, actual military government — became the enduring pattern of Japanese politics. The warrior code that later became known as bushido — emphasizing loyalty, discipline, and martial skill — took root during this period.
Kamakura Japan faced its greatest test when Kublai Khan launched two massive invasion fleets in 1274 and 1281. Both were turned back — the second famously destroyed by a typhoon the Japanese called kamikaze, "divine wind." The invasions strengthened national identity but financially ruined the warrior class, contributing to the shogunate's eventual collapse. The Kamakura period also saw the flourishing of new Buddhist sects — Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren — that profoundly shaped Japanese culture.