Tokugawa Shogunate

The Tokugawa Shogunate, also called the Edo Bakufu ("tent government"), is the final feudal military government of Japan, ruling from 1600 and 1868. The period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population, "no more wars", and popular enjoyment of arts and culture. The shogunate was officially established in Edo on March 24, 1603, by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The period came to an end with the Meiji Restoration on May 3, 1868, after the fall of Edo.
The Emperor and the imperial court were held up as figurehead rulers of the country, though it was well-established that the shogun, the daimyos, and their subordinate samurai were the actual ruling class of Japan. The shogun was the head of the military, and always a member of the Tokugawa clan. Daimyos were feudal lords that controlled massive tracts of territory passed down through their families. Samurai, roughly equivalent to knights in Europe, worked as retainers of the daimyo.

The Setting for the Game

At the point of this game, the country of Japan has opened its borders to foreigners for the first time in over 200 years. There is growing anti-Western sentiment in the aftermath of Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival a decade earlier. What had been a long period of peace is now swiftly ending. Western pressure has pushed the samurai, softened into bureaucrats by centuries of peace, back into military readiness. Clans in the south of Japan are starting to show open resistance to the shogunate, with some suggesting the restoration the Emperor's power. Political and economic turmoil are starting to rock a country that has not seen serious instability in generations.

What Happens Next

The Boshin War takes place from 1867 and 1869, between shogunate and imperial forces. This ultimately ends in the shogunate's defeat. Emperor Meiji takes control of the country, reinstating the Empire of Japan and kicking of the Meiji Restoration. During this period, Japan sees the removal of the samurai and the feudal system, the establishment of a more westernized government, and rapid modernization.

Capital

Edo

Head of State

Emperor Kōmei

Head of Government

Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi

Power Structure

Feudal state

Currency

The tri-metallic Tokugawa coinage system based on copper Mon, silver Bu and Shu, and gold Ryō.