What is "shogun"

Shogun \Sho"gun\, n. [Jap., from Chin. tsiang ki["U]n commander in chief.] A title originally conferred by the Mikado on the military governor of the eastern provinces of Japan. By gradual usurpation of power the Shoguns (known to foreigners as Tycoons) became finally the virtual rulers of Japan. The title was abolished in 1867. [Written variously, Shiogun, Shiogoon, etc.]

1610s, "hereditary commander of a Japanese army," from Japanese (sei-i-tai) shogun "(barbarian-subduing) chief" (late 12c.), sound-substitution for Chinese chiang chiin, literally "lead army."

n. The supreme generalissimo of feudal Japan.

n. a hereditary military dictator of Japan; the shoguns ruled Japan until the revolution of 1867-68

A was a hereditary military dictator in Japan during the period from 1185 to 1868 (with exceptions). In this period, the shoguns were the de facto rulers of the country; although nominally they were appointed by the Emperor as a ceremonial formality. The Shogun held almost absolute power over territories through military means, in contrast to the concept of a colonial governor in Western culture. Nevertheless, an unusual situation occurred in the Kamakura period (1199–1333) upon the death of the first shogun, whereby the Hōjō clan's hereditary titles of shikken (1199-1256) and tokusō (1256–1333) monopolized the shogunate as dictatorial positions, collectively known as the . The shogun during this 134-year period met the same fate as the Emperor and was reduced to a figurehead until a coup in 1333, when the Shogun was restored to power in the name of the Emperor.

The modern rank of shogun is roughly equivalent to a generalissimo. Shogun is the short form of , the individual governing the country at various times in the history of Japan, ending when Tokugawa Yoshinobu relinquished the office to Emperor Meiji in 1867.

A shogun's office or administration is the shogunate, known in Japanese as the , which originally referred to the house of the general and later also suggested a private government under a shogun. The tent symbolized the field commander but also denoted that such an office was meant to be temporary. The shogun's officials were collectively the bakufu, and were those who carried out the actual duties of administration, while the imperial court retained only nominal authority. In this context, the office of the shogun had a status equivalent to that of a viceroy or governor-general, but in reality shoguns dictated orders to everyone including the reigning Emperor.

Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel (by internal chronology) of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide. Beginning in feudal Japan some months before the critical Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, Shōgun gives an account of the rise of the daimyo "Toranaga" (based upon the actual Tokugawa Ieyasu). Toranaga's rise to the Shogunate is seen through the eyes of the English sailor John Blackthorne, called Anjin ("Pilot") by the Japanese, whose fictional heroics are loosely based on the historical exploits of William Adams.

Shogun, designed by Michael Gray, was a board wargame first released in 1986 by game maker Milton Bradley as part of their Gamemaster series. It was renamed to Samurai Swords in its first re-release (1995) to disambiguate it from other games with the same name (in particular, James Clavell's Shogun, a wargame with a similar theme, released in 1983), and renamed again to Ikusa in its 2011 re-release under Hasbro's Avalon Hill banner. Set in feudal Japan, two to five players take control of a fictional warlord and pit their armies against one another in hopes of winning the title Shogun.

In 1988, Shogun won the Origins Awards for Best Pre-20th Century Boardgame of 1987 and ''Best Graphic Presentation of a Boardgame of 1987 ''.

Each player controls a number of daimyo, or generals, who command an army. Other forces on the board represent militia and garrisons. Players also have the option of hiring ronin (mercenaries). There is also a ninja, principally used as an assassin against enemy daimyo. Units include samurai swordsmen and bowmen, and ashigaru spearmen and gunners. Income, called koku, is derived from control of territories. Players attempt to destroy their rivals in battle and seize their territories. Some interesting features include the orchestration of armies in battle, the emphasis on generals (who gain levels, much like roleplaying game characters), and the unpredictable element of ronin placement.

The game uses six twelve-sided dice. The trays for units are designed to resemble Japanese fortresses, and each player receives a small katana (to display the order in which players take their turns).

Shogun is a strategy board game designed by Dirk Henn and published by Queen Games in 2006. It is based on his earlier game Wallenstein, but it is set in the Sengoku period, which ends with the inception of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Shogun is a free, open source toolbox written in C++. It offers numerous algorithms and data structures for machine learning problems.

Shogun is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3 or later.

Shōgun is an American television miniseries based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, who also was the executive producer of the miniseries. It was first broadcast in the United States on NBC over five nights between September 15 and September 19, 1980. , it is the only American television production to be filmed on location entirely in Japan, with additional sound stage filming also taking place in Japan at the Toho studio.

The miniseries is loosely based on the adventures of English navigator William Adams, who journeyed to Japan in 1600 and rose to high rank in the service of the shōgun. The miniseries follows fictional Englishman John Blackthorne's transforming experiences and political intrigues in feudal Japan in the early 17th century.

Shogun is a military rank and historical title in Japan. Not but General officer.

Shogun may also refer to:

• Shōgun (novel), a 1975 novel by James Clavell
  • Shōgun (miniseries), a television miniseries based on the novel
  • Shogun: The Musical, a 1990 Broadway musical
  • James Clavell's Shōgun, a 1989 interactive fiction computer game
• Shogun (toolbox), an open source toolbox written in C++
• Shogun Audio, a record label based in Brighton
• Shogun (musician), an American born Taiwanese Trance DJ & producer.

• , a Japanese Rock band.

• Shogun (Trivium album)
• Shogun (Stormwitch album)
• Shogun (1986 board game), a board game from Milton Bradley
• Shogun (2006 board game), a board game by Dirk Henn
• Shogun: Total War, a 2000 video game
• Mitsubishi Pajero or Mitsubishi Shogun, an SUV by Mitsubishi Motors
• Mitsubishi Fuso Super Great or Mitsubishi Shogun a heavy-duty truck by Mitsubishi Fuso
• Maurício "Shogun" Rua, a mixed martial artist
• Shogun (horse), a racehorse that won the Coventry Stakes in 1912
• Shogun, a limited production batch of customized Ford Festivas
• Shogun, a brand of bicycle by Falcon Cycles

Shogun was the seventh album by the German heavy metal band Stormwitch, released in 1994. It is probably the most controversial of Stormwitch's albums and poorly received by fans due to its almost entirely different sound, with progressive elements and very little of their classic heavy metal styles. It also marked the end of their original span which has lasted from 1982-1994. The album was the first to feature only one guitarist, making a four-member band.

The album is a concept album, based on James Clavell's novel; Shōgun. The lyrics all revolve around parts from the novel referring to both names and places. It is the second album in a row released by Stormwitch to feature a novel based concept, the first being War Of The Wizards.

is the fourth studio album by American metal band Trivium. The album was released worldwide on various dates between September 23 and October 1, 2008 through Roadrunner Records. It is their last release to feature original drummer Travis Smith. Work on the album is noted to have begun with producer Nick Raskulinecz in October 2007, with the band stating that they chose not to work with Jason Suecof again as they wanted to explore new ideas.