Titoli nobiliari giapponesi

Until the 5th century AD, the nobility in Japan consisted of a loose association of clans that controlled land. In the 6th century, the imperial central authority of the Tennō granted hereditary status titles to certain clan leaders. This effectively delegated and legitimized their authority under the state.

The title Shōgun—roughly meaning “Great General Who Subdues the Barbarians” or “Generalissimo”—was a Japanese military title used from the 12th century until 1867 for leaders of the warrior nobility, the samurai.