Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 57 minutes ago
Traditionally one of the major breaks in Japanese history has been the creation of the Kamakura Shogunate, or Bakufu, which signified the dawn of the samurai. Since the Second World War, Japanese historiography has taken a different course, and a re-examination of the sources, notably by John Hall, has shifted the understanding: rather than marking any sort of decisive break in Japanese history, the Kamakura Shogunate was an extension of actions being undertaken by the Imperial Court in an attempt to reform the military and adjust to the increasing numbers of semi-privatized warriors--the famous Japanese samurai. This video, drawing heavily on the work of Karl Friday, explores that process.
SOURCES:
Hired Swords, Friday
War & State Building in Medieval Japan, Ferejohn & Rosenbluth
The Bakufu in Japanese History, Mass
Traditionally one of the major breaks in Japanese history has been the creation of the Kamakura Shogunate, or Bakufu, which signified the dawn of the samurai. Since the Second World War, Japanese historiography has taken a different course, and a re-examination of the sources, notably by John Hall, has shifted the understanding: rather than marking any sort of decisive break in Japanese history, the Kamakura Shogunate was an extension of actions being undertaken by the Imperial Court in an attempt to reform the military and adjust to the increasing numbers of semi-privatized warriors--the famous Japanese samurai. This video, drawing heavily on the work of Karl Friday, explores that process.
SOURCES:
Hired Swords, Friday
War & State Building in Medieval Japan, Ferejohn & Rosenbluth
The Bakufu in Japanese History, Mass
