Civil war came to an end in AD 1185 when Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89) led his troops to victory over the Taira clan in a sea-battle off Dannoura in western Kyushu. Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-99), the clan leader, was awarded the title seii tai-shôgun (barbarian-quelling generalissimo) in 1192. However, unlike the Taira who had exercised control of government by manipulating its existing structures, Yoritomo established a new ‘tent government’ (bakufu) at his military power-base of Kamakura. This is known in English as the shogunate. The emperors remained in Kyoto as spiritual and cultural leaders.

Though Yoritomo had hoped to found a dynasty, his wife’s family, the Hôjô, seized power after his death and brought nobles from Kyoto to serve as figurehead-shoguns while they ruled as regents. The court tried to regain power in the unsuccessful Jôkyû Rebellion of 1221, but the Hôjô maintained control until they too were overthrown in 1333.

The shogunate put in place a system of military governors and stewards to oversee the administration of land and taxes, rewarding them with grants of land. A legal code of 1232 required warriors to undergo strict military training, but in time migrants from Kyoto brought the education and literary skills also necessary for government.