During the Tokugawa Shogunate, the shogun was effectively the ruler of Japan. This gave shogun enormous power and authority. Just below the shogun, we find the daimyo. The daimyo was a feudal lord who owned large amounts of land. They were considered vassals of the shogun, and usually employed large armies of samurai to protect themselves and their property. Daimyo and shogun were extremely powerful until the early Meiji period.
