Picture in your mind traditional Japanese culture. If you're thinking of tea ceremonies, poetry, or perhaps the courageous samurai, you're thinking of the Edo Period. A great amount of what Japan considers to be its traditional cultural values date to this era, which lasted from 1615 to 1868.
The Edo Period was characterized by relative peace, wealth, and stability, when Japan was basically ruled by a powerful military lord called the shogun. There was still an emperor, but the shogun had the real power and controlled most of the emperor's decisions.
During the Edo Period, the shoguns of Japan belonged to the powerful Tokugawa family, so historians also refer to this time in Japanese history as the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa Period set many foundations for Japanese culture, including those in religion and art. Under the feudal system, warlords and samurai were also supposed to be intellectuals and poets, making this one interesting era.
