Answer:
In the history of Japan, the term shogun was a historical title granted directly by the emperor, used to refer to the general commanding the army.
During the 12th century and until 1868, the shogun was constituted as the de facto ruler of the whole country, although theoretically the emperor was the legitimate ruler and he deposited the authority in the shogun to rule in his name. During this time, the emperor was forced to completely delegate any attribution or civil, military, diplomatic and judicial authority to whoever had that title.
During the first contacts with the West and even in some Asian countries like China, the shogun was considered as "King of Japan", ignoring that there were two structures of authority. Some writers and historians have now compared the shogun with nicknames such as "dictator", in order to explain its functions to an audience unfamiliar with the history of the country.
