Originating out of a violent civil war, the shogunate was successful because they used force to rule Japan.
The Shogunate was the form of government that ruled Japan for nearly 700 years. The shogun had de facto power, although Japan has always had an emperor. Together with the Imperial court, the Shogunate formed a parallel power structure, with the Shogun as the military leader alongside the imperial state structure. Over time, the Imperial court would have to relinquish more and more power and the Shogunate would become Japan's most powerful organization.
