The government or time period when a shogun (a powerful military leader) ruled Japan; the office or authority of a shogun.
From Japanese 'shogun' (sho 'commander' + gun 'army') + the English suffix '-ate' (indicating office or rule, like in 'magistrate'). The term describes the samurai military governments that ruled Japan from the 12th to 19th centuries.
Japan had emperors, but shoguns actually held the power—it's like if a general took over the government but kept the emperor as a figurehead. The three great shogunates shaped Japanese culture, martial arts, and philosophy that still influence Japan today.
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