Most of Japan’s political history revolved around the warrior rule or political rule of warring clans. Throughout the twelve until the nineteenth century, the governance of Japan depended on the outcomes of the continuous struggle between warring groups to take control. At the center of the warrior rule are two concepts, the bushi translated as ‘fighting men’ and the samurai meaning ‘those who serve’. Warriors practiced a code centered on loyalty and no tolerance for defeat.(Jansen, 1995) This made the warrior rule and the change in political leadership very dynamic. Kamakura Shogunate The Kamakura Shogunate exemplifies the warrior rule in Japan, with a warrior clan controlling governance and the warrior clan descending from the noble families. On one hand, the noble families maintain and secure political dominance by engaging the strongest warriors since the right to lead depended on the ability to wield the sword and defeat the ruling power and defend one’s rule from other warrior groups.
