Japan's history, social structure and socio-cultural background, compared to Europe, seen and experienced through the eyes of a Daimyo Lord family for more than 2,650+ years
The power structure and titles through people, merits and positions – weaknesses and strengths
Now we have reviewed the power structure.
But we must not forget that the power structure can only be maintained through - people, regardless of what level you are on in the established social structure.
All power structures are similar.
The tripartite power in various constructions has always been the preferred one - regardless of whether it is autocracy or democracy.
The emperor and his court
The Japanese emperor had a relief through a "prime minister", who could pass on the wishes of the "papal emperor".
Shortly said; look after the emperor's interests and gain as much power and influence as possible.
To help him, he had a senior ministerial council of ministers (Genro) and then a multitude of court nobles, who were called Kuge.
Since the Emperors usually had no real power after 1185, - except when they were political power pieces in the changing power game of the Shoguns or Daimyo fiefs throughout history, they could only "play on" that the Emperor was divine and "the sky would fall on their ears". if you didn't listen.
Until 1609, the emperor could elevate a sheriff's family to the three highest imperial ranks, which in the Shin Meiji noble titles (1884-1947) entailed titles such as duke, marquis and count.
The problem was simply that the top three ranks meant that the boss was now the Emperor and not the Shogun.
Therefore, in 1609, the Tokugawa Shogunate forbade that Daimyo princes could be elevated to the top three ranks - without the shogunate's official recommendation and approval.
But the Tokugawa shogunate could not ban the few 2-3 % "semi-divine" Daimyo-lieutenant houses that had already been elevated by the emperor on the merits of the past.
Hence arose the often divided political situation, where sheriffs could, by all legal rights, listen more to the emperor than to their official chief; The shogun - the king.
And of course they did - when it suited their power play.
As the ultimate recognition of rank 1+ "until doomsday", the Emperor could give permission to use the secondary coat of arms of the Imperial House "Go Hi Sti no Kiri", which today is the official coat of arms of Japan and the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister's official coat of arms
A few remaining "semi-divine" Seiwa Genji Daimyo sheriff families therefore also bear this coat of arms.
So does the HONKE Daimyo fiefdom of Yamana-Itotani.
The BUNKE Yamana sheriff's houses do not. They have other main coat of arms.
But it is quite common for Daimyo Lordships to have at least three Kamons (coat of arms), lords two and gentry samurai one.
Yamana before 1185
Nitta
Minamoto Mon
Go Hi trail Mon
Yamana PILE Mon
Japanese passports before 1947 were issued with the Daimyo Sheriff family coat of arms. This meant that well into the 1950s and 60s you could still see active passports with the coat of arms of the Daimyo families.
Name and noble title are still issued in UK passports. It also happens in other European countries with royal houses.
Shogun the king, his court and administration
The shogun, was the real ruler of Japan and was a warrior king. Before 1201 this post was divided into two positions (north and south), but after 1201 this was combined into one position.
For relief he had a Kanrei "Vice shogun - President". The vice shogun was the president of the administration of 3-5 main ministries in Japan.
Until 1560, one sheriff (daimyo) presided over the military arm; all the warrior sheriffs in Japan. His name was Betto of the samurai Dokoro (Prime Minister).
That power structure meant that you had a Shogun, who formally had two main aides under him; Vice Shogun and the "union chairman" of all Japan's feudal lords - the Daimyos.
That construction in the balance of power meant that either the shogun had to have significant fiefdoms himself, or his very loyal vice shogun had to have this.
As soon as one of these fails, the entire balance tips in favor of the county princes, where the biggest were really "kings" and behaved as such.
This is exactly how history unfolded in Japan, but also that the rulers who learned from the mistakes of their ancestors or from the mistakes of other rulers survived and left their significant mark on Japan's history.
This was also the case in the rest of the world.
The feudal structure
