Also known as: 将軍, 征夷大将軍, 정이대장군, 征夷大將軍
The title of the military dictator of Japan for most of the period from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto ruler of the country, although during parts of the Kamakura period the shoguns were figureheads themselves. The position of shogun was effectively hereditary, although several different families held the position throughout Japanese history.