For anyone who wants to know about Japanese history and the background for this story. You don't really have to know any of this, but it will help a little in understanding what the hell I'm talking about.
A VERY Condensed Version of Japanese History
Kyoto: the faded capital of old Japan. In years long past, the Emperor had held sway in his gilded capital, empowered and blessed by the Sun Goddess Amaterasu herself. Silk-swathed courtiers hid among their golden screens, sat among the falling cherry blossoms and composed poetry to each delicate, pink blossom. Hearts shattered and mended amid perfume soaked calligraphy; lives passed, hidden under layers of face-paint. The folding fan of the gentleman was preferred to the katana. All found solace in the belief that their Emperor's title was complete, divine, and irrefutable.
His title, yes...but not his power.
A respected clan named the Fujiwara slowly but surely gained a foothold in court by marrying their daughters to generations of Emperors. Gradually, they grew into the power behind the throne as the painted and perfumed Fujiwara daughters murmured instructions into their husbands' waiting ears. Fujiwara fathers gained complete power as kampaku--regents--and the Emperors became puppet-kings and figureheads.
Most Emperors, however, were relieved to be spared the burdensome responsibilities so eagerly stolen by the regents, and court life went on much as it had before. Other Emperors were less than happy with this power robbery. They gave up their Imperial title, and became Buddhist priests, only to rule from behind the scenes. These "cloistered emperors" broke free of the regents' rule, but complicated the order of succession, leading to disputes over the titular emperor and the cloistered one.
In 1156 a war broke out between two clans--the Minamoto and the Taira--each supporting two different claimants to the throne. In the end, an ambitious lord by the name of Minamoto no Yoritomo grappled power away from the Taira, and "requested" that the Emperor grant him the title of shogun. This post was once a solely military office, but Yoritomo used it to rule over all Japan, grasping the power once held by the Emperor and the regents.
Over time, the title of shogun passed into a different family, the Ashikaga, and the shogun, in turn was converted to a figurehead. The Houjou clan took over as regents--sesshou or shikken-- for the shoguns, dividing the power even further. The shoguns became weaker as provincial governors sapped their power.
Once again a war broke out, this time between two claimants for the title of shogun, supported by two powerful clans. During this Onin War, Kyoto was nearly burned to the ground, and the once glorious city was reduced to a state of ruin. The Emperor and his court faced extreme poverty and incapability, and all the power had shifted to regional lords, called Daimyo.
The Warring States Era had begun.
A VERY Condensed Version of Japanese History
Kyoto: the faded capital of old Japan. In years long past, the Emperor had held sway in his gilded capital, empowered and blessed by the Sun Goddess Amaterasu herself. Silk-swathed courtiers hid among their golden screens, sat among the falling cherry blossoms and composed poetry to each delicate, pink blossom. Hearts shattered and mended amid perfume soaked calligraphy; lives passed, hidden under layers of face-paint. The folding fan of the gentleman was preferred to the katana. All found solace in the belief that their Emperor's title was complete, divine, and irrefutable.
His title, yes...but not his power.
A respected clan named the Fujiwara slowly but surely gained a foothold in court by marrying their daughters to generations of Emperors. Gradually, they grew into the power behind the throne as the painted and perfumed Fujiwara daughters murmured instructions into their husbands' waiting ears. Fujiwara fathers gained complete power as kampaku--regents--and the Emperors became puppet-kings and figureheads.
Most Emperors, however, were relieved to be spared the burdensome responsibilities so eagerly stolen by the regents, and court life went on much as it had before. Other Emperors were less than happy with this power robbery. They gave up their Imperial title, and became Buddhist priests, only to rule from behind the scenes. These "cloistered emperors" broke free of the regents' rule, but complicated the order of succession, leading to disputes over the titular emperor and the cloistered one.
In 1156 a war broke out between two clans--the Minamoto and the Taira--each supporting two different claimants to the throne. In the end, an ambitious lord by the name of Minamoto no Yoritomo grappled power away from the Taira, and "requested" that the Emperor grant him the title of shogun. This post was once a solely military office, but Yoritomo used it to rule over all Japan, grasping the power once held by the Emperor and the regents.
Over time, the title of shogun passed into a different family, the Ashikaga, and the shogun, in turn was converted to a figurehead. The Houjou clan took over as regents--sesshou or shikken-- for the shoguns, dividing the power even further. The shoguns became weaker as provincial governors sapped their power.
Once again a war broke out, this time between two claimants for the title of shogun, supported by two powerful clans. During this Onin War, Kyoto was nearly burned to the ground, and the once glorious city was reduced to a state of ruin. The Emperor and his court faced extreme poverty and incapability, and all the power had shifted to regional lords, called Daimyo.
The Warring States Era had begun.