The term is often translated generalissimo and is also used for such military leaders of foreign nations by Japanese. The term originally referred to the general who commanded the army sent to fight the tribes of northern Japan, but after the twelfth century, the term was used to designate the leader of the samurai. Thus, a translation of Seii Taishōgun would be 'Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians'. 大 ( dai, だい) means 'great', 将 ( shō, しょう) means 'commander' and 軍 ( gun, ぐん) means 'army'.

'army commander') is the abbreviation of the historical title Sei-i Taishōgun 征 ( sei, せい) means 'conquer' or 'subjugate' and 夷 ( i, い) means 'barbarian' or 'savage'.

Nevertheless, the institution, known in English as the shogunate ( English: / ˈ ʃ oʊ ɡ ə n eɪ t/), persisted for nearly 700 years, ending when Tokugawa Yoshinobu relinquished the office to Emperor Meiji in 1867 as part of the Meiji Restoration. The tent symbolized the shogun's role as the military's field commander but also denoted that such an office was meant to be temporary. The shogun's officials were collectively referred to as the bakufu ( 幕府, 'tent government') they were the ones who carried out the actual duties of administration, while the Imperial court retained only nominal authority. When Minamoto no Yoritomo gained political ascendency over Japan in 1185, the title was revived to regularize his position, making him the first shogun in the usually understood sense. The title was originally held by military commanders during Heian period in the 8th and 9th centuries. The office of shogun was in practice hereditary, though over the course of the history of Japan several different clans held the position. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura period, shoguns were themselves figureheads.

Shogun ( 将軍, shōgun, Japanese: ( listen) English: / ˈ ʃ oʊ ɡ ʌ n/ SHOH-gun ), officially Sei-i Taishōgun ( 征夷大将軍, ' Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians'), was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868.

Swords and potions 2 evil shogun