Lindsey’s Reviews > A History of Japan to 1334 > Status Update

Section 1 gives a definition of feudalism, namely “…not a system of government, but a sort of land distribution and land tenure from which a particular social structure rises” (p. 339). It goes on to describe Japanese feudalism as coming from the manors, or shōen, previously described in earlier chapters. However, feudalism was born from the breakdown of the old manorial system rather than from a continuation of it.

Section 2 overviews the land policy of Yoritomo in which feudalist society operated. The central government allowed him to appoint stewards and constables to manors, and this would form the basis of the lord-vassal relationship that became common in Japan. In exchange for protective services, lords rewarded their vassals, sometimes with lucrative offices. This practice applied to both public and private manors, stripping the central government of one of its primary forms of revenue. While this land policy began in the eastern provinces, it expanded to the entire country after the Genpei War.