“Japan was ruled by emperors, but over time, they began to lose power, and eventually landowning families set up a feudal system. Under the system, high nobles gave land to lesser nobles in return for their loyalty and military service. At the bottom of the social ladder, peasants farmed nobles’ estates in exchange for protection. By the 1100s, armies of local nobles had begun fighting for control of Japan. Minamoto Yoritomo became Japan’s first shogun, or military leader. Landowning warriors called samurai supported the shogun. Although the emperor kept his title, the shoguns held the real power.” Who held the real power in feudal Japan and how did that shift of power happen?