sho·gun / ˈshōgən/ • n. a hereditary commander-in-chief in feudal Japan. Because of the military power concentrated in his hands and the consequent weakness of the nominal head of state (the mikado or emperor), the shogun was generally the real ruler of the country until feudalism was abolished in 1867.DERIVATIVES: sho·gun·ate / -gənit; -gəˌnāt/ n.

Shogun ★★★½ James Clavell's Shogun 1980

Miniseries chronicling the saga of a shipwrecked English navigator who becomes the first Shogun, or Samurai warrior chief, from the Western world. Colorfully adapted from the James Clavell bestseller. Also released in a twohour version, but this fulllength version is infinitely better. 550m/C VHS, DVD . Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune, Yoko Shimada, John Rhys-Davies, Damien Thomas, William Morgan Sheppard; D: Jerry London; M: Maurice Jarre; Nar: Orson Welles. TV

shogun Title of the military ruler of Japan, first conferred upon Yoritomo in 1192. The Minamoto (1192–1333), Ashikaga (1338–1568), and Tokugawa (1603–1868) shogunates in effect ruled feudal Japan, although the Emperor retained ceremonial and religious duties. The Shogunate ended with the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

shogun a hereditary commander-in-chief in feudal Japan. Because of the military power concentrated in his hands and the consequent weakness of the nominal head of state (the mikado or emperor), the shogun was generally the real ruler of the country until feudalism was abolished in 1867.

shogun hereditary commander-in-chief of the Japanese army. XVII. — Jap. shōgun, for sei-i-tai shōgun ‘barbarian-subduing great general’ (shōgun repr. Chinese chiang chiin ‘lead army’).