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Shogun!830 years ago today, August 21, 1192, Minamoto no Yoritomo was invested with the title of Sei-i Taishogun, (Commander-in-Chief of the Anti Barbarian Forces) the military dictator of Japan, by the Emperor. He would be one of 40 men throughout history to carry the title, simplified to “Shogun”.The various Shogun headed the Bakufu, or the “tent government”. The tent represented the position as that of a field commander, while also alluding to the temporary nature of the position. The Kamakura Shogunate lasted from 1192 until 1333, and consisted of 9 shogun. The Ashikaga Shogunate spaned the years 1336 to 1573, with 16 men serving as Shogun. The Tokugawa Shogunate featured 15 Shogun between 1603 and 1868.There were other warriors provided with the title of Sei-I Taishogun, but most were only awarded the title during a particular campaign. Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was an exception, holding the title for 11 years from 797 – 808.Only those within the Minamoto bloodline could be named as shogun, hence Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi could not have become Shogun. In order to be able to claim the then dormant position, Tokugawa Ieyasu had his family tree re-drawn to include a Minamoto “ancestor”. This allowed him to become the first of 15 Tokugawa Shogun.