Overview
Minamoto no Yoritomo’s warrior government functioned from 1185; he was named shogun in 1192 — the source of the famous debate over whether the period starts in 1185 or 1192. After Yoritomo, the Hojo family ruled as regents.
Key developments
The court’s attempt to reclaim power failed in the Jokyu War (1221), and the Goseibai Shikimoku (1232) codified warrior law. The Mongol invasions of 1274 and 1281 were repelled, aided by storms later remembered as “kamikaze” — but rewarding the defenders strained the regime. New popular Buddhism spread: Honen’s Pure Land, Shinran’s True Pure Land, Nichiren’s Lotus school, and the Zen of Eisai and Dogen.
End and transition
Emperor Go-Daigo’s loyalists destroyed the shogunate in 1333.