Samurai Life in Medieval Japan The Heian period (794-1185) was
followed by 700 years of warrior governments—the Kamakura,
Muromachi, and Tokugawa. The civil government at the imperial
court continued, but the real rulers of the country were the
military daimyō class. You will be using art as a primary source
to learn about samurai and daimyō life in medieval Japan
(1185-1603). Kamakura Period (1185-1333) The Kamakura period was
the beginning of warrior class rule. The imperial court still
handled civil affairs, but with the defeat of the Taira family,
the Minamoto under Yoritomo established its capital in the small
eastern city of Kamakura. Yoritomo received the title shogun or
“barbarian-quelling generalissimo.” Different clans competed
with one another as in the Hōgen Disturbance of 1156 and the
Heiji Disturbance of 1159. The Heiji Monogatari Emaki is a hand
scroll showing the armor and battle strategies of the early
medieval period. The conflict at the Sanjo Palace was between
Fujiwara Nobuyori and Minamot