Maintenance of Power:
The Tokugawa Shogunate had emperors, but they were really just a formality; the power truly rested in the hands of the Shogun. The shogun was essentially a strong dictator, who ruled through military control, and though he did have the last say in all matters concerning the state, he did not have to rule it alone. The Shogun had a council of advisers, who helped him make decisions at the state level, and, in addition, the state was further divided into provinces.
The Japanese provinces were each controlled by a daimyo, or feudal lord, who controlled and regulated his province through the use of samurais, or warriors. This system took some pressure off of the shogun, by dividing his state into smaller, self sufficient feudal states, however, it also created in a threat that the daimyos would revolt, the feudal states would separate, and the Shogun would lose his power over the disunity. In order to prevent this from happening, the Shoguns kept the daimyos under strict supervision, and enforced harsh regulations over their rights and powers.
Another threat to the Tokugawa Shogunate's power came when trade from other states began to spread Christianity within the Shogunate. Fearing that this may make his rule less stable, the shogun outlawed Christianity, and began to cut off trade with the nations that he feared would try to bring it back.
The Japanese provinces were each controlled by a daimyo, or feudal lord, who controlled and regulated his province through the use of samurais, or warriors. This system took some pressure off of the shogun, by dividing his state into smaller, self sufficient feudal states, however, it also created in a threat that the daimyos would revolt, the feudal states would separate, and the Shogun would lose his power over the disunity. In order to prevent this from happening, the Shoguns kept the daimyos under strict supervision, and enforced harsh regulations over their rights and powers.
Another threat to the Tokugawa Shogunate's power came when trade from other states began to spread Christianity within the Shogunate. Fearing that this may make his rule less stable, the shogun outlawed Christianity, and began to cut off trade with the nations that he feared would try to bring it back.