What is the difference of power between the Tokugawa Shogunate and the Daimyo?
The daimyo were the feudal lords. Anyone with an income of more than 10,000 koku in rice was a daimyo. The Tokugawa were the family that ruled from the early 17th century until the late 19th. The Tokugawa were the most powerful of the daimyo, and they held the shogunate until they lost several battles to rebels after America forced Japan’s opening to the rest of the world. Simply put, the difference in power was vast. The Tokugawa had more power than the other daimyo right up until they lost control of the country. The relative power of the merchants to the ruling class increased throughout the Tokugawa period, but the Tokugawa were clearly at the top of the pecking order for that time.
