In the Japanese feudal system, which class held the highest power?

In the Japanese feudal system, the shogun held the highest power as the military leader and de facto ruler of Japan. This title came to prominence during the Kamakura period and continued to be significant until the Meiji Restoration. Although the emperor was considered the highest authority in terms of status and culture, the shogun held the actual executive power and control over the military, governance, and land. The shogunate was a government established by the shogun, which controlled various aspects of Japanese society, including the daimyo—who were powerful landowners—and samurai, who were the warrior class serving them.

While the emperor was a figure of great respect and had cultural authority, it was the shogun who really managed the affairs of state. The daimyo, while influential and powerful in their own right, were subject to the shogun's authority and operated under the broader framework established by the shogunate. The samurai, being the warrior class, were vassals to the daimyo and also followed the shogun's commands, further emphasizing the hierarchical nature of this system with the shogun at the top. This structure clearly illustrates how, even if the emperor was revered, the shogun