bakuhan
Quick Summary
The bakuhan system was the feudal government of Japan during the Tokugawa period (1603–1868). It was a combination of the bakufu (the central government, or shogunate) and the han (domains controlled by territorial lords called daimyo).12
Under this system, the han operated autonomously, even maintaining their own military forces and economic self-sufficiency. The daimyo were bound to the shogun by oath and received their lands as grants. The Tokugawa shogunate exerted control over the daimyo through measures like sankin kōtai, requiring them to alternate their residence between their domains and the shogun's court. This system ultimately collapsed in 1868, leading to the abolition of the han in 1871.132
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- daimyo
…a governing system called the bakuhan. Daimyo were classed according to their relationships to the shogun as kinsmen (shimpan), hereditary vassals (fudai), and less-trusted allies (tozama; meaning “outsiders”).
Read More…a governing system called the bakuhan. Daimyo were classed according to their relationships to the shogun as kinsmen (shimpan), hereditary vassals (fudai), and less-trusted allies (tozama; meaning “outsiders”).
Read More 
Japanese architectureThe Tokugawa, or Edo, period…Tokugawa rulers is called the bakuhan, a combination of bakufu (“tent government,” or military shogunate) and han (“domain of a daimyo”). The new order allowed for comparative discretionary rule within the several hundred domains, but the daimyo were required to pay periodic visits to Edo and to maintain a residence…
Read More…Tokugawa rulers is called the bakuhan, a combination of bakufu (“tent government,” or military shogunate) and han (“domain of a daimyo”). The new order allowed for comparative discretionary rule within the several hundred domains, but the daimyo were required to pay periodic visits to Edo and to maintain a residence…
Read More
JapanThe bakuhan systemThe ancestors of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo bakufu, were the Matsudaira, a Sengoku daimyo family from the mountainous region of Mikawa province (in present Aichi prefecture) who had built up their base as daimyo…
Read MoreThe ancestors of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo bakufu, were the Matsudaira, a Sengoku daimyo family from the mountainous region of Mikawa province (in present Aichi prefecture) who had built up their base as daimyo…
Read More- JapanThe last years of the bakuhan
… Thus beset by crises in both domestic and foreign affairs, the chief senior councillor (tairō), Mizuno Tadakuni, instituted the Tempō reforms, named for the Tempō era (1830–44). Based on the earlier Kōhyō and Kansei reforms and equally conservative, Tadakuni’s efforts lasted…
Read More… Thus beset by crises in both domestic and foreign affairs, the chief senior councillor (tairō), Mizuno Tadakuni, instituted the Tempō reforms, named for the Tempō era (1830–44). Based on the earlier Kōhyō and Kansei reforms and equally conservative, Tadakuni’s efforts lasted…
Read More