Bakufu described the warrior government ruled by a shogun.
Bakufu literally means “tent government,” a reference to the field headquarters of a military commander. Over time, it became the standard term for Japan’s shogunal administrations, including the Kamakura, Ashikaga, and Tokugawa governments. English-language histories often translate bakufu as “shogunate.”
The bakufu operated alongside the imperial court rather than simply erasing it. The emperor and court nobles retained important ceremonial and cultural roles, while the shogun and military administrators exercised political and military power. The balance between court authority and warrior government varied considerably across centuries.
A han was a daimyo domain, especially in the Edo period, not the central warrior government. Kuge referred to the court nobility, while kokugaku was an intellectual movement focused on classical Japanese studies. These terms belong to different parts of Japan’s political and cultural vocabulary.