What was the name given to Japanese military dictators who ruled the country through the 12th and 19th Century?

The story behind the answer

Shogun is correct because it was the title for Japan’s military dictators who held de facto power from the 12th to the 19th century, while the emperor remained a symbolic figure. The full title, Sei-i Taishōgun (“Great General who subdues the barbarians”), began with Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1192 and continued through the Kamakura, Ashikaga (Muromachi), and Tokugawa (Edo) shogunates, ending with the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

By contrast, samurai were the warrior class who served the shogun, and “ninja” or “shinobi” refers to covert operatives—none of these were national rulers. Memory tip: Shogun sounds like “show gun”—think of the one who “shows” military power at the top, commanding the samurai beneath him.