Answer:
In 1603, the government of Japan underwent a significant change when Tokugawa Ieyasu, a powerful daimyo, became the shogun and established the Tokugawa Shogunate. This marked the end of the Sengoku period, a time of civil war and unrest in Japan, and the beginning of the Edo period.
Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, the political power in Japan was centralized, and the shogun became the de facto ruler of the country. The emperor still retained his title and ceremonial duties but had little real power. The country was divided into regions called han, each ruled by a daimyo who pledged allegiance to the shogun. The shogunate also implemented a strict social hierarchy, with samurai at the top, followed by farmers, artisans, and merchants.
The Tokugawa Shogunate brought about a long period of peace and stability in Japan, known as the Pax Tokugawa. The shogunate implemented policies such as the isolationist sakoku policy, which restricted foreign trade and contact with the outside world, and the sankin-kotai system, which required daimyo to spend every other year in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) as a form of hostage. These policies helped to stabilize the country and maintain the power of the shogunate for over 250 years.