Final answer:
In the 16th century, Japan was a feudal nation with daimyo wielding power. The century ended with the rise of the Tokugawa shogunate, which established control over the country and emphasized a strict social hierarchy and isolation.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the 16th century, the Japanese government was characterized by a feudal structure dominated by powerful warlords known as daimyo. These daimyo controlled their own territories, and towards the end of the century, influential figures such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu began efforts towards unification and central control. By the beginning of the 17th century, this culminated in the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, which would preside over a period of peace and isolation from the rest of the world. This shogunate ushered in the Edo period, marked by a strict social structure, an emphasis on Confucian values, and the policy of sankin-kōtai, which required daimyo to alternate their residence between their domains and the capital, leaving their families as hostages in Edo as a tool for maintaining control.