Final answer:
The Yamato imperial family retained ceremonial power and legitimacy, while the Minamoto's military government actually governed. After securing victory in the Genpei War, Minamoto no Yoritomo established a bakufu, making the emperor a figurehead and the Minamoto shogunate the de facto ruling power of Japan.
Step-by-step explanation:
The relationship between the Yamato imperial family and the Minamoto family's military government was characterized by a division of power where the imperial family held ceremonial power while the military government, established by the Minamoto clan, actually governed. The Minamoto clan, specifically under Minamoto no Yoritomo, secured this division of power following their victory in the Genpei War (1180-1185), leading Yoritomo to establish a bakufu, or military government, in Kamakura. This system effectively placed the emperor as a figurehead with the Minamoto shogunate exercising real political power.
The Minamoto-led government continued to protect the emperor and maintain the systems that conferred legitimacy upon the imperial court. The Yamato imperial family, therefore, continued to hold symbolic and de jure sovereignty but had little real political influence, as the power to rule and manage state affairs was in the hands of the Minamoto shogunate. Ultimately, this period represents a critical shift where martial prowess began to overshadow aristocratic privilege, even though the aristocracy, including the imperial family, continued to exert significant cultural and ceremonial influence.