The Futile Paradigm: In Quest of Feudalism in Early Medieval Japan

Abstract How useful is ‘feudalism’ as a paradigm for understanding medieval Japan? While the construct has a venerable history in application to the Japanese past, it is rarely invoked by specialists today, who tend to focus comparative analyses on fundamental differences, rather than superficial parallels between medieval Japan and medieval Europe. This article examines both the history and the utility of the feudal construct, discussing problems inherent to definitions of ‘feudalism’ and surveying changing scholarly perceptions of late classical and early medieval Japan, particularly with regard to three key processes: the appearance of the samurai, the emergence of warrior‐aristocrats as rulers, and the evolution of vassalage and its relationship to benefice.