Nanboku-chō period

Long, long ago in Japan, there was a time called the Nanboku-chō period. It means 'Northern and Southern Courts' period. For about 50 years, two different emperors claimed to be the true leader of Japan.

One lived in the North, and the other lived in the South. They both wanted the special golden throne, and their followers fought battles to decide who was in charge. It was like a super long game of tag where the prize was being the emperor!

The emperors had special treasures that proved they were the real deal. These were like the ultimate bragging rights! The emperors in the South had these treasures, which made them seem very important.

The emperors in the North, however, were mostly controlled by powerful warriors called shogun. So, even though the North eventually won the fight, it was later decided that the Southern emperors were the rightful rulers during this confusing time.

During this time, powerful warrior families, like the Ashikaga, started to gain a lot of influence. They were like the super-strong kids on the playground who could decide who got to play. These warriors helped build a new government called the shogunate. They changed how things worked in Japan, making sure the warriors had more power and money, which was different from how things were before.

For a long time, historians in Japan were confused about who was the real emperor during the Nanboku-chō period. Because the North's side eventually took over, many old books said they were the legitimate rulers. But then, people realized the South had the special treasures!

It took a very long time, until 1911, for a new emperor, Emperor Meiji, to officially say that the Southern emperors were the ones who were truly in charge.