In Crusader Kings 3: All Under Heaven, Japan’s government is in a state of disorder. This is historical and not the fault of the game developers. There is an emperor, but he holds no real power. The person actually in charge is the regent, known as the Kampaku. If you want to be the most powerful person in the country, you need to aim for the Kampaku position. However, if you prefer to gain fame for your dynasty, staying in the imperial family is also a good choice. Every child born into your dynasty brings in extra Renown.
Challenging the Kampaku right at the beginning is very hard. The regent commands a massive army that no local lord can match. You must play a long game and use Japan’s Bloc system to your advantage. Blocs are informal alliances between noble houses that share similar goals. There are several types to choose from, such as Ceremony, Honor, Strength, or Prosperity. Leading a powerful Bloc is the best way to take over the regency and eventually create the Shogunate.
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The best way to grow your Bloc is not through war or diplomacy, although both help. To rule Japan in CK3: All Under Heaven, it is critical to have many children and expand your house. Growing your Bloc is simple and can be done in different ways. The easiest method is using the “Invite to Bloc” interaction on the head of another house. Whether they accept depends on several factors.
How to Grow Your Bloc
When your Bloc is small, choose houses that share your government type and aspiration. If you have converted your province to a Feudal system and follow the Prosperity aspiration, only invite houses doing the same. This makes them more likely to join you and increases your Bloc Cohesion. High Cohesion provides bonuses and keeps the alliance from falling apart.
Inviting houses with different government types or bad relations lowers Cohesion and might cause the Bloc to dissolve. Once you have many like-minded houses, you can add a few outliers, but keep the Cohesion growth positive. You can also strengthen your Bloc by attending Festivals, a unique Japanese activity. Festivals allow you to boost Cohesion, attract new members, or sow dissent in other Blocs.
The best way to grow your Bloc is a mix of growing your family and conquering neighbors. Being in a Bloc unlocks a Casus Belli to declare wars that expand your Bloc. After winning a war, you can give the conquered land to a courtier or family member. The new ruling house will automatically join your Bloc, adopting your aspiration and government.
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This method keeps Bloc Cohesion high and ensures new members are weaker than you, so they cannot challenge you. It also expands your influence. Giving domains to family members increases your dynasty’s status and creates valuable allies for war. More family branches mean more children, and more living members increase your house’s power rating. It is a political pump and dump scheme—pump out kids and relatives, then give them land. It does not matter if each brings only 200 or 300 soldiers. Quantity eventually becomes a quality of its own.
The Endgame: Becoming Shogun
This brings us to the endgame. Why are we doing this? Bloc members will not join offensive wars, but they will join any faction you start against your liege. This includes factions to install you as the new Kampaku. If you expanded your Bloc well and kept it coherent, the current regent may give up his position without a fight. If he resists, your Bloc’s combined armies should defeat him.
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This works best if you become a Feudal Soryo and leave the Administrative framework of appointed governorships. This increases the odds of your family keeping their domains. However, being a Soryo is a crime against the Kampaku, giving the regent a Casus Belli against you. Keep him happy or busy while building your strength. Once you hold the Kampaku position, the Shogunate is only one step away.
