The Emperor and the Shoen

A note about the emperor and the ownership of the shoen (estate or plantation, if you will) run by Sansho Dayu.

So, nominally, all lands in Japan are "owned" by the emperor/imperial court.  The emperor, for most of the Heian Period (the period in which the film is set), was more of a figurehead than someone who possessed real power.  There were three officials who wielded most of the power: the Minister of the Left, the Minister of the Right (the "owner" of the shoen), and the Lord Regent ("kanpaku"), who is the one who restores Zushio to his rightful status.  The emperor was probably in his teens at the time of this movie, so it was the Kanpaku who was the most powerful man at the court (along with the retired emperor, but that's another story).

Families like the Taira and the Fujiwara vied for power and influence in the imperial capital.   Most of the highest officials were members of the Fujiwara.  Although the emperor "owned" Japan in theory, in reality, some lands were under the control of the civil government (i.e., the governor), and others were held "privately" by lords from various families.  These lands were considered to be "private," and were not legally subject to the power of the civil administration.  Sansho Dayu's shoen was "owned" by the Minister of the Right (Udaijin), whose emissary we saw in the film.  If Zushio/Masamichi was indeed able to exile Sansho, it was probably because the Kanpaku had higher status than the Udaijin, and also because some deal may have been brokered.  Most likely, the shoen was "pacified" and then probably returned to its pre-"liberation" state.

If this is way too confusing, please don't be concerned.