Okay kiddo, imagine you and your friends like to play a game called "ruler of the playground". One day, your friend Jim becomes the best at the game and gets to be the ruler of the playground. He makes all the rules and everybody has to listen to him.
Now, the "shogunate" is kind of like that game. A long time ago in Japan, there were powerful people called "shoguns" who were like rulers. They made all the rules and everybody had to listen to them.
The shoguns were the leaders of a group of powerful warriors called samurai. They would protect the land and make sure everything was peaceful. Just like in your game, the shoguns were respected by everyone and their word was law.
This went on for many years, with different shoguns ruling over Japan. Each one had their own rules and way of doing things. But eventually, Japan changed and became more modern. The shogunate ended and Japan became a different kind of country.
So, the shogunate was a time in Japan's history when powerful shoguns ruled over the land and made all the rules. Like a game of "ruler of the playground", but on a much bigger scale!