In the middle of the 12th century, what caused disturbances to arise in japan? japanese peasants who couldn't afford to support china's lavish style of government began to rebel against other clans and the government. peasants were forced to work the crops like serfs in order to supply daimyos with crops and goods that made the daimyos very wealthy and the peasants very poor. the japanese resented the establishment of bakufu, a form of government that included military governance by independent warlords. the samurai were rewarded for their bravery and battle skills with tracts of land that belonged to the peasants, which made the peasants very angry.