A Brief History of Japan

By narpen
  • 300 BCE

    1. Jomon Period

    Gatherers, hunters, fishers
  • Period: 300 BCE to 250

    2. Yayoi Period

    Rice farming: larger settlement, hundreds of small countries unify into larger countries
  • Period: 250 to 538

    3. Kofun Period

    Kofun: large tombs for deceased leaders
  • 400

    Yamato Japan

    Japan was united as Yamato Japan
    (from Kyushu to Kinai plain - Nara)
  • Period: 538 to 710

    4. Asuka Period

    Buddhism (introduction)
  • 645

    Taika Reform

    Land and taxation reforms
  • 710

    Nara becomes the first permanent capital

  • Period: 710 to 784

    5. Nara Period

    (for 74 years)
  • 784

    The capital moves to Nagaoka

  • 794

    The capital moves to Heian (Kyoto)

  • Period: 794 to 1185

    6. Heian Period

    Fujiwara as regent
  • 1185

    First shogun: Minamoto Yorimoto (from Kamakura)

  • Period: 1192 to 1333

    7. Kamakura Period

  • 1274

    First attempt (failed): Mongols invasion to Japan

  • 1281

    Second attempt (failed): Mongols invasion to Japan

  • 1335

    Kemmu Restoration by Emperor Go-Daigo (3 years)

  • 1338

    Ashikaga Takauji appointed himself as shogun (Kyoto)

  • Period: 1338 to 1573

    8. Muromachi Period

    Muromachi: district where the government buildings were located
  • Period: 1476 to 1573

    Sengoku Period

    Daimyou (feudal lord) continuously fought against each other for several decades.
  • 1542

    Portuguese traders & Jesuit missionaries arrived in Kyushu

    introduced firearms & christianity to Japan
  • 1559

    Oda Nobunaga controlled Owari province (Nagoya)

  • 1568

    Oda Nobunaga captured Kyoto

  • Period: 1573 to

    9. Azuchi - Momoyama Period

    Azuchi castle, Momoyama castle.
    Oda Nobunaga seppuku.
  • 1582

    Toyotomi Hideyoshi revenged & succeeded Oda Nobunaga

  • Sword Hunt by T. Hideyoshi

    forced samurai to move into the castle towns

  • T. Hideyoshi invaded Korea

  • T. Ieyasu became shogun & established government in Edo (Tokyo)

  • Period: to

    10. Edo Period (250 years)

  • Sankin Koutai (alternate attendance)

  • Period: to

    Sakoku Period: Japan's self isolation

  • Commodore Perry forced the Tokugawa gov. to open for international trade

  • Period: to

    11. Meiji Period (44 years)

  • Period: to

    12. Taisho Period (14 years)

  • World War I (~1918)

  • Period: to

    13. Showa Period

  • Pacific War ~1945

  • Hiroshima, Nagasaki

  • Period: to

    14. Heisei Period

  • Burst of Bubble Economy