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Minamoto clan seizes power in the emperor’s name. Minamoto no Yoritomo becomes shogun, and establishes his own capital city in Kamakura.
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‘Goseibai Shikimoku’ legal code establishes guidelines for military government
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Mongol army lands on the island of Kyushu but is defeated
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The samurai defeat a second Mongol invasion of Kyushu
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Emperor Go-Daigo overthrows the Kamakura government (bakufu) military; imperial government is re-established
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Start of period of rival northern and southern emperors, supported by Go-Daigo and the Ashikaga clan respectively. It lasted until 1392.
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shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu brings the military government back to Kyoto
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Start of the Warring States period; Japan is plunged into a century-long civil war between rival samurai warlords. It lasted until 1573.
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Firearms arrive in Japan brought by Portuguese traders
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Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun, based in Edo (later known as Tokyo). The Tokugawa shogunate rules Japan for the next 260 years.
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The sakoku period of isolation begins.
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The last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, steps down and the imperial regime is restored.
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The royal court moves from Nara to Kyoto. The emperor wanted to restrict the political influence of Buddhist monks at the old capital.
