Japan under Shoguns Timeline By BigBob26 700 First Capital of Japan in the city of Nara 1185 The Minamoto clan seizes power from the emperor 1274 The Mongolos launch a attack on the Japan empior 1467 Civil war that lasted 100 years called the Warring 1598 William Adam becomes first Englishman to visit Japan 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun 1633 Tokugawa introduces a policy for no Japanese people to leave the country 1853 Commodore Matthew Perry US naval officer goes to Japan and tells them to open borders to trade 1854 The convention of Kanagawa ends the policy Japan opens up trade with the United States. 1867 The last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, steps down and hands power back to the imperial family under Emperor Meiji.