-
200
Kofun Period
200: Sushi is invented -
250
Kofun Period
250: The shintoist shrine of Ise is founded. -
300
Kofun Period
300: Large tombs (kofun) were built for the deceased leaders. Japan is for the first time (more or less) united -
500
Kofun Period
500: Japan adopts the Chinese alphabet -
550
Asuka Period
550: The Sun (Soga) dynasty ascends to the throne. The capital of Japan is moved to their homeland, the Asuka valley in the central Yamato plain. -
Jan 1, 604
Asuka Period
604: Prince Shotoku's Constitution of seventeen articles is promulgated -
Jan 1, 645
Asuka Period
645: The Fujiwara era startsShotoku is succeese by Kotoku Tenno, who strengthens imperial power over aristocratic clans (Taika Reform), turning their states into provinces -
Jan 1, 710
Nara Period
710: Nara becomes the first permanent capital. -
Jan 1, 1016
Heian Period
1016: Fujiwara Michinaga becomes regent -
Jan 1, 1159
Heian Period
1159: The Taira clan under Taira Kiyomori takes over the power after the Heiji war -
Jan 1, 1175
Heian Period
1175: The Buddhist Jodo Sect (Pure Land Sect) is introduced -
Jan 1, 1180
Heian Period
1180: Start of the Gempei War, the Minamoto clan puts an end to Taira supremecy. -
Jan 1, 1185
Heian Period
1185: End of the Gempei War -
Jan 1, 1191
Kamakura Period
1191: The Zen sect is introduced -
Jan 1, 1192
Kamakura Period
1192: Minamoto Yoritomo is appointed shogun and establishes the Kamakura government -
Jan 1, 1221
Kamakura Period
1221: The Jokyu Disturbance ends a struggle between Kamakura and Kyoto resulting in the supremacy of the Hojo regents in Kamakura -
Jan 1, 1232
Kamakura Period
1232: A legal code, the Joei Shikimoku, is promulgated -
Jan 1, 1274
Kamakura Period
1274: The Mongol's first attempt to invade Japan, failing mainly beacuse of bad weather conditions -
Jan 1, 1281
Kamakura Period
1281: The Mongol's second attempt to invade Japan, again failing mainly beacuse of bad weather conditions -
Jan 1, 1333
Kamakura Period
1333: The Kamakura bakufu falls -
Jan 1, 1334
Muromachi Period
1334: Kemmu restoration: the emperor restores power over Japan -
Jan 1, 1336
Muromachi Period
1336: Ashikaga Takauji captures Kyoto -
Jan 1, 1337
Muromachi Period
1337: The emperor flees and establishes the Southern court in Yoshino -
Jan 1, 1338
Muromachi Period
1338: Takauji establishes the Muromachi government and a second emperor in Kyoto (Northern court) -
Jan 1, 1392
Muromachi Period
1392: Unification of the Southern and Northern courts -
Jan 1, 1467
Muromachi Period
1467: The Onin war begins -
Jan 1, 1477
Muromachi Period
1477: The Onin war ends -
Jan 1, 1542
Muromachi Period
1542: Portuguese introduce firearms and Christianity to Japan -
Jan 1, 1573
Muromachi Period
1573: The Muromachi bakufu falls -
Jan 1, 1575
Azuchi Momoyama Period
1575: The Takeda clan is defeated in the battle of Nagashino -
Jan 1, 1582
Azuchi Momoyama Period
1582: Nobunaga is murdered and succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi -
Azuchi Momoyama Period
1588: Hideyoshi confiscates the weapons of farmers and religious institutions in the "Sword Hunt" -
Azuchi Momoyama Period
1590: Japan is reunited after the fall of Odawara (Hojo) -
Azuchi Momoyama Period
1592: Beginning of the unseuccessful attacks to invade Korea. -
Azuchi Momoyama Period
1598: End of the unseuccessful attacks to invade Korea. -
Azuchi Momoyama Period
1600: Tokugawa Leyasu defeats his rivals in the battle of Sekigahara -
Edo Period
1603: Leyasu is appointed shogun and establishes the Tokugawa government in Edo (Tokyo) -
Edo Period
1614: Leyasu intensifies persecution of Christianity -
Edo Period
1639: Almost complete isolation of Japan from the rest of the world because foreign travelling was forbidden and trade was limited -
Edo Period
1688: The Genroku era begins and culture flourishes -
Edo Period
1703: The Genroka era ends -
Edo Period
1792: The Russians unsuccessfuly try to establish trade relations with Japan -
Edo Period
Commodore Matthew Perry forces the Japanese government to open a limited number of ports for trade -
Meiji Period
1872: First railway line between Tokyo and Yokohama -
Meiji Period
1894: The Sino-Japanese war begins -
Meiji Period
1895: The Sino-Japanese war end -
Meiji Period
1904: The Russo-Japanese war begins -
Meiji Period
1905: The Russo-Japanese war ends -
Meiji Period
1910: The annexation of Korea -
Meiji Period
1912: Death of emperor Meiji -
Taisho Period
1914: Japan joins allied forces in World War 1 -
Taisho Period
1923: The Great Kanto Earthquake devastates Tokyo and Yokohama -
Showa Period
1931: Manchurian Incident -
Showa Period
1937: Second Sino-Japanese war starts -
Showa Period
1941: Japanese attack the USA Pearl Harbor as part of World War 2 (Pacific War) -
Showa Period
1945: Japan surrenders in World War 2 after two atomic bombs are dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki -
Showa Period
1946: The new constitution is promulgated -
Showa Period
1956: Japan becomes a member of the United Nations -
Heisei Period
1995: The Great Hanshin Earthquake hits Kobe -
Yayoi Period
0 AD: Shintoism becomes the national religion and the "emperor" is merely an official in charge of preforming Shinto ritualsand symbolic ceremonies. -
Heisei Period
2009: The Democratic Party of Japan becomes the ruling party -
Heisei Period
2011: The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami at Tohoku -
Asuka Period
538: Introduction of Buddhism -
Nara Period
749: Shomu's daughter Koken, becomes empress -
Nara Period
784: The capital moves to Nagaoka -
Nara Period
788: The Buddhist monk, Saicho, founds the monastery of Mt. Hiei, near Kyoto, which will becomea vast ensemble of temples -
Heian Period
794: Kammu moves the capital to Heian (Kyoto)