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Period: 710 to 794
the Nara period
the capital is located in Nara, a small town close to Kyoto, and a number of large Buddhist temples are built to protect the emperor. a time of close ties with China. -
Period: 794 to 1185
the Heian period
a time of rapid culture change strongly influenced by China, led from modern-day Kyoto. -
Period: 1185 to
feudal period
Japan is dominated by powerful military families, and the arts are highly decorated in style. -
Period: 1185 to 1333
Kamakura period
in the Kamakura period, Minamoto no Yoritomo creates the first 'warrior government' or shogunate in 1193. the Minamoto family rules from Kamakura, a coastal town of Japan not far from modern day Tokyo. -
Period: 1336 to 1573
muromachi
in the muromachi period, the Ashikaga clan rules as the shoguns. they move the capital to Kyoto in the muromachi district. -
Period: 1568 to
Momoyama period
the Momoyama period (or azuchi-momoyama period) were the final years of the medieval period, which ended the 'warning states' and medieval periods, when 'three grate unifiers' united the country by force under a military government. -
Period: to
Tokugawa period
in the Tokugawa (EDO) period, Japan is united under the Tokugawa clan and society is reorganized around four classes: samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants. life centers on EDO (Tokyo), the new capital of Japan.