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Period: 1185 to 1336
Kamakura Shogunate
Warfare between Minamoto and Taira clans ended in a sea battle won by Yoritomo. He became shogun in 1192, then made the town, Kamakura, his capital. It became his headquarters for 150 years (the Kamakura Shogunate). -
1274
Mongol Invasion (1st attempt)
Troops of the Mongol emperor of China, Kublai Khan, came to Japan armed with weapons using gunpowder. A storm damaged a part of the fleet, so they retreated back to Korea. -
1281
Mongol Invasion (2nd attempt)
The second attack was defeated when a typhoon wrecked the Mongol fleet, even though they had a larger force. -
1336
Ashikaga Takauji Betraying the Emperor
Ashikaga Takauji helped the emperor with wiping out the Hojo family (and other rivals), but then turned on the emperor and forced him to flee from Kyoto. -
Period: 1336 to 1573
Ashikaga Shogunate
After the destruction of Kamakura, Ashikaga Takauji held the reins on power. He made the emperor appoint him shogun and when he refused, he installed a new emperor that would. The next 200 years are known as the Ashikaga shogunate. -
1360
Northern and Southern Courts
From 1336-1392, there was a period known as the Northern and Southern Courts era because there were two emperors at the same time. -
1397
The Golden Pavilion
Yoshimitsu had the Golden Pavilion built, then his son converted it into the Zen temple (with his instructions). -
1467
Onin War
This is when the decade-long war broke out. Soon after, it escalated into something nation-wide, with many daimyo fighting to name the next heir to the Ashikaga shogunal throne. The imperial and shogunal capital of Kyoto burned because Japan ended up erupting into a factional fight. -
Battle of Sekigahara
In this battle, Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated the Hideyori loyalists and other Western rivals. -
Period: to
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa Shogunate began when Ieyasu defeated many of the powerful lords who ruled at that time. This period lasted for about 250 years. -
Destruction of the Toyotomi Clan
Ieyasu destroyed the Toyotomi clan when he captured Osaka castle, meaning that he and his successors had basically no rivals. -
Lifted Ban of Literature
The ban of Western literature was cancelled and several new teachings entered Japan from China and Europe. -
End of Tokugawa Period
The Tokugawa government fell because of the heavy political pressure and the power of Emperor Meiji was restored.
