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Period: Jan 1, 710 to
Nara Period
During the time that the capital of Japan was at Nara. Ruled by Emperors/Empresses during this time. -
Jun 30, 710
Movement of capital
The capital of Japan used to be moved upon the death of each emperor, but Empress Gemmei ordered it to move to Heijō-kyō permanently. The capital later became know as Nara. -
Jan 1, 717
2nd Oldest Hotel Built
The second oldest hotel in the world, Hoshi Ryokan, is built in Komatsu, Japan. It is still in operation. The oldest hotel in the world was built in Japan in 705. -
Period: Jul 1, 1185 to Jun 30, 1336
Kamakura Period
The period of the Kamakura Shogunate. It was the first shogunate and was ended with the shortlived Kemmu Restoration and later the Ashikaga Shogunate. -
Jul 12, 1192
Beginning of Shogunate
Minamoto no Yoritomo becomes Commander-In-Cheif of the forces, effectively beginning his reign as Shogun. He dies in 1199. -
May 18, 1333
End of Kamakura Shogunate
Nitta Yoshisada destroys the town of Kamakura in the Siege of Kamakura. This effectively ends the Kamakura Shogunate and begins the short-lived Kemmu restoration. -
Period: Jul 1, 1336 to Jun 30, 1534
Ashikaga Period
The period of the Ashikaga Shogunate. It began when Ashikaga Takauji conquered Japan from the Kemmu restoration. It flows on in to the next period with the Japanese war. -
Jan 1, 1337
Takeover by Ashikaga Takauji
Ashikaga Takauji, a samurai, takes over Japan and a year later is officially proclaimed shogun. He was supported by the samurais, who were disappointed in the Kemmu Restoration. His reign was a struggle to keep hold of the capital, Kyoto. He died in 1358, -
Oct 21, 1392
Unification of Japan
The southern half of Japan, which until now does not recognise Asikaga's descendants as Shoguns, surrenders, and Japan is reunified. The shogun at the time is Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. -
Period: Jul 1, 1534 to
Sengoku-Jidai: Period of Country at War
The Sengoku-Jidai period was when Japan was in what would be today called a civil war, regarding whether there should be Shoguns. In the end, there were. -
Jun 21, 1582
Death of Oda Nobunaga, Japanese potential unifier
Oda Nobunaga is killed by one of his generals. He was trying to unify Japan and had gained control of a sizeable portion of it before his death. His work was continued by his successors, and Japan was unified in 1585. -
Period: to
Tokugawa Period
The period of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Time of the infamous seclusion. Ended in 1868 with the end of the seclusion. -
Beginning of Seclusion
Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu forbids all travel outside of Japan and the reading of foreign books. This was mainly due to anti-Christian senitment. There was later a rebellion, the Shimabara Rebellion, about this but it was quashed. -
Movement of capital again
Emperor Kammu moves the captial to Heian-kyō, which is now called Kyoto. It remained the capital until 1868. -
Beginning of rule of Fujiwara Clan
The Fujiwara Clan becomes the "power behind the throne" in Japan and also marries the emperors to members of the clan. This is how they obtain power, because in Japanese tradition, your loyalty is to your maternal grandfather. Their power ended in 1068 when an emperor not related to the Fujiwara clan acceeded the throne. -
Period: to Jun 30, 1185
Heian Period
From when the Japanese capital was moved to Heian-kyo to when the Shoguns took over (Japan was earlier ruled by Emperors).
