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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 or "Classical" Period
A time of rapid cultural change strongly influenced by China, led from modern-day Kyoto. -
Period: 1185 to
Feudal Period — After Genpai War
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 Period
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 'Warring States' and Medieval periods, when 'three great unifiers' united the country by force under a military government. -
Period: to
Tokugawa (Edo) 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