History
of Japan
10,000BC
– 300BC: Jomon Period
The name Jomon is used to name the era’s rope marked
pottery. Somewhere between 35,000 BC and 10,000 BC, the first
migrants appeared in Japan. Small groups of people migrated
to the Japanese Islands from Korea, the Asian mainland and
the South Pacific. These early people were gatherers, hunters
and fishers. It was during the later Jomon period that the
Shinto Religion first surfaced. Homes of this time period
were made of natural materials. Near the end of the Jomon
period, systems of government started to develop and the first
signs of agriculture were appearing.
300BC
– 300AD: Yayoi Period
Again this period name is used to identify the era’s
pottery. During this time period people lived in clans. Agriculture
was developed and rice was introduced to Japan and grown in
flooded fields. Rice farming led to land ownership and rice
was used as currency. Social classes began to form with landowners
becoming very powerful and wealthy. Iron and bronze were also
introduced to Japan during this era.
300AD
– 710AD: Kofun Period or the Yamato Period
The people of the Japanese Islands had regular contact with
the people of Korea and China during this time and there were
many cultural changes. Priests, scholars, artists and craftspeople
came bringing with them Chinese art, music, architecture,
astronomy, metalworking, shipbuilding and medicine along with
the Chinese written language. Buddhism was first introduced,
and many beautiful temples were built. The theories of Confucianism
and Taoism were also introduced during this era. During this
period central Japan was unified and controlled by various
emperors.
710
– 794: The Nara Period
Around 710 the first permanent Japanese capital was established
in Nara. There were many government changes and a large, well
organized government was formed and based on the Chinese model.
Buddhism
spread and was proclaimed the official state religion. Large
Buddhist monasteries were built in the capital. The monasteries
had a strong political influence and in order to protect the
emperor the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784 and then to
Kyoto (Heian) in 794.
794
– 1192: Heian Period
By the year 794 Japan began to reduce contact with the Asian
mainland and this was a time of isolation for Japan. The Shinto
and Buddhism religions resided side by side and many people
practiced both religions. The imported ideas were changed
to better suit the Japanese life style. Several governmental
offices were established in addition to the government system
that had been developed from the Chinese model. Distinct Japanese
arts became popular. Japanese writing was developed with the
Kana syllables.
1191 – 1333: Kamakura Period
Around 1185, Minamoto Yoritomo became the leader of Japan
and was appointed Shogun (the highest military officer). He
established a new feudal government in his home city Kamakura
- the Kamakura Bakufu. The Chinese
influence was strong during this period. The Buddhist Zen
sect was introduced in 1191 and was very popular with the
samurai (members of the leading military class - the Japanese
warriors). Also during
this era a class structure was formed based on the ideas of
Confucius as well as Japanese values. There were many rules
about clothes, houses, behavior, work and marriages. Membership
in a class was hereditary. There were 5 classes; Ruling Class
or Nobility, Samurai, Farmers, Craftspeople, and Merchants. Japanese
castles were built during this time and towns grew up around
those castles. The Ninja were specially trained samurai who
were skilled at making secret invasions of heavily protected
castles. It is interesting to note that many of Japan’s
modern cities were once castle towns from this era. 1333
– 1573: Muromachi Period
The Muromachi district where the government buildings were
located from 1378 gave the government and the historical period
their names. The warrior culture and arts continued to develop.
This was a period riddled with war between rivaling clans
and the demand for samurai was very high. The wars resulted
in the central government breaking into independent states.
The first
Europeans came to Japan and European contact lasted for 100
years. The cities grew around the trading ports and castles
grew. The Europeans brought firearms, bread, tobacco and Christianity.
After the Europeans were banned from Japan, the Shogun also
banned Christianity. 1573
– 1603: Azuki-Momoyama Period
Japan was re-unified by three great warlords, Oda Nobunaga,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. Each of them contributed
to the end of the clan wars. Toyotomi
Hideyoshi introduced a rigid social caste system and forced
the samurai to decide between life as farmers and the warrior
life in the castle towns. The only people allowed to have
swords were the samurai. In 1590, Hidevoshi’s
famous Osaka Castle was completed. After
uniting the country, Hideyoshi tried to conquer China. In
1592 the Japanese invaded Korea and captured Seoul within
a few weeks. They were, however, pushed back again by Chinese
and Korean forces the next year but Hideyoshi did not give
up until the final evacuation from Korea in 1598, the same
year in which he died. Tokugawa Ieyasu, a partner of Hideyoshi
and Nobunaga, succeeded Hideyoshi as the most powerful man
of Japan. 1603
– 1868: Edo Period
During this era the Shogun closed Japan to the outside world
in order to retain his power. In 1639, all European and Asian
trades were forced to leave and foreign trade was banned.
Japanese people were not allowed to travel outside of Japan
and if they lived outside of Japan, they were not allowed
to return home. This isolation lasted for 200 years. The time
was peaceful as Samurai governments controlled the country.
It was during this time that a distinct Japanese culture (link
to culture page) developed. The isolation ended in 1853 when
American ships sailed into Tokyo Bay and demanded the Shogun
open Japan to trade and diplomatic relations under the threat
of force. At the end of this era the samurai class was no
longer necessary and disappeared. 1868
– 1912: Mieji Period
The name Mieji is the name of the emperor who was reigning
when power to rule was restored to the imperial family. In
1868 the rule of the Shogun ended and power was once again
restored to the emperor, thus it was called the Meiji Restoration.
The new government wished to make Japan a democratic state
with equality among all and established human rights such
as religious freedom. At this time the land was returned to
the emperor. New ideas
and technology flooded into Japan. New industry was built
using steam power and electricity. New communities and transportation
systems were built. With it came a new education system modeled
after the French and German systems. Education became compulsory.
There was a great western influence in the Japanese culture
during this period. 1912
– 1945: Period of Expansion
The depression of the 1930s affected Japan as it did the rest
of the world and with it came hunger and unemployment. Japan
was also dealing with an economic struggle from the Great
Kanto Earthquake of 1923. During
World War II, on December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the Allied
powers at Pearl Harbour in the United States and several other
points throughout the Pacific. Japan was able to expand its
control over a large territory that expanded to the border
of India in the West and New Guinea in the South. However
after the Pearl Harbour attack, the American military became
involved in war with Japan. After 4 years, the Japanese withdrew
from the territories where they had expanded. Most cities
in Japan had been destroyed by bombing. On August 6, 1945,
the American military dropped the world’s first (and
to date, only) atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bomb killed 140,000
people and another 37,000 later died from radiation from the
bomb. Three days later, the American military dropped a second
bomb on the city of Nagasaki, killing 70,000 people. On August
15, Emperor Hirohito surrendered unconditionally. 1945
– Present: Period of Economic Recovery and Development
When World War II ended in 1945, Japan was in ruin and the
country experienced a severe food shortage. The occupation
of Japan by the Allied Powers started in August 1945 and ended
in April 1952 under the command of American General Douglas
MacArthur. There were many major changes to Japan during this
occupation. A constitution was drawn up to replace the old
Meiji constitution from 1889 and put into effect on May 3,
1947. The changes included:
• The emperor lost all effective governmental power
and his functions became purely symbolic
• Sovereign power was given to the people with everyone
given the right to vote
• Equality for women
• Prohibition of Japan leading war or maintaining an
army.
Japanese industry grew by extraordinary rates and Japan today
has become one of the most successful, highly industrialized
nations in the world. Today, Japan is the world’s leading
producer of a large number of products.
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