JW History

Jamon Period

(-300 BCE)

Yayoi Period

(300 BCE - 300 CE)

Kofun Period

(300- 538)

Asuka Period

(538 - 710)

Nara Period

(710 -794)

Heian Period

(538 - 1185)

Kamakura Period

(1185 - 1333)

Muromachi Period

(1336 - 1573)

Azuchi-Momoyama Period

(1573 - 1603)

Edo Period

(1603 - 1868)

Meiji Period

(1868 - 1912)

Taisho Period

(1912 - 1926)

Showa Period

(1926 - 1989)

Heisei Period

(1989 - 2019)

Reiwa Period

(2019 - present)

Hunter-gathers, prehistoric period

Jamon period (-300 BCE)

Immigration from Asian continent,

Yayoi period (300 BCE - 300 CE)

Burial mounds

Kofun period (300 - 538)

Taika reform

Asuka period (538 - 710)

Capital is moved a bunch

Nara period (710 - 794)

hiragana and katakana invented, Fujiwara clan in power, military class rising in power, Hogen and Heiji rebellions

Heian period (794 - 1185)

Military class (samurai) in power, Mongols try to invade but are stopped by typhoon both times

Kamakura period (1185 - 1333)

Onin war amongst daimyos (1467), firearms introduced, catholic missionaries (Francis Xavier) arrive.

Muromachi period / Sengoku Jidai (warring states period) (1336 - 1573)

Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu tried to unify Japan. Tokugawa did and established Tokugawa shogunate.

Azuchi-Momoyama period / 2nd phase of Sengoku jidai (1573 - 1603)

Borders closed, education, arts, agriculture and economy flourished, and class systems were enforced. period ended because of famine and Matthew Perry forcing Japan open

Edo period (1603 - 1868)

Japan is introduced to western culture and makes changes to its government, economy, and education very quickly. Also, war with Russia (Russo-Japanese war)

Meiji period (1603 - 1912)

Japan declares war on Germany during WW1, joins the UN, boosts economy making weapons, and invaded Manchuria and the UN condemned them for the China stuff. Spanish flu epidemic (1918-1920)and Great Kanto earthquake (9/1/1923) also devastates Japan.

Taisho period (1912 - 1926)

Japan leaves UN, conquers more of China in Second Sino-Japanese war and Rape of Nanking happens.

During WW2 Japan bombs Pearl Harbor (4/7/1941) ordered by Hideki Tojo and conquered lots of places in the pacific, Battle of Midway (6/1942), 2 atomic bombs (8/1942), and VJ-day (8/14) ceremony on Mighty Moe (9/2).

Japan’s constitution and politics changes with Douglas MacArthur.

Post-war (1950s) country is rebranded and economy booms.

Showa period (1929 - 1989)

Economy booms hard, anime booms hard, 1995 earthquake and srin gas terrorists, 2002 FIFA world cup is hosted, 2004 Heisei earthquake, 2011 Tohoku earthquake (and tsunami and Fukushima disaster).

Heisei period (1989-2019)

Shinzo Abe retired from prime minister and replaced by Yoshihide Suga, Suga resigns, Abe is assasinated,

Reiwa period (2019 - present)