Japanese History Digest
History Index
Paleolithic Age
In geology, the period from 2 million years ago to about 10,000 years ago is called the Pleistocene, and the period following that is known as the Holocene. During the Pleistocene, it is believed that large animals such as Naumann elephants and mammoths came to the Japanese archipelago from the continent, followed by humans who were pursuing them.The Paleolithic period refers to the time from when humans first migrated to the Japanese archipelago until around 12,000 years ago, when the Jomon period began.
Jomon period
The prehistoric period in the Japanese archipelago that lasted from around 12,000 years ago to approximately the 4th century BCE is called the Jomon period. During this time, a warming climate caused glaciers to melt, resulting in the separation of the archipelago from the continent. While agriculture and livestock farming had already begun in other parts of the world, the people of the Japanese archipelago remained primarily reliant on a foraging-based economy.
Yayoi Period
Around 300 BC, Japan finally transitioned to an agricultural economy. The period from around 300 BC to 250 CE is called the Yayoi period, named after the pottery used at the time. Yayoi pottery is characterized by being thinner and harder compared to Jomon pottery.
Kofun Period
The period from around 250 to 600 AD in which many burial mounds (mainly keyhole-shaped tumuli) were constructed across the Japanese archipelago is known as the "Kofun period." The fact that these burial mounds in various regions share a similar keyhole shape suggests that a political coalition led by the Yamato government may have been formed during this time.
Asuka Period
The Asuka period refers to the 118 years from 592 to 710, during which palaces and capitals were established in the Asuka region of Nara Prefecture. This era followed the final stage of the Kofun period and marked a significant advancement in the formation of the Japanese nation.
Nara Period
The Nara period refers to the 84 years from 710, when Empress Genmei moved the capital to Heijō-kyō, until 794, when Emperor Kanmu relocated the capital to Heian-kyō. During this era, Heijō-kyō was constructed in an orderly, grid-like pattern modeled after Chang’an, the capital of China’s Tang dynasty. Politically, a centralized government system based on the ritsuryō legal codes was established, and rule centered on the emperor was promoted.
Heian Period
The Heian period refers to the approximately 400 years from 794, when Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyō (present-day Kyoto), until the establishment of the Kamakura shogunate in 1185. During this era, while inheriting the ritsuryō system of the Nara period, politics centered around the aristocracy, and a uniquely Japanese culture flourished and developed significantly.
Kamakura Period
The period from the establishment of the military government by Minamoto no Yoritomo to the commencement of Emperor Go-Daigo's "Kenmu Restoration" in 1333 is known as the Kamakura period. Regarding the establishment of the military government, it was traditionally considered to be in 1192 when Yoritomo was appointed as the Shogun. However, recent scholarship suggests that the effective organization of Yoritomo's rule was established around 1185.
Muromachi Period
The period from the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate in 1333 to the occupation of Kyoto by Oda Nobunaga in 1568 is known as the Muromachi period. The name "Muromachi" comes from the fact that the headquarters of the shogunate, the Imperial Palace, was located in the Muromachi district of Kyoto. Also referred to as the Ashikaga era, as the Ashikaga clan held the position of shogun from 1338 to 1573. Additionally, the period between 1337 and 1392 is known as the Nanboku-cho period, as there were two separate imperial courts, leading to the Northern and Southern Court rivalry.
Azuchi Momoyama Period
The era when Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi wielded power is known as the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Nobunaga made Azuchi Castle his residence, while Hideyoshi resided in Fushimi Castle. The term Azuchi-Momoyama period is associated with two theories regarding its beginning: one suggesting 1568 when Nobunaga supported Ashikaga Yoshiaki in entering Kyoto, and another proposing 1573 when Yoshiaki was expelled from Kyoto, leading to the downfall of the Muromachi Shogunate. As for its end, there are theories pointing to 1600 when Tokugawa Ieyasu achieved victory at the Battle of Sekigahara or 1603 when the Tokugawa Shogunate was established.
The Early Edo Period
The Edo Period refers to the period from 1600, when Tokugawa Ieyasu emerged victorious in the Battle of Sekigahara, to 1868, marking the start of the Meiji Restoration. During the Edo Period, the Tokugawa shogunate governed the entire nation, leading to a relatively peaceful era both domestically and internationally in Japan.
