History of Japan
Choose the period you want to examine from below.
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10,00-300 B.C. Jomon (Prehistoric) Period
Fairly little is known of prehistoric period in Japan. Stone Age hunters and gatherers made special rope-patterned pottery in which this period is known. Usage of micro-blade stone tools was already accomplished in palaeolithic era, and now the civilization was taking next step which was usage of pottery and such daily life luxury.
This era however is remarkable in Japan - this was the era when the first emperor Jimmu, the Divine Warrior, descendant of sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, founded the empire. Thus, all emperors, even the emperor Akihito, are tied in the same, intact bloodline.
There are some fascinating mytological tales, related to Amaterasu Omikami and this era.
It is interesting to realize that Japan lacks formal Bronze and Iron Age. Also one should note that the adoption of domestic plants and animals came fairly late in Japan.
People in jomon era had a lifestyle of hunting and gathering. No lovehotels.
300 B.C. - A.D. 300 Yaoi Period
This is the time of new practises such as rice farming, shamanism, iron and bronze making (which was introduced from abroad). The wet paddy rice growing was also adapted from Chinese.
This era also brought wheel-turned pottery which improved the comfort of daily life. In this era, it appears that local clans formed small political units, and first era of politics begun. No sensation magazines yet though.
There are some evidence that people had already started adapting Shinto. Shinto, especially in this era was realizing the forces of nature, the divine gods, and that humans should pay respect to them. Loyalty and wisdom were the desired human values.
(Again there appears to be very little real information about Yaoi period in the internet. Some stories written in Japan during this era, depicting male homosexuality seems to be maybe too much , highlighted in the internet. Try Googling "yaoi+period". See what I mean? What's all this???)
300-645 Kofun (Yamato) Period
The word Kofun means burial mounds dating from this era.
Eventually it appeared that some clan rulers become more powerful than others, and begun to seek control over others. Establishent of Yamato court and eventually unification of Kyushu and Kanto eventually lead Japan to become unified state. This lead to seeking close contacts with mainland Asia.
The symbol here, the famous key hole shaped Daisenryo Kofun, is the tomb of Emperor Nintoku in Osaka.
645-710 Asuka Period
During the Asuka period, the current Royal Family, Tenno clan, remained in the Asuka region, inside the current Nara prefecture. Th word Asuka can be illustrated by two kanji “to fly” and “bird”.
Generally the most important development of Asuka period was that it was during this time when Japan started to build gradually it's own centralized government. When reading the history books of this time, it is noticeable how deep relationships Japan had with other South East Asian countries. Thus, especially the goverment system from Korea and China influenced strongly the Japanese style.
Buddhism arrived to Japan in 6th century, and it was perhaps the one single most important feature of imported culture. The Soga Family, including Shotokutaishi were famous Buddhists. Eventually everyone took influence from Soga family and Buddhism spreaded all around Japan.
The Soga Family attempted to re-organize the government (The Taika Reform of 645 A.D.) This re-organization was successfull, and the government finally became under control of the Japanese Royal Family, excluding the wealthy Gozoku family. Soga family succeeded strengthening the government.
710-794 Nara Period
This was the time when Imperial family decided to move to Nara, and build the capital city there, taking influence from Tang-dynasty China.
Few interesting things happened during Nara period. Perhaps the most important was the Chinese style, solid constitution. Law was established during this time, and the Chinese writing system (Kanji) was imported.
Buddhism, which had featured in Asuka period, became more widely spread. This is easy to notice in the wide array of fabulous Buddhist art, in form of sculptures and paintings. Gladly, plenty of these have preserved.
794- 1185 Heian Period
In the context of Hanami Web, there is one single most important feature of the Heian Period. This was when Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu wrote their ultimate literary masterpieces. Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book and Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji are the literary delicacies that keep touching people thousand years after.
"Again, it is time to pack our bags and move", said the Emperor Kammu. So there we went again, and the Imperial Family was settled to Heian-kyo, which is better known nowadays as Kyoto.
Perhaps the other important feature of this era was the rise of the military class. The Fujiwara clan, Taira clan and Minamoto clan were most prominent military forces. They kept attacking each other. Japan was in steady decline in food and supplies, thus the clans started to fight for their living space, and conquer land for themselves. Eventually it was the Taira clan that took the power.
Chinese influence became fully saturated with Japan during this era.
1185-1333 Kamakura Period
It was the Minamoto family that took the power from the Taira Clan in the Gempei war during 1185. New era had begun, and the power was in hands of the Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo. Updated government was established, the Kamakura Bafuku. Yoritomo thought that "simple is the best anyway" and organized the government much simpler way, this time to Kamakura.
However Yoritomo didn't have chance to rule for long, until he died in 1199, which lead to quarrels of supremacy between Kamakura military headquarters and the Imperial family in Kyoto. The emperor lost most of his power during this time, and thus things became rather feudal in Japan when military was in charge.
It was the Zen that relieved the rather bored, military oriented minds. Samurais soon became the fans of Zen sect. Confucian values started to bloom as well. People found comfort from this calm and wise thinking.
Japan also witnessed the first Mongol Invasion attempt in the island of Kyushu. The famous artwork, depicting the massive boats sinking in terrible weather storm, is from this era. Mongols tried to invade Kyushu, but the legendary "Wind of the gods", aka. Kamikaze interfered. This was very fortunate as their odds against the naval fleet of Mongol force were not favorable at all.
1333-1568 Muromachi Period
The emperor Go-Daigo restored the imperial power in Kyoto. The Kamakura Bafuku's days were over. However, the administration systems and other necessities were out of date and practice, this Go-Daigo's attempt didn't last too long.
It was the known loyal Imperial fan Ashikaga Takauji that finally challenged the imperial court and captured Kyoto in 1336. There, he appointed himself shogun and started to rule his government in Kyoto, the old capital. But Go-Daigo didn't give up but fled to Yoshino in the South of Kyoto, where he founded the Southern court.
But hey, now there were two imperial courts, one in North of Kyoto , and one in South? How is this possible? Well, with plenty of fights, of course. The northern court was usually in advantageous position, but this didn't stop the South trying, which literally destroyed Kyoto several times, until South finally gave up and country became emperor-wise reunited again.
In 1542 the first Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries arrived in Kyushu, which had became the port of Japan. They introduced firearms and christianity to Japan, first time. Despite the Buddhists attempts to put an end to such madness, some leaders welcomed Christianity (and firearms!) because of their political interests in the west.
1568-1600 Azuchimomoya Period
So, Oda Nobunaga finally got a grip and took over the lead in Kyoto, overthrowing the Muromachi bafuku in 1573. Nobunaga succeeded in the almost impossible - reunification of Japan. This reunification however was not painless. Oda Nobunaga kept eliminating his enemies, among which were some Buddhist sects. Rather, lucky was Nobunaga. Two most strongest rivals, Takedea Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, both died before they were able to hit Nobunaga. Nobunaga attacked the remains of Takeda clan in the battle of Nagashino (1575). This was the first time when modern warfare was put into test.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi followed him, laying the foundation of modern Japan. However Hideyoshi had ambitions to conquer Korea and China, but locals, especially Buddhists resisted.
1600-1868 Tokugawa (EDO) Period
It was the so far rather unknown Tokugawa Ieyasu that had been partner of Hideyoshi and Nobunaga, who finally succeeded Hideyoshi and became the most powerful man in the island. He preferred Edo (nowadays known as Tokyo). Edo period had begun.
Ieyasu designed a wholly new system, he spread the control to daimyo, lords of the small domains. The most loyal guys to him received more land and power, those not so preferable, got only a little. He demanded also the local daimyos to spent every second year in Edo. During these methods, he kept the control to himself.
It was this time when the Commodore Perry arrived to Japan with his black boats and opened the trade routes. For two centuries Japan had been closed for trade between Dutch and Chinese traders. Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry managed to do impossible, establish a trade routes between Japan and several other countries.
On July 8, 1853 the four steaming black ships anchored at Edo Bay. Never before such vessels had been anchored there, and Japanese saw the steamy black ships with their own eyes for the first time. Steamboats were unknown in Japan during that time, and it caused a bit of a surprise.
On March 31st (my birthday, by the way) the historic treaty was signed between Japan and United States. Doors had opened.
1868-1912 Meiji Period
Everyone has heard of Meiji. If not from elsewhere, then from the Japanese chocolate bars or the Last Samurai movie. This was the time when the Emperor Meiji got enough of Tokyo and decided to move to Edo. Thus, Tokyo became the capital as we know it these days and the imperial power was restored once again.
However, as the trade routes had been established, there was obligations of becoming westernized country. The samurais were becoming out of fashion soon. The new government no longer had interest to remain the institution of samurais, but saw it more of a threat. The samurais instead remained loyal towards the emperor, who's power was wearing thin. This meant war. Daimyos refused to give their land. Organizations such as shinsengumi wanted to protect the purity of Emperor. This was depicted in the Hollywood movie Last Samurai.
The new government wanted Japan to be democratic country, the equality was important. No more boring class systems. It's the democracy that it must be or nothing.
It was this time when the education system was reformed to the American style, following the earlier French and German system. This included the compulsory education.
Textile industry started to bloom in Japan.
This was however, not an era of peace. Japan fought the Sino-Japan war in Korea and China, but eventually lost the areas gained. Especially Taiwan was in the cross fire. The Russo-Japanese war followed in 1904-05 which Japanese army won, gaining territory, which is even nowadays causing dispute. Japan and Russia still do not have a written peace contract.
1912-1926 Taisho Period
In 1912 Emperor Meiji died and the power was transformed to the parliament and democratic parties. This era was not going to be easy anyway. The war was such a drag, the First World War wasn't going that well. Japan joined German colonial forces in East Asia. There was all kinds of arrogance and racial discrimination in the air. This lead to problems with the US, the US Congress passed the special exclusion act, which prohibited immigration from Japan. The Japanese immigrants living in US soil faced very difficult circumstances.
Not that this all was enough, the great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 leveled the Tokyo.Then, world wide depression came. This was one-two punch. People (mistakenly) thought that the military was the only thing that can help, so the military took over the control of the government.
1926 Showa Period
This , lead to occupying Manchuria and second Sino-Japanese war. Puppet governments, brutal war in China, unclear military power system, war in French Indochina, all engulfed eventually to Japan's decision joining the Axis powers with Germany. There was no going back now. Attack to Pearl Harbor, which drew the US to the Second
World War, was the single most dramatic development of the Taisho Period, which eventually escalated into full scale war in Pacific islands with US forces.
In Spring 1945 US invaded Okinawa which was one of the bloodiest battles history has ever known. Countless lives were lost, civilians, women and children mostly. 6th of August 1945 was the day after the world was never the same again.
United States Army Air Forces dropped the nuclear weapon "Little Boy" on the city of Hiroshima, followed three days later by the "Fat Man" hydrogen bomb on Nagasaki. This resulted a mass killing of over 200,000 Japanese civilians. The number of death is hard to estimate however, as many got radiation exposure which caused death after years. There is reason to believe that the true figure is much, much more larger.
Japan surrendered, and World War II came to an end.
(During this era when the number of geishas reduced from approximate 80,000 to less than 17,000. Within following years the geisha tradition was in steep downfall, resulting the remaining two hundred and so geishas, mostly located now in Kyoto.)
1989 Heisei Period
This is the current era. The name Heisei was introduced by Emperor Akihito. The Heisei is taken from old Chinese philosophy books, combining two meanings "Peace inside and prosperity outward" and "Land is peaceful and sky is clear". The meaning of Heisei could thus be "Peace everywhere". It is said that Akihito wanted to respect the legendary Chinese Emperor Shun.
1989 was the era of rapid economic growth. Yen was strong, stocks were sky high. People invested to expensive condos in Tokyo's Aoyama district. But this was all bubble. By 1991 Japan faced the worst economic depression.
In 1995 Japan witnessed another worst earthquake since the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, this time hitting Kobe. In same year, Aum Shinrikyo attacked Tokyo subway system with sarin.
During 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's Cabinet approved a plan to send total of about 1,000 soldiers of the Self-Defense Forces to help in Iraq's reconstruction. The ground forces are now returned back, but still some ASDF members remain in Iraq, aiding the Allied forces.
See also: Century of Women, Samurai, Geisha, Ninja, Shinsengumi, Atom Fear of the Japanese, Kyoto, Tokyo, Kamakura
