History

Quick Guide for Japanese History

In order to understand any contemporary society, a knowledge of its history is essential. The following pages present the most general facts of Japanese history.

Ancient Japan

Figure 1 : Building during Ancient Japan.

 Yamato Period (300-550)

The Yamato period was the period of Japanese history when the Japanese Imperial court ruled from modern-day Nara Prefecture, then known as Yamato Province.

The dates of the Yamato period actually encompass the archaeological Kofun period, and the historical Asuka period, which began with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan.

During the reign of Prince Shotoku in the early seventh century, a new constitution was prescribed for Japan based on the Chinese model. In addition to ethics and government, they also adopted the Chinese calendar and many of its religious practices, including Confucianism and Taoism.

Figure 2 : Location of Yamato in the world map.

Asuka Period (550-710)

The Asuka period was the period in the history of Japan during which the capital was located in Asuka, on the plains near Nara. The Asuka period is also distinguished by the change in the name of the country from Wa to Nippon.

In 603, Shotoku Taishi established a Confucian system of twelve court ranks, and in 604 he introduced the Seventeen-Article Constitution, which clearly established the duties and the rights of the ruler, government ministers, and the people.

Artistically, the period can be further divided into two periods : the Asuka period (up to the Taika Reforms), when early Buddhist cultural imports and influences from Northern Wei are prevalent, and the Hakuho period (after the Taika Reform), in which more Sui and Tang influence appear.

 

Figure 3 : During the Asuka and Nara periods sewing methods developed more, and clothing became longer and wider.

Buddhism From Korea(552)

Korean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. 

To address this, they developed a new holistic approach to Buddhism. This approach is characteristic of virtually all major Korean thinkers, and has resulted in a distinct variation of Buddhism, which is called Tongbulgyo by Korean scholars. 

Korean Buddhism has also contributed much to East Asian Buddhism, especially to early Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan schools of Buddhist thought.

Nara Period(710-794)

Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Most of Japanese society during this period was agricultural in nature and centered on villages. Most of the villagers followed a religion based on the worship of natural and ancestral spirits called kami.

The capital at Nara was modeled after Chang'an, the capital city of Tang China. In many other ways, the Japanese upper classes patterned themselves after the Chinese, including adopting Chinese written system, fashion, and the religion of Buddhism.

 

Heian Period (794-1185)

The Heian period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height. The Heian period is also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature. 

Heian means "peace" in Japanese.

 

Kamakura Period (1185-1333)

The Kamakura period is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun, Minamoto no Yoritomo. The period is known for the emergence of the samurai, the warrior caste, and for the establishment of feudalism in Japan.

The Kamakura period ended in 1333 with the destruction of the shogunate and the short reestablishment of imperial rule under Emperor Go-Daigo by Ashikaga Takauji, Nitta Yoshisada, and Kusunoki Masashige.

Muromachi Period (1338-1573)

The Muromachi period also known as the Muromachi era,or Ashikaga era. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji. From a cultural perspective, the period can be divided into the Kitayama and Higashiyama periods (later 15th – early 16th).

The early years from 1336 to 1392 of the Muromachi period are known as the Nanboku-chō or Northern and Southern Court period. This period is marked by the continued resistance of the supporters of Emperor Go-Daigo, the emperor behind the Kenmu Restoration. The years from 1465 to the end of the Muromachi period are also known as the Sengoku period or Warring States period.

Azuchi Period (1568-1600)

The Azuchi–Momoyama period is the final phase of the Sengoku period in Japan. These years of political unification led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. It spans the years from c. 1573 to 1600, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order upon the chaos that had pervaded since the collapse of the Ashikaga shogunate.

During this period, a short but spectacular epoch, Japanese society and culture underwent the transition from the medievalera to the early modern era.

Edo Period (1603-1867)

The Edo period or Tokugawa period is the period when Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo. The period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, a stable population, popular enjoyment of arts and culture, recycling of materials, and sustainable forest management. 

It was a sustainable and self-sufficient society which was based on the principles of complete utilization of finite resources. The shogunate was officially established in Edo on March 24, 1603, by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The period came to an end with the Meiji Restoration on May 3, 1868, after the fall of Edo.

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

The Meiji period also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from October 23, 1868 through July 30, 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan during which Japanese society moved from being an isolated feudal society to its modern form.

Fundamental changes affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. 

The period corresponded with the reign of Emperor Meiji after 1868, and lasted until his death in 1912. It was succeeded by the Taishō period upon the accession of Emperor Taishō to the throne.

Taisho Period (1912-1926)

The Taishō period or Taishō era, is a period coinciding with the reign of the Emperor Taishō. The new emperor was a sickly man, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet of Japan and the democratic parties. 

Thus, the era is considered the time of the liberal movement known as the "Taishō democracy" in Japan.

 

Showa Period (1926-1989)

The Shōwa period or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito.

The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor. During the pre-1945 period, Japan moved into political totalitarianism, ultranationalism and fascism culminating in Japan's invasion of China in 1937. This was part of an overall global period of social upheavals and conflicts such as the Great Depression and the Second World War.

Defeat in the Second World War brought about radical change to Japan. For the first and only time in its history, Japan was occupied by foreign powers; this occupation lasted seven years. Allied occupation brought forth sweeping democratic reforms. It led to the end of the emperor's status as a living god and the transformation of Japan into a democracy with a constitutional monarch. In 1952, with the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan became a sovereign nation once more. The post-war Shōwa period also led to the Japanese economic miracle.

In these ways, the pre-1945 and post-war periods regard completely different states: the pre-1945 Shōwa period (1926–1945) concerns the Empire of Japan, while post-1945 Shōwa period (1945–1989) was a part of the State of Japan.

 

Heisei Period (1989)

Heisei is the current era in Japan. The Heisei era started on 8 January 1989, the day after the death of Emperor Hirohito. His son, Emperor Akihito, succeeded to the throne. 

In accordance with Japanese customs, Hirohito was posthumously renamed "Emperor Shōwa" on 31 January 1989.

Japanese Invasion of China(1937)

World War II (1939-1945)

Source : 

Mason, R. H. P. and Caiger, J. G. (1997). History of Japan. (1st ed.). New York: Tuttle Publishing.

Perez, L. G. (1998). The History of Japan. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press.

        

Totman, D.C. (2013). A History of Japan. (2th ed.). Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

By : LIM MING KIA

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