Scribd
Upload
153 views2 pages

Japanese History

Human habitation in the Japanese archipelago dates back to prehistoric times, with the first known written reference to Japan recorded in the first century AD. Between the third and eighth centuries, Japan's kingdoms and tribes were unified under an imperial dynasty that still reigns today. The Heian period between 794 and 1185 marked a golden age of classical Japanese culture influenced by Buddhism and Shinto. Over subsequent centuries, power shifted from the imperial court to military clans and samurai warriors, leading to periods of war before reunification under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. The Tokugawa shogunate then ruled peacefully from 1600 to 1868, when

Uploaded by

mile
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
153 views2 pages

Japanese History

Human habitation in the Japanese archipelago dates back to prehistoric times, with the first known written reference to Japan recorded in the first century AD. Between the third and eighth centuries, Japan's kingdoms and tribes were unified under an imperial dynasty that still reigns today. The Heian period between 794 and 1185 marked a golden age of classical Japanese culture influenced by Buddhism and Shinto. Over subsequent centuries, power shifted from the imperial court to military clans and samurai warriors, leading to periods of war before reunification under Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the late 16th century. The Tokugawa shogunate then ruled peacefully from 1600 to 1868, when

Uploaded by

mile
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

JAPANESE HISTORY

Human habitation in the Japanese archipelago can be traced back to prehistoric


times. The Jmon period, named after its "cord-marked" pottery, was followed by
the Yayoi in the first millennium BC, when new technologies were introduced
from continental Asia. During this period, in the first century AD, the first known
written reference to Japan was recorded in the Chinese Book of Han. Between
the third century and the eighth century, Japan's many kingdoms and tribes
gradually came to be unified under a centralized government, nominally
controlled by the Emperor. The imperial dynasty established at this time
continues to reign over Japan to this day. In 794, a new imperial capital was
established at Heian-ky(modern Kyoto), marking the beginning of the Heian
period, which lasted until 1185. The Heian period is considered a golden age of
classicalJapanese culture. Japanese religious life from this time and onwards
was a mix of Buddhism, and native religious practices known as Shinto.
Over the following centuries the power of the Emperor and the imperial court
gradually declined and passed to the military clans and their armies
of samurai warriors. The Minamoto clan under Minamoto no Yoritomo emerged
victorious from the Genpei War of 118085. After seizing power, Yoritomo set up
his capital in Kamakura and took the title of shogun. In 1274 and 1281, the
Kamakura shogunate withstood two Mongol invasions, but in 1333 it was toppled
by a rival claimant to the shogunate, ushering in the Muromachi period. During
the Muromachi period regional warlords known as daimy grew in power at the
expense of the shogun. Eventually, Japan descended into a period of civil war.
Over the course of the late sixteenth century, Japan was reunified under the
leadership of the daimy Oda Nobunaga and his successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
After Hideyoshi's death in 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu came to power and was
appointed shogun by the Emperor. The Tokugawa shogunate, which governed
from Edo (modern Tokyo), presided over a prosperous and peaceful era known
as the Edo period (16001868). The Tokugawa shogunate imposed a strict class
system on Japanese society and cut off almost all contact with the outside world.
The American Perry Expedition in 185354 ended Japan's seclusion; this in turn
contributed to the fall of the shogunate and the return of power to the Emperor in

1868. The new national leadership of the following Meiji period transformed their
isolated, underdeveloped island country intoan empire that closely followed
Western models and became a world power. Although democracy developed and
modern civilian culture prospered during the Taish period (191226), Japan's
powerful military had great autonomy and overruled Japan's civilian leaders in
the 1920s and 1930s. The military invaded Manchuria in 1931, and from 1937
the conflict escalated into a prolonged war with China. Japan's attack on Pearl
Harbor in December 1941 led to war with the United States and its allies. Japan's
forces soon became overextended, but the military held out in spite of Allied air
attacks that inflicted severe damage on population centers. Japan's unconditional
surrender was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 14 August 1945 following
the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet invasion of
Manchuria.
The Allies occupied Japan until 1952, during which a new constitution was
enacted in 1947 that transformed Japan into a constitutional monarchy. After
1955, Japan enjoyed very high economic growth, and became a world economic
powerhouse. Since the 1990s, economic stagnation has been a major issue.
An earthquake and tsunami in 2011 caused massive economic dislocations and
a serious nuclear power disaster.

You might also like