Japan

Main

Jomon culture

6000 BCE

p.205

Agriculture appeared, Jomon replaced by Yayoi

300 BCE

Tomb Period: 300-600 CE of Yayoi culture, p.206

Iron tools appeared

200 CE

helped agriculture p.208

Tomb Period of Yayoi at Yamoto

200 - 500

Earliest written accounts of Japan

290

In Chinese, p. 207

Yamato people大和民族

400

Yamato uji claimed descent from the Sun goddess Amaterasu
p. 209

Buddhism reached Japan via Korea

552

Soga established Buddhism at Yamato Court

587

p.211

Prince Shotoku, as regent, issued "17 Article Constitution"

604

ruler: supremacy
officialdom, based on ability, as China
court ranks for officials
p.212

Prince Shotoku sent embassies to China

607 - 614

many were students, scholars, Buddhism monks p.212

Fujiwara籐原took power as Kampaku, regent

645

with Emperor Tenchi after Prince Shotoku died in 622
p.212

Taika Reforms 大化革新

645 - 670

sent five more embassies to China during 653-669
census carried out
new capital at Osaka, later moved to Nara in 710
established taxation
issued law code, later Taiko code p. 212

First Japanese written records

712

Kojiki, and Nihongi (Nihon shoki)
p. 207, 209,

Capital moved to Keian (Kyoto)

784 - 1868

Emperor Kammu moved the capital from Nara to get rid of the Buddhist influences.
p.212

Pillow Book, by Lady Sei Shonagon

1000

comments on court life
p.218

The Tale of Genji, by Lady Murasaki Shikibu

1021

first novel
p. 217

Hojo 北條manipulated power in court

1126 - 1152

Hojo clan served as joint regents of puppet shoguns.
p.229

Kamakura Era-Minamoto Yoritomo源赖朝took control

1180 - 1333

Minamoto rebelled in 1180 and took control, power center in Kamakura, weakened by Mongol invasion
p.228

Warring states-Bushi in power

1180 - 1600

Fall of Heian to unification of Japan
at the end of Heian period, descendants of Fujiwara, cut off imperial family line, were given new family names Minamoto and Taira.

p.225

Mongol invasion

1274 - 1281

p.229

Ashikaga Takauji足利尊氏 turned back on Kamakura Shogun

1333 - 1338

Turned back on Kamakura for Go-Daigo in 1333, and then turned back on Go-Daigo later in 1336, and took title of shogun in 1338.

Onin War-Daimyo, new local lords arose.

1467 - 1477

As the authority of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the third shogun, declined, dispute over succession arose in 1467, and the war lasted for 10 years.
p. 235

Civil War continued until Oda Nobunaga 織田信長 won control of Kyoto

1470 - 1568

p.239

Portuguese came to Japan in search of trade and converts

1543

Vasco da Gama came to India in 1498. Since then Japan accepted the Portuguese for trade and Christianity.
p.239

Oda Nobunaga 織田信長 came to power with the help of the Portuguese

1573 - 1582

Oda Nobunaga drove the last Ashikaga out of Kyotop. He died in 1582.
p.239

Toyotomi Hideyoshi豐臣秀吉 seized power after Nobunaga's death

1582 - 1590

Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豐臣秀吉 conquered the island of Shikoku in 1585, and Tokugawa Ieyasu 德川家康 became his vassal in 1586, and he unified Japan in 1590.
p. 240

Toyotomi Hideyoshi豐臣秀吉 turned against the Portuguese

1587

p.240

Toyotomi Hideyoshi豐臣秀吉 invaded Korea

1592 - 1597

Toyotomi Hideyoshi豐臣秀吉 invaded Korea in 1592 and 1597, in the hope to conquest China.
p.240

Tokugawa Ieyasu德川家康 assumed the title of Shogun

1603 - 1868

Tokugawa Ieyasu succeeded Hideyoshi and defeated other daimyo at the Battle of Sekigahara 關原之戰in 1600.
p.242

Tokugawa Ieyasu retired

1605

His son Tokugawa Hidetada 德川秀忠 ruled as shogun while Ieyasu remained in charge until his death in 1616.
p.242

Tokugawa Hidetada 德川秀忠 retired

1623

in favor of his adult son.
p.242

Modern Reform

1869