Japan Timeline

Japan 27

660 BC Emperor Jimmu founds the empire (legendary) The mythical first emperor, descendant of the sun goddess By tradition, Jimmu — a descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu — founded the Japanese imperial line in 660 BC, making it the world's longest continuous hereditary monarchy. Jimmu is a legendary figure recorded in the 8th-century chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki rather than a historically verified ruler, but the date remains foundational to Japanese national identity.
300 BC – 300 Yayoi period Rice farming, bronze and iron arrive from the mainland The Yayoi period brought wet-rice cultivation, bronze and iron metallurgy, and the potter's wheel to Japan from Korea and China. These innovations drove population growth and the emergence of stratified society and local chieftaincies — the foundations of the Japanese state.
300 – 538 Kofun period Giant keyhole tombs and the rise of Yamato The Kofun period is named for the massive keyhole-shaped burial mounds (kofun) built for powerful rulers. During this era the Yamato court in the Nara plain rose to dominance over rival polities, laying the basis for a unified Japanese state under the imperial line.
538 – 710 Asuka period Buddhism, writing and the first Japanese state The Asuka period saw Buddhism introduced from Korea, along with Chinese writing, architecture and statecraft. Prince Shotoku promoted the new faith and a Chinese-style bureaucracy, and the Taika Reforms of 645 strengthened imperial power — transforming Japan into a centralised state.
710 – 794 Nara period First permanent capital; Kojiki and Nihon Shoki written Empress Genmei established Japan's first permanent capital at Heijo-kyo (Nara), modelled on the Tang Chinese capital. The great chronicles Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720) were compiled, codifying Japan's founding myths, and Buddhism flourished under imperial patronage — including the great Todai-ji temple and its colossal bronze Buddha.
794 – 1185 Heian period The golden age of classical Japanese culture When Emperor Kanmu moved the capital to Heian-kyo (Kyoto), he began nearly four centuries of peace and refinement remembered as the classical age of Japanese civilisation. The Fujiwara regents dominated the court, and aristocratic culture flowered — producing Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, often called the world's first novel.
1008 The Tale of Genji written Murasaki Shikibu's masterwork — the first novel Around 1008, the court lady Murasaki Shikibu completed The Tale of Genji, a sweeping psychological portrait of court life and romance often regarded as the world's first novel. Written in the vernacular by a woman of the Heian court, it remains a pinnacle of Japanese literature.
1185 – 1333 Kamakura period Rise of the samurai and the first shogunate Minamoto no Yoritomo established Japan's first shogunate at Kamakura, beginning nearly seven centuries of military rule under the samurai class while emperors reigned but no longer governed. The period saw the spread of Zen Buddhism and, famously, the repulse of two Mongol invasions aided by the "kamikaze" divine winds.
1274 – 1281 Mongol invasions repelled The "kamikaze" divine winds destroy Kublai Khan's fleets Kublai Khan launched two massive seaborne invasions of Japan, in 1274 and 1281. Both were devastated by typhoons that the Japanese called kamikaze — "divine winds" — and by determined samurai resistance. The defeats preserved Japanese independence and entered national legend.
1336 – 1573 Muromachi period Ashikaga shoguns; Zen arts and growing chaos Under the Ashikaga shogunate based in Kyoto's Muromachi district, Japan saw the flowering of Zen-influenced arts — the tea ceremony, Noh theatre, ink painting and rock gardens. But central authority weakened, and the catastrophic Onin War (1467) tipped the country into the Sengoku age of civil war.
1467 – 1615 Sengoku — the Warring States age A century of civil war among rival daimyo The Sengoku ("Warring States") period was the most violent age in Japanese history, as feudal lords (daimyo) fought ceaselessly for territory and power. From this chaos rose three great unifiers — Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu — who step by step reunited the country.
1543 Europeans arrive — guns and Christianity Portuguese traders reach Tanegashima In 1543 shipwrecked Portuguese traders landed on Tanegashima, introducing the matchlock firearm, which rapidly transformed Japanese warfare. Missionaries soon followed — Francis Xavier arrived in 1549 — bringing Christianity and a brief era of European trade and influence.
1600 Battle of Sekigahara Tokugawa Ieyasu's victory unifies Japan On 21 October 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated a rival coalition at Sekigahara in the most decisive battle in Japanese history. The victory made him master of Japan and led to his appointment as shogun in 1603 — founding the dynasty that would rule for over 250 years.
1603 – 1868 Edo period Tokugawa peace, isolation and a flourishing culture For over two and a half centuries the Tokugawa shogunate ruled from Edo (Tokyo), enforcing rigid social order and near-total isolation from the outside world (sakoku). The long peace allowed cities, commerce and a vibrant popular culture to flourish — kabuki theatre, ukiyo-e woodblock prints and haiku poetry.
1639 Sakoku — Japan closes to the world The Tokugawa seal the country off for two centuries By 1639 the shogunate had expelled Europeans, banned Christianity and forbidden Japanese from leaving the country, on pain of death. Only a tiny Dutch trading post at Dejima in Nagasaki remained as a window to the West. This self-imposed isolation lasted more than 200 years.
1853 – 1854 Commodore Perry forces Japan open American "black ships" end two centuries of isolation In 1853 US Commodore Matthew Perry sailed his steam-powered "black ships" into Edo Bay and demanded that Japan open to trade. The shogunate, unable to resist, signed the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854 — ending sakoku and triggering the crisis that would topple the Tokugawa and launch Japan's modernisation.
1867 – 1912 Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) Reign 1867–1912 — Japan becomes a modern power Emperor Meiji reigned as Japan transformed from a feudal state under the shogunate into a major imperial power. The Meiji era saw the 1889 constitution, rapid industrialisation, and military victories over China (1895) and Russia (1905) that announced Japan's arrival on the world stage.
1868 Meiji Restoration Imperial rule restored; Japan races to modernise The Meiji Restoration of 1868 ended the Tokugawa shogunate and restored direct imperial rule under the young Emperor Meiji. In a single generation Japan transformed from a feudal, isolated society into a centralised industrial nation-state with a modern army, navy, railways and constitution — a feat unmatched in the era.
1904 – 1905 Russo-Japanese War First modern defeat of a European power by an Asian one Japan's victory over Tsarist Russia in 1904–05 — culminating in the naval triumph at Tsushima — was the first time in the modern era that an Asian nation defeated a European great power. It confirmed Japan's status as a major military force and reshaped the balance of power in East Asia.
1912 – 1926 Emperor Taisho (Yoshihito) Reign 1912–1926 — the era of "Taisho democracy" Emperor Taisho's short reign saw a shift toward liberal, party-based politics known as "Taisho democracy", Japan's participation in World War I on the Allied side, and the devastating Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. His poor health led Crown Prince Hirohito to serve as regent from 1921.
1923 Great Kanto Earthquake ~140,000 killed; Tokyo and Yokohama devastated On 1 September 1923 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Kanto plain, destroying much of Tokyo and Yokohama and killing an estimated 140,000 people, many in the firestorms that followed. It remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in Japanese history.
1926 – 1989 Emperor Showa (Hirohito) Reign 1926–1989 — war, defeat and postwar recovery Hirohito, posthumously Emperor Showa, was Japan's longest-reigning emperor. His era spanned the rise of militarism, the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War, the catastrophe of 1945, and then Japan's extraordinary postwar reconstruction into an economic superpower. After 1945 he became a symbolic constitutional monarch.
1945 Atomic bombings and surrender Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the end of the Pacific War In August 1945 the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (6 August) and Nagasaki (9 August), killing well over 100,000 people. On 15 August Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender by radio — the first time most Japanese had heard his voice — ending World War II.
1964 Tokyo Olympics and the bullet train Japan announces its postwar return to the world The 1964 Tokyo Olympics — the first held in Asia — showcased a fully recovered, modern Japan. Days before the games opened, the Tokaido Shinkansen "bullet train" began service between Tokyo and Osaka, the world's first high-speed rail line and a symbol of Japanese engineering.
1989 – 2019 Emperor Akihito (Heisei era) Reign 1989–2019 — abdicated, the first in 200 years Emperor Akihito's Heisei era was a time of economic stagnation after the 1980s bubble, and of natural disasters including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. A reconciliation-minded monarch, in 2019 he became the first Japanese emperor in over two centuries to abdicate the throne.
2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami 19,000 killed, Fukushima meltdown A magnitude 9.1 earthquake off Japan's Tohoku coast on March 11, 2011 generated a devastating tsunami killing nearly 19,000 people and triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
2019 – present Emperor Naruhito (Reiwa era) Reign 2019–present — the 126th emperor Naruhito became the 126th emperor on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, after his father Akihito's abdication. Oxford-educated and a specialist in water policy, he is the first Japanese emperor born after World War II.