A Brief History Of Japan

1. A BRIEF HISTORY OF JAPAN
BY BIKRANT ROY
ANCIENT JAPAN
The First Japanese
Human beings have lived in Japan for at least 30,000 years. During
the last ice age Japan was connected to mainland Asia by a land
bridge and stone age hunters were able to walk across. When the
ice age ended about 10,000 BC Japan became a group of islands.
About 8,000 BC the ancient Japanese learned to make pottery. The
period from 8,000 BC to 300 BC is called the Jomon. The word
Jomon means 'cord marked' because those people marked their
pottery by wrapping cord around it. The Jomon people lived by
hunting, fishing and collecting shellfish. The Jomon made tools of
stone, wood and bone. They also made clay figurines of people and
animals called dogu.
Between 300 BC and 300 AD a new era began in Japan. At that
time the Japanese learned to grow rice. They also learned to make
tools of bronze and iron. The Japanese also learned to weave cloth.
This period is called Yayoi. (It was named after a village called
Yayoicho). Farming meant a more settled lifestyle. Yayoi people
lived in villages of wooden huts. Farming and other skills also
meant society became divided into classes. The leaders of Yayoi
society were buried in mounds away from the ordinary people's
burial grounds.
The Kofun Period in Japan
The Yayoi period was followed by the Kofun (from 300 AD to 710
AD). At this time Japan gradually became united. The rich and
powerful men of the era were buried in vast tombs called Kofun.
Clay figures called haniwa were placed around the tombs to guard
them. At that time Japan was heavily influenced by China. About

2. 400 AD writing was introduced into Japan from China. The
Japanese also learned to make paper from the Chinese. They also
learned to make porcelain, silk and lacquer. The Japanese also
learned to plan cities in the Chinese way.
According to tradition in 552 AD the king of Paekche in Korea sent
priests to convert Japan to Buddhism. The native Japanese religion
is called Shinto, which means 'the way of the gods'. Shinto teaches
that spirits are present everywhere in nature. Every natural
phenomena such as a mountain, lake, tree, waterfall and even rock
has a spirit. Shinto does not have prophets or a sacred book but its
teachings were passed on in myths. Shinto has many ceremonies
and festivals. The two religions, Buddhism and Shinto co-existed
peacefully in Japan. Shinto is more concerned with this life and its
followers frequently pray for things they need or desire. Buddhism is
more concerned with what happens after death. Most of the
Japanese were happy to practice both religions.
Furthermore in the 7th century AD the emperor became more
powerful. Prince Shotoku (574-622) ruled as regent to Empress
Suiko. He was a patron of the arts and learning. He brought
scholars from China and Korea to Japan and he adopted the
Chinese calendar.
Shotoku also built the Horyuji Buddhist temple and monastery in
607. It burned down in 670 but it was rebuilt and became a center
of Buddhist learning. Today they are the world's oldest surviving
wooden structures.
After him, in 646, a series of reforms were made known as the
Taika. From then on all land in Japan belonged to the emperor.
Peasants were made to pay taxes to the emperor either in goods
like rice or cloth or in labor by working on building sites or by
serving as soldiers. In 670 a census was held to find out how many
taxpayers there were. By the late 7th century Japan was a
centralized and highly civilized kingdom.
At that time the capital of Japan was moved when an emperor died
as people believed it was unlucky to stay in the same place
afterwards. However following the Chinese custom the Japanese
decided to create a permanent capital. They built a city at Nara in

3. 710. At that time Japan was divided into provinces. In 713 the
governor of each Japanese province was ordered to write a report
about his province. The reports described the products of each
province as well as its plants, animals and other resources.
However in the 8th century Buddhist monks and priests began to
interfere in politics. So in 784 Emperor Kammu (737-806) decided
to move his capital. Eventually in 794 he moved to Heian-Kyo,
which means 'capital of peace'. Later the city's name changed to
Kyoto and it remained the official capital of Japan till 1868.
The Heian Period in Japan
The era from 794 to 1185 is called the Heian period. During this
period the arts and learning flourished. About 1000 Ad Lady
Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world's first novel The Tale of Genji a
story about the life of a prince called Genji. Another book from that
time is a diary written by a lady in waiting named Sei Shonagon. It
is called The Pillow Book.
Meanwhile at the beginning of the 9th century Dengo Daishi
founded the Tendai sect of Buddhism. Slightly later Kobo Daishi
founded the Shingon sect. Meanwhile in the late 7th century an
aristocratic family called the Fujiwara became very powerful. They
had an increasing influence on Japanese politics.
Moreover outside Kyoto the emperor's power grew weaker. Rich
landowners became increasingly powerful and they employed
private armies. (Japanese warriors were called Samurai). In feudal
Japan the Samurai were hereditary warriors who followed a code of
behavior called bushido. Samurai were supposed to be completely
loyal and self-disciplined. Rather than be captured by the enemy
samurai were supposed to commit suicide by disemboweling
themselves. This was called seppuku. Samurai fought with long
swords called katana and short swords called wakizashi. They also
used spears called yari and daggers called tanta. Samurai also had
skewers called kogai and small knives called kozuka.
The main piece of armor to protect a samurai’s torso was called a
haramaki. It had skirts called kasazuri to protect the lower torso. A
samurai’s helmet was called a kabuto. A kabuto had neck guards

4. called shikoro. It sometimes had a crest called a kasjirushi. The
neck was also protected by a piece called the nowdawa. Samurai
also wore masks called mempo. They wore armored sleeves called
kote to protect their arms.
Eventually in 1180 civil war broke out between rival powerful
families in Japan. On one side were the Taira family (also called the
Heike). On the other side were the Minamoto family (also called the
Genepi). The Minamoto were supported by the Fujiwara. They were
led by two brothers Yoritomo and Yoshitsune. The Taira were finally
defeated by the Minamoto in a naval battle at Dannoura in 1185.
JAPAN IN THE MIDDLE AGES
In 1192 the emperor gave Yoritomo the title Sei Tai Shogun, which
means barbarian conquering great general. The shogun became
the real power in Japan ruling in the emperor's name. This new
form of government was called bakufu, which means tent
government as generals gave commands from their tents during
wartime.
After Yoritomo's death two of his sons ruled Japan in turn. However
the second son was assassinated in 1219. Power then passed to
Yoritomo's wife's family, the Hojo. Afterwards Japan had an
emperor, who was only a figurehead, a Shogun and a Hojo regent
ruling on behalf of the shogun.
In the 13th and 14th centuries town and trade in Japan grew and
merchants became wealthy. They organised themselves into guilds.
Also at this time Zen Buddhism became popular. Zen emphasizes
meditation. Some followers meditate by trying to empty their minds
of all worldly thoughts and desires. Others meditate on riddles
called Koan such as 'what is the sound of one hand?'. Zen had a
tremendous influence on arts like gardening and flower arranging.
(Japanese flower arranging is called Ikebana and from the 15th
century it developed into a sophisticated art).
Also at this time the tea ceremony evolved in Japan. According to
tradition a monk named Eisai (1141-1215) brought tea seeds from
China in 1191. He believed that tea helped monks remain alert
when they were meditating. To maintain the calm mood the tea was

5. prepared slowly and carefully. Gradually the process of making and
drinking tea in a peaceful and relaxing environment spread to the
nobility and merchants. Finally in the late 16th century the tea
ceremony or cha-no-yu was developed into its modern form by Sen
no Rikuyu (1522-1519).
In the middle of this era the Mongols tried to conquer Japan. They
sent fleets in 1274 and 1281. In 1274 the Mongols landed but
withdrew when their fleet was endangered by a storm. In 1281 the
Mongols landed again. For seven weeks they held a bridgehead in
Japan but again their fleet was scattered by a typhoon. The
Japanese called it Kamikaze, which means divine wind.
Fighting the Mongols cost a great deal of money. That in turn meant
high taxes and inevitably the government became deeply
unpopular. Meanwhile the emperor Go-Daigo was not content to be
a mere figurehead and in 1333 he raised an army to fight the Hojo.
The Hojos sent a force under a general named Ashikaga Takauji
(1305-1358). However Takauji changed sides. He joined forces with
Emperor Go-Daigo and the Hojos committed suicide. However Go-
Daigo and Ashikaga Takauji soon quarreled. In 1336 Takauji led a
rebellion. Go-Daigo fled to Yoshino. Takauji created a rival emperor
in Kyoto and ruled as shogun. So until 1392 Japan had two
emperors.
The Muromachi Period in Japan
The era from 1333 to 1573 is called the Muromachi period because
the Ashikaga family ruled from the Muromachi district of Kyoto.
During the Muromachi period Noh theater developed in Japan.
Actors were masks and perform on a bare stage with a painted
backdrop. Musicians accompany the actors.
Furthermore two great monuments survive from the Muromachi
period, the Kinkaku-ji and the Ginkaku-ji, (gold and silver pavilions)
in Kyoto.
However in 1466 the Ashikaga family argued over who would be
the next shogun. The argument became the Onin War from 1467-
1477. The fighting took place mostly in and around Kyoto and much
of the city was destroyed. By the end of the 15th century central

6. authority had virtually disappeared. While there was still an emperor
he was only a figurehead and Japan was afflicted by a long series
of civil wars as rival landowners, called daimyos, fought for power.
The Portuguese arrive in Japan
In 1542 the Portuguese arrived in Japan. Two Portuguese were
passengers on a Chinese ship that landed at Tanegashima Island.
The Portuguese were keen to trade with the Japanese and they
soon returned. Very quickly the Japanese learned to make guns
from the Portuguese. The Portuguese also brought tobacco and
sweet potatoes to Japan. They also brought clocks. The Japanese
called the Portuguese namban, which means southern barbarians
because they sailed to Japan from the south.
In 1549 Jesuit missionaries led by Francis Xavier arrived in Japan
and attempted to convert the Japanese to Roman Catholicism. At
first the Japanese tolerated them. In 1571 Nagasaki was founded to
trade with the Europeans and it became a center of missionary
activity.
Meanwhile Japanese warfare was radically changed by the
introduction of handguns and cannons. A warlord called Oda
Nobunaga quickly learned to use the new weapons and in 1569 he
captured the port of Sakai. In 1575 he won a great victory at
Nagashino. By the time he died in 1582 he controlled central Japan.
Oda Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582 but his general Toyotomi
Hideyoshi (1536-1598) avenged his death and continued the work
of reuniting Japan. In 1587 he subdued the southern island of
Kyushu and by 1590 he had also conquered eastern Japan.
Toyotomi then attempted to conquer Korea. However he failed and
the Japanese withdrew in 1598. Toyotomi died shortly afterwards.
Toyotomi wanted his son Hideyori to succeed him. Before he died
Toyotomi persuaded his general Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) to
promise to support his son. However Ieyasu soon broke his promise
and seized power for himself. In 1600 he crushed his rivals at
Sekigahara although Hideyori survived. In 1603 Ieyasu was made
shogun and in 1615 his forces captured Osaka castle, Hideyori's
stronghold. Hideyori killed himself. Japan was now united under a

7. strong central government and the Tokugawa family ruled as
shoguns until 1868.
The Tokugawa Period in Japan
During the Tokugawa period Japanese society was strictly divided.
At the top were the daimyo, the landowners. Below them were the
samurai, hereditary warriors. Below them came the farmers, the
craftsmen then the merchants. (The merchants were at the bottom
because they did not make anything. However in reality many
merchants became very rich).
Meanwhile in 1600 a badly damaged Dutch ship landed in Japan.
On board was an Englishman, William Adams (1564-1620). He was
taken to Ieyasu, who questioned him. Adams showed the Japanese
how to build two European style ships. He also married a Japanese
woman and lived in Japan until his death.
In 1609 another Dutch ship arrived in Japan. The shogun granted
the Dutch the right to trade with Japan. In 1613 an English ship
came the shogun gave them too the right to trade. Meanwhile
Japanese merchants sailed to Thailand and the Philippines (a
Spanish colony). In 1610 a Japanese merchant called Tanaka
Shosuke sailed to Mexico.
However despite trading with foreigners the Japanese began
persecuting Christians. The government feared Christians were a
threat to Japan's internal security. In 1597 Toyotomi Hideyoshi had
26 Christians including 9 European missionaries, crucified in
Nagasaki. In 1612 Christianity was banned altogether in Japan and
persecution of Christians grew worse and worse. Finally in 1637
Christians in the Shimbara area rebelled. However in 1638 the
rebellion was crushed and Christians were massacred.
The Japanese government then shut their country off from the rest
of the world. Between 1633 and 1639 laws were passed forbidding
the Japanese to travel abroad or to build ocean-going ships. Only
the Chinese and the Dutch were allowed to trade with Japan. In
1641 the Dutch were restricted to an island in Nagasaki Harbor
called Dejima. This policy of isolating Japan was called sakoku.
However Japan did not cut itself off from the outside world

8. completely. Dutch books were still imported and the Japanese
ruling class were quite well informed of what was happening in the
outside world.
The Tokugawa government went to great lengths to maintain order.
They directly controlled about one quarter of the land in Japan.
Around their land they gave estates to trusted daimyos. Land
around the edges of Japan was given to their former enemies. The
Tokugawa also employed spies to watch powerful families in Japan.
The arts flourished during the Tokugawa period. So did trade and
commerce. However Japan was not entirely peaceful. There were
many peasant rebellions. Nevertheless samurai were less useful
than in former times and many became ronin or samurai without
masters.
In the late 17th century Kabuki theater developed in Japan. Male
actors play the female roles and actors are accompanied by music
and singing. The martial art of kendo developed into its modern
form in the late 18th century. It was derived from samurai training
but practitioners use bamboo staves instead of swords.
By 1853 the Western powers wanted Japan to open her market to
their goods. The Americans also wanted to use Japan as a coaling
station for steam ships. So in July 1853 4 American ships
commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Japanese
waters near Edo. Perry handed over a message asking for trading
rights, coaling ports and protection for shipwrecked sailors. Perry
warned he would return next year with a much larger force. He
returned in February 1854 with 9 ships.
Japan's armed forces were in no state to resist so the shogun
agreed to open two ports to American ships. By 1856 France,
Britain, the Netherlands and Russia had also forced Japan to sign
similar treaties. In 1858 the Americans forced the Japanese to open
more ports to trade. Britain, France and Russia forced Japan to sign
similar treaties. The treaties stated that the Japanese could only
charge low import duties on imported goods. Furthermore foreign
citizens were exempt from Japanese law.
JAPAN IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY

9. The Meiji Restoration
Not surprisingly the humiliating treaties were bitterly resented by the
Japanese who called them unequal treaties. Furthermore the
shogun lost face because of his weakness. Many Japanese thought
that Japan would only be strong if the shongunate was abolished
and the emperor was restored to power. Some Japanese wanted to
resist the foreigners. Others wanted to copy western technology.
Opinion was bitterly divided.
Finally in 1868 there was a short civil war. Pro-emperor and pro-
shogun forces clashed at Fushimi and the pro-emperor force won.
Afterwards the Emperor Meiji and his followers were determined to
modernize Japan. And they succeeded. In an astonishingly short
period of time Japan was transformed from a primitive, agricultural
country to a modern industrial one.
The government encouraged industrialization with loans and grants.
Soon many new industries such as shipbuilding were flourishing. In
1870 the first mechanized silk mill opened in Japan. Also in 1870 a
telegraph was laid between Tokyo (as Edo was renamed) and
Yokohama. A railway was built between them in 1872. Meanwhile in
1871 private armies kept by daimyos were abolished. Many
samurai joined the new national army. The same year the first
Japanese newspaper was published.
In 1872 compulsory education was introduced in Japan. The same
year conscription was introduced. In 1878 the Japanese army was
reformed to be like the German army. The Japanese navy was
modeled on the British navy. In 1873 Japan adopted the Western
calendar. The same year a land tax was introduced and the
emperor and empress began wearing Western clothes. In 1889 the
Emperor Meiji granted a constitution based on the German one.
Japan gained a parliament called a diet but only a small minority of
men were allowed to vote.
However these rapid changes were not popular with everyone. In
1877 samurai led by Saigo Takamori (1827-1877) rebelled in
Satsuma. A conscript army led by Marshal Yamagata crushed the
rebellion. Afterwards the samurai lost their privileges and most were
forced to take civilian jobs.

10. In 1894 Japan and Korea quarreled over Korea. China regarded
Korea as being under its 'influence' and in 1894 sent troops into that
country. The Japanese objected and went to war. The Sino-
Japanese war was a stunning victory for Japan. The Japanese
quickly drove the Chinese out of Korea and captured Port Arthur.
By the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895 Japan gained Formosa
(Taiwan) and Port Arthur. China was also forced to pay a large
indemnity and to refrain from interfering in Korean politics. However
Russia, France and Germany forced Japan to give back Port
Arthur.
JAPAN IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY
Then on 30 January 1902 Japan signed a treaty with Britain. Both
agreed to help the other if they were attacked by two other
countries. Meanwhile Russia was increasing her influence in
Manchuria, which brought her into conflict with Japan. On 9
February 1904 the Japanese navy sank two Russian ships at Port
Arthur (Russia had leased this Chinese port in 1898). The
Japanese then laid siege to Port Arthur but they took 5 months to
capture it. Nevertheless the Japanese army gradually advanced in
Manchuria and on 27 May 1905 the Japanese navy won a complete
victory at Tsushima. The Americans mediated between Russia and
Japan and the two signed the Treaty of Portsmouth in September
1905. Japan gained Port Arthur and the southern part of Sakhalin.
Japan also gained great prestige. She was the first Asian power to
defeat a European power.
Then in 1910 Japan annexed Korea. Furthermore by 1911 all
foreign countries had agreed to abolish the 'unequal treaties' of the
1850s. By the time Emperor Meiji died in 1912 Japan was a power
to be reckoned with.
When the First World War began Japan joined Britain's side. Japan
took German colonies in Asia. However after the war Japan's
growing economic and political power brought her into conflict with
the USA.
In 1921 the Washington Conference was held. Britain and the USA
pressed Japan to accept a naval treaty. For every 5 tons of warship
Britain and the USA had in the Pacific Japan was allowed 3. So the

11. Western powers were determined to keep Japan in her place. Then
on 1 September 1923 an earthquake devastated Tokyo. After the
actual tremor fire swept through the city. about 107,000 people
died. In 1924 Japan suffered another 'slap in the face' when the
USA banned immigration from Japan.
In 1926 Hirohito became emperor. In the first years of Hirohito's
reign the Japanese economy did well but in 1929 the world entered
a severe recession. Meanwhile Japan had an army stationed in
Manchuria around Port Arthur. The Japanese also controlled much
of the Manchurian economy. The Japanese army thought Japan
should take over Manchuria and in 1931 the army engineered a
takeover. Japan controlled a railway running through Manchuria. On
18 September 1931 an explosion near Muckden damaged it.
Japanese troops claimed they saw Chinese troops running away.
The Japanese army then acted independently and seized Muckden.
In December 1931 the army took over all of Manchuria. The
Japanese government could not stop them.
Meanwhile the Chinese emperor had been overthrown in 1911. In
1932 he was made puppet ruler of Manchuria, which was renamed
Manchuko. However the real power in the region was the Japanese
army. Japanese politicians were powerless to stop the generals.
The Japanese army gradually took control of Japan. Civilian
politicians were still the nominal rulers but the army held real power.
Politicians were too weak to resist them.
Many in the army pressed for expansion into China. In 1936 China
was forced to accept Japanese occupation of an area of China
called Fengtai near Beijing. Tension then grew between Japanese
and Chinese troops in that region and on 7 July 1937 fighting broke
out. Japan rushed troops to the area and soon it became a full
scale invasion of China, although there was no formal declaration of
war. In December 1937 the Japanese captured Nanking and
massacred civilians.
Then in July 1941 Japanese troops occupied French Indo-China.
The USA objected, fearing Japan was a threat to its interests in the
Pacific. The USA banned exports of oil to Japan. Japan imported

12. 80% of her oil from the USA and was faced with the choice between
a humiliating climb-down and war. The Japanese chose war.
Japan sent a force of aircraft carriers and on 7 December 1941 they
attacked the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. The Japanese sank
many ships but vitally they missed several American aircraft carriers
that were at sea.
At first the Japanese had amazing success. In February 1942 they
captured Singapore the main British base in the Far East. In the
months January to May 1942 they also captured the Philippines and
most of Indonesia. However the tide turned at the battle of Midway
Island in May 1942 when they lost 4 aircraft carriers.
In January-February 1943 the Japanese were forced to evacuate
Guadalcanal and in August 1943 they were defeated by the
Australians in New Guinea. Meanwhile in June 1943 the Americans
began submarine warfare and Japanese shipping suffered terrible
losses. The Americans also began a campaign of 'island hopping'.
They attacked certain Pacific Islands held by the Japanese and left
others nearby to 'wither on the vine'. The Japanese suffered a
severe naval defeat at Leyte Gulf in October 1944. Meanwhile a
British army from India pushed the Japanese back into Burma. In
the end Japan was defeated by the USA's overwhelming industrial
strength.
From March 1945 Japanese kamikaze pilots flew suicide missions,
deliberately crashing into American ships. But it was to no avail. In
June 1945 the Americans captured Okinawa. Meanwhile American
bombing was destroying Japanese cities. On 26 July 1945 Truman
and Churchill demanded Japan surrender and threatened the
Japanese with 'prompt and utter destruction' if they did not. Japan
refused.
On 6 August 1945 an American bomber, the Enola Gay, dropped
an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. On 9 August another was dropped
on Nagasaki.
Japan capitulated on 15 August 1945. An official surrender
document was signed on 2 September. Following the Japanese
surrender the Americans occupied Japan. General MacArthur led

13. the US troops. Under him 7 Japanese war criminals were hanged
including wartime Prime Minister Tojo Hideki.
JAPAN IN THE LATE 20TH CENTURY
The emperor publicly announced that he was not divine and in 1946
the Americans drew up a new constitution for Japan. Women were
allowed to vote. The constitution also contained a clause
renouncing the 'threat or use of force as a means of settling
international disputes'. In 1951 a peace treaty was signed in San
Francisco and the American occupation ended in 1952. However
the Treaty of Mutual Co-operation and Security gave the USA the
right to keep bases in Japan. Furthermore the island of Okinawa
was occupied until 1972. Meanwhile the Korean War began in
1950. It provided a boost to Japanese industry and by 1954
Japanese industrial production was back to 1939 levels.
In 1955 the Liberal Democratic Party took power and it ruled Japan
for most of the period from 1955 to 2009.
Meanwhile during the 1950s and 1960s the Japanese economy
boomed. Japanese industry exported huge numbers of electronic
goods and vehicles. The Japanese people saw a great
improvement in their standard of living. Rapid economic growth in
Japan continued during the 1970s and 1980s while much of the rest
of the world was mired in recession.
However in the 1990s the period of rapid economic growth ended
and a long recession began, although Japan remained a rich
country. Worse in 1995 the city of Kobe was devastated by an
earthquake. Meanwhile Emperor Hirohito died in 1989 and was
succeeded by Emperor Akihito.
JAPAN IN THE 21ST CENTURY
In 2009 a major political change took place in Japan. The Liberal
Democratic Party ruled Japan for all of the years 1995-2009 except
for a period of 11 months. However in 2009 the Democratic Party of
Japan won a majority in the lower house of parliament. Today
Japan is a prosperous nation.

14. Today the population of Japan is 127 million.
A TIMELINEOF JAPAN
c. 8,000 BC People in Japan begin making pottery. They live by hunting,
fishing and collecting shellfish.
c. 300 BC - 300 AD The Yayoi period in Japan. The Japanese begin
growing rice, weaving cloth and using bronze and iron.
300 - 710 AD The Kofun Period. Japan is gradually united. Writing is
introduced from China. Buddhism is introduced from Korea.
646 From this date all land in Japan belonged to the emperor. Peasants
were made to pay taxes in goods or labour.
710 The city of Nara is built
1000 Lady Murasaki Shikibu writes the worlds first novel, The Tale of Genji
1180 Civil war breaks out between rival families in Japan
1192 Yoritomo becomes Shogun
1274 The Mongols attempt to conquer Japan but fail
1281 The Mongols try again but their fleet is scattered by a typhoon
c. 1300 Trade flourishes in Japan and merchants grow wealthy
1333-1573 The Muromachi Period in Japan. Noh theatre develops.
1467-1477 The Onin War, a civil war is fought
1542 The Portuguese arrive in Japan. The Japanese learn to make guns.
The Portuguese also bring sweet potatoes and tobacco as well as clocks.
1549 Jesuits led by Francis Xavier arrive in Japan
1571 Nagasaki is founded
1575 A warlord called Oda Nobunaga wins a victory at Nagashino

15. 1582 Oda Nobunaga wins is assassinated but his general Toytomi
Hideyoshi continues his work
1600 A Dutch ship reaches Japan. On board is an Englishman William
Adams.
1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu makes himself shogun
1612 Christianity is banned in Japan
1633-39 Laws forbid the Japanese to travel aboard of built ocean-going
ships.
1641 Dutch merchants are restricted to Nagasaki Harbor
1853 American ships sail into Japanese water and demand trading rights
1854-56 Japan is forced to allow the USA and certain European countries
to trade
1868 The emperor is restored to power (after being a figurehead for
centuries) and a program of modernization begins
1870 A telegraph is laid between Tokyo and Yokohama
1872 A railway is laid between Tokyo and Yokohama. Compulsory
education is introduced in Japan.
1889 The emperor grants a constitution based on the German one
1894-95 Japan fights a successful war with China
1902 Japan signs a treaty with Britain
1904-05 Japan fights a successful war with Russia
1910 Japan annexes Korea
1923 Tokyo is devastated by an earthquake
1926 Hirohito becomes emperor of Japan
1931 Japan occupies Manchuria
1937 Japan invades the rest of China

16. 1941 Japan attacks the US fleet at Pearl Harbor
1942 Japan captures Singapore and the Philippines but they are defeated
at Midway Island
1944 Japan is defeated at Leyte Gulf
1945 The USA drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1946 The Americans draw up a new constitution for Japan
1955 The Liberal Democratic Party takes power
1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s Japan experiences rapid economic growth
and living standards rise enormously
1990s Japan is in economic doldrums
2006 The Democratic Party of Japan wins a majority in the lower house of
parliament
2011 Japan suffers a severe earthquake and tsunami but soon recovers