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History of Japan

Court, shogun and empire. 7 eras, 710 CE to today.

Nara period, 710 CE–794 CE

Japan's first permanent capital, Heijo-kyo (Nara), was laid out on the model of China's Tang capital. Emperors ruled through Chinese-style law codes and promoted Buddhism as a state religion.

Seat of power: Heijo-kyo (Nara)

Rulers

Heian period, 794 CE–1185

The court moved to Heian-kyo (Kyoto). Real power passed from emperors to the Fujiwara regents, and a refined court culture produced some of the world's first great novels.

Seat of power: Heian-kyo (Kyoto)

Rulers

Kamakura shogunate, 1185–1333

Warriors took over from the court. The shogun's government in Kamakura appointed military governors across the country, while the emperor stayed in Kyoto as a ceremonial figure.

Seat of power: Kamakura

Rulers

Unification of Japan, 1568–1603

After a century of civil war, three warlords reunified Japan. Huge castles, gold-leaf screens and the tea ceremony defined the period.

Seat of power: Osaka Castle

Rulers

Edo period, 1603–1868

The Tokugawa shoguns ruled from Edo (Tokyo) through more than 250 years of peace. Japan limited contact with the outside world, and a rich urban culture grew in its cities.

Seat of power: Edo

Rulers

Empire of Japan, 1868–1947

The Meiji Restoration put the emperor back at the centre of the state. Japan industrialised at great speed and built an empire, which ended with defeat in the Second World War.

Seat of power: Tokyo

Rulers

Post-war Japan, 1947 to today

The 1947 constitution made Japan a parliamentary democracy that renounced war. Rapid growth made it the world's second-largest economy by 1968, and its popular culture spread worldwide.

Seat of power: Tokyo

Rulers