Japan

Early Japan: 552-1274

• 552: Traditional date for the introduction of Buddhism from Korea.
• 710: First permanent capital is established at Nara.
• 1192: Minamoto Yoritomo is given the title of Shogun.
• c. 1200 Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism is introduced
• 1274: Mongols under Khubilai Khan attempt to invade Japan.

Japan under the Shogunate

• 1333: The Kamakura Shogunate is overthrown.
• 1338: The Ashikaga shogunate is established.
• 1542: Portuguese Merchants first arrive in Japan.
• 1568-1582: Reign of Oda Nobunaga
• 1582-1598: Toyotomi Hideyoshi
• 1598-1616: Reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu
• 1640: The seclusion and exclusion edicts take effect.
• 1688-1704: Genroku era
• 1853: Commodore Perry's expedition.
• 1867: Tokugawa Shogunate overthrown; beginning of Meiji restoration

Meiji Restoration

• 1868: New imperial government is established at Tokyp (formerly Edo).
• 1877: Satsuma Rebellion.
• 1889: The Meiji Constitution is established.
• 1894-1890: Sino-Japanese War.
• 1904-1905: Russo-Japanese War.
• 1931: Mukden incident.
• 1937: Incident at Marco Polo Bridge leads to war with China.
• 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

Japan since 1945

• 1952: US occupation ends
• 1955: The Liberal Democratic Party forms its first government.
• 1978: Treaty of Peace and Friendship between China and Japan.
• 1983: Liberal Democratic Party looses election for the first time.