THE HISTORY OF JAPAN

ENG Q1 EXAM

This report summarizes the lifestyle and how they spend their lives from pre historic to modern
day Japan. Dating back from the pre-historic Japan, there were already signs of civilization and
technology. In this essay, we shall be going through the history of how Japan became what it is today.
Pre-Historic Japan was consisted of the Paleolithic, Jōmon , Yayoi and the Kofun period.
During the Paleolithic period, the sea level was lower, connecting the Japanese archipelago to the rest
of the Asian continent. There were land bridges that connected Japan to the rest of Asia via Sakhalin
Island in the north and Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan in the South.
The Jomon period started around 10,000 BC wherein the inhabitants lived by fishing, hunting
and gathering. The Jomon period was named after the pots that they produced.
The Yayoi period began around 300 BC, when rice cultivation was introduced by the Korean
Peninsula.
In the Kofun period, the present-day Imperial family’s ancestors established the first
unified state known as the Yamato state. During this period, China and Korea introduced Japan to
manufactured articles, weapons, and agricultural tools.
 Classical Japan consisted of the Asuka, Nara and Heian Periods. The start of the Asuka
period began around 538 AD up to 710 AD , with the new religion, Buddhism , from the Korean
kingdom of Baekje. Since then, Buddhism has been a part of Japanese culture and has greatly affected
it and society as well.
The growth of the Yamato polity was great during the Asuka period, which was characteristically
known for the change of the country’s name from “Wa”( 倭) to “Nihon” (日本). This period is also
known for its artistic, social and political development, having both their origins from the kofun period
and the great influence of Buddhism of China.

The Nara period began from 710AD to 794 AD. Empress Genmei established the
capital to be in Heijo-Kyo which is now known as Nara. Except for the five years (740-745AD) , when
the capital was moved again. This remained the Japanese capital until Emperor Kanmu whom of which
established the capital of Nagaoka-kyo during 784. A decade later (794 AD), established a new capital
in Heiyan-kyo, modern day Kyoto. During this period, the Japanese society were mainly focused on
agriculture and village life. Most of the villagers worshiped kami which is based on natural and
ancestral spirts.

The Heian period covers from 794 – 1185 AD, which is the last period of Classical
Japan. This period is named after the capital city of Heiyan-kyo or modern day Kyoto. Also, Heian (
平安) means peace in Japanese.
In this period , Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their peak. Not only that but
the Imperial court, which is known for their art, literature and poetry were also in their peak. The
Fujiwari clan had the real hand in power , more so than the Imperial House of Japan. The Fujiwari clan
were an aristocratic family who intermarried with the Imperial family. This led to having many
emperors have mothers from the Fujiwari clan.

Medieval Japan ran from 1185 to 1600, which consisted of the Kamakura, Muromachi,
and the Azuchi-Momoyama periods. The Kamakura period lasted from 1185 to 1333. This was the
period marked as when Japan was governed by the Kamakura shogunate , established on 1192 in
Kamakura by the first shogun , Minamoto no Yoritomo. This period is known for the establishment of
feudalism in Japan, the warrior castle, and of course, the samurai. The Kamakura shogunate ended in
1333 during the destruction of the shogunate and the re-establishment of the Emperor Go-Daigo by
Ashitaga Takauji, Nitta Yoshisada, and Kusunoki Masashige.
During the Literary development of the late Heaian and Kamakura periods Fujiwara
no Shunzei , was said to be “the leading poet of his day”. He complied the Senzai Wakashu , in the
request of Emperor Go-Shirakawa . It was noted by Donald Keene that Shunzei was “the most eminent
poet since Tsurayuki to have been charged with the compilation of an imperial collection”. The
anthology was commissioned in 1183 but wasn’t finished until 1188, after the defeat of the Taira ,was
filled with poems by Taira, who was officially condemned an enemy by the throne to calm the spirits
of Taira , seeking for vengeance. It also contained poems by thirty-three women , the most amount of
women recognized by any of the late Heian imperial collections. Shunzei’s son, Teika , would then
play an important role ; his Hyakunin Isshu made him “the arbiter of the poetic tastes of most Japanese
even as late as the twentieth century". His later works of copying manuscripts were noted by Keene
that most of his works we see today are what he thought was worth preserving. Teika also served in
the committee that compiled the eighth imperial anthology, with the itinerant monk Saigyo and
Emperor Go-Toba. Most of the poems Saigyo wrote were included in the anthology .Centuries later
Matsuo Basho selected him to be the representative poet of the waka genre. The third shogun,
Minamoto no Sanetomo became the first distinct poet in the Kamakura period under Teika’s tutelage.
Zen monks were associated with the composition of poetry in Chinese. The zen monk, Shotetsu, was
notable for his contribution to the waka genre. The waka genre was considered an oddity until the 21st
century. The new genre, gunki monogatari (war tales) grew in popularity during the Kamakura period.
The Monomachi period began on 1333 and ended on 1568. This period marks the
governance established on 1333 of the Muromachi or the Ashikaga shogunate by the first Muromachi
shogun, Ashikaga Takauji. This occurred two years after the brief Kenmu Restoration of Imperial rule
brought to a close. The period ended in 1568 when the last shogun of this line, Ashikaga Yoshiaki was
driven out of the capital in Kyoto by Oda Nobunaga. The early years of the Muromachi period on
1336-92 was known as the Nanboku-cho or the North and South court period. This period was marked
by the continuous resistance of supporters of Emperor Go-Daigo, the emperor behind the Kenmu
Restoration. The later years of the Muromachi period, from 1465-1568 , are known as the Sengoku
period or Warring states period.

The Azuchi-Momoyama period (安土桃山時代 Azuchi–Momoyama jidai) is the last

division of Medieval Japan. This period ran from 1568-1600. The establishment of the Tokugawa
shogunate was an imposed order by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi to establish order after
the fall of the Ashikaga shogunate. This era lasts until Tokugawa Ieyasu gained power after his victory
the supporters of the Toyotomi clan at the battle of Sekigahara on 1600. During this period , Japan
underwent a short but great span of time of transitioning from the Medieval era to the Early modern
era.

Early modern Japan is primarily of the Edo period (江戸時代 Edo jidai ) which was between
1603 and 1868. Japan was currently under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country’s 300
regional daimyo. This era was characterized by the growth in the economy, stern social order,
isolationist foreign policies, a manageable population, ”no more wars”, and the growth in popularity
of arts and culture. The shogunate was officially established in Edo on March 24, 1603 by Tokugawa
Iyeasu. After the fall of Edo, the period finally came to an end during with Meiji Restoration on May
3, 1868.

Modern Japan begins as the Meiji period starts on October 23, 1868 up until July 30, 1912.
This era served as the first half of the Japanese Empire, during which the Japanese society , they who
were an country that were an isolated nation at risk of colonization of European powers, became a
modern and industrialized country that held great power , with the influence of Western scientific,
technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. With these ideas, Japan underwent a
thorough change not only in social structure, but in the military, economy, internal politics ,and foreign
relations ,as well. This period was under the rule of Emperor Meiji and was succeeded by Emperor
Taisho of the Taisho period.

The Taisho era extended from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign
of the Emperor Taisho. The new emperor was a sickly person, which brought about the shift in political
power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Imperial Diet of Japan , and the
democratic parties. On account of this, this era is expressed as the time of the liberal movement known
as the “Taisho Democracy” in the nation. It is distinguished from the preceding chaotic Meiji period
and the following militaristic-driven first part of the Showa period.

The Showa era coincides with Emperor Showa (Hirohito)’s reign dating from December
25,1926 until his death on January 7, 1989. The pre-1945 and post-war Showa periods are almost
completely different eras. The pre-1945 Showa era concerns the military-driven Japanese Empire ,
while the post-1945 Showa era is when after Japan established itself as an economic and political
power.
 During the pre 1945 era, Japan developed into totalitarianism, ultra-nationalism, and fascism
reaching to climax because of Japan’s invasion of China in 1937. This was at the point where social
catastrophe and clash in events such as the Great Depression and World War 2. Japan’s defeat in the
2nd World War made extreme changes upon the state. For the first and only time, Japan had been
occupied by foreign powers that lasted seven years. Allied occupation offered sweeping democratic
reforms. It led to the formal end of the emperor’s status as a demigod and the conversion of Japan
from a form of mixed constitutional ; and absolute monarchy to a Constitutional monarchy with a
liberal democracy . In 1952, Japan became a sovereign country once more with the Treaty of San
Francisco. The post war Showa era is marked by the Japanese post war economic miracle.
Emperor Showa reigned the longest and lived the longest among all the emperors in Japanese history,
as well as the longest reigning monarch in the world at the time. Crown Prince Akihito succeeded
into the Chrysanthemum Throne on January 7, 1989 upon his father, Emperor Showa’s death. This
was preceded by the Heisei period.

The Heisei period corresponds to the reign of Emperor Akihito as the 125th Japanese
Emperor, from January 8, 1989, the day after his father, Emperor Akihito, died , until his abdication
on April 30, 2019. In accordance to Japanese customs, Hirohito was posthumously renamed as
“Emperor Showa” on January 31, 1989. Thus, until January 7, 1989, it is referred to as Showa 64 and
on January 8, it has been referred to as Heisei 1, with the abdication of Akihito from the
Chrysanthemum Throne. It was succeeded by the Reiwa era as Crown Prince Naruhito ascended the
throne on May 1 on midnight, local time. Heisei means “peace everywhere” in the Japanese
language.

The Reiwa era is the current era of Japan as of now. It began on May 1, 2019, the day when
Naruhito, Akihito’s oldest son, ascended the throne as the Emperor of Japan The day before,
Emperor Akihito was abdicated from the Chrysanthemum Throne, characterizing the end of the
Heisei era. The year 2019 corresponds with Heisei 31 from January 1 to April 30 and Reiwa 1 from
May 1. Reiwa is interpreted as “beautiful harmony” in Japanese

And that is about it for now on the history of Japan. In conclusion, Japan has one of the most
colorful histories in all of the countries of the world. It was very lucky to not have plenty of radical
conflict throughout the years unlike some other nations. The history is also uniquely interesting
compared to other nations that were full of wars. They also seemed to never have any other foreign
powers colonize them and stay a national power to keep that status For the most part, Japan solely
focused on improving their social order , religion and culture to make a better society to live in, and
they still are trying to improve on that, currently.