Thanks largely to its geographical isolation and social cohesion, Japan is among the world's most enduring and stable nations. Though the country has certainly had its share of violent civil wars, coups and one revolution, albeit fairly gentle, Japan has rarely been invaded and never truly colonized. Indeed, according to tradition, it boasts the longest-reigning dynasty in the world, with the present monarch, Emperor Akihito, 125th in an unbroken line stretching back to the first century BC. The reality is, of course, far more complicated.

During the seventeenth century, Japan cut itself off almost completely from outside influence for a period of more than two hundred years. It then did an about-turn, embraced Western technology and in no time possessed one of the world's most powerful economies. Modern Japan initially seems like so many other developed, industrial countries, but scratch the surface and you'll find a society deeply layered in ancient legends and a vibrant history

The beginnings
It is believed that the Japanese people are descended from immigrants from mainland Asia and possibly Polynesians who moved north along the east Asian coast. This migration is estimated to have taken place over a period prior to...

The major historical eras
See the following table...

Relations with Korea and China
From the earliest days of reliable history, Japan has had close links with Korea. Though these were not always amicable - according to the chronicles, Empress Jingo led an invasion force to the peninsula in 200 AD - a significant number...

The Heian era 794-1185
Nara only survived as the capital until 784, when the Fujiwara decided they needed to escape from the monks and priests who were meddling too much in politics. After a short spell in nearby Nagaoka, the court eventually moved to...

The Kamakura era 1185-1333
Yoritomo established his Bakufu, or "tent government", at Kamakura (near present-day Yokohama), in 1192. The term Tent Government was symbolic of the spartan, military character of the new regime. Yoritomo styled...

The Moromachi era 1333-1573
The demands of war, a generally deteriorating economy and an ineffectual government, eventually led to the collapse of the Hojo in 1333. This coincided with the accession to the throne of the emperor Go-Daigo, who, being older...

Reunification
The civil wars ended with the reunification of Japan under a triumvirate of generals of outstanding ability. The first, Oda Nobunaga, had the initial advantage of hailing from Owari, one of Japan's strategically placed central districts.

The Tokugawa Shogunate 1600-1868
Ieyasu established his administrative capital at Edo, now Tokyo, and set about guaranteeing the security of the Tokugawa Shogunate . The three Tokugawa-related clans were given estates in the most strategically important areas...

The rise and fall of the samurai
The origins of the samurai, Japan's warrior caste, go back to the ninth century, when the feudal lords began to maintain regular forces. Gradually, they evolved into an elite group of hereditary warriors, their lives governed by an...

The Meiji era 1868-1912
The reign of Emperor Meiji, as Mutsuhito was posthumously known, saw vast changes taking place in Japan. A policy of modernization, termed fukoku kyohei (enrich the country, strengthen the military), was adopted.

The Taisho era 1912-1926
The sudden death of Emperor Meiji in 1912 ushered in the relatively brief Taisho (Great Righteousness) era. Meiji's son Yoshihito, the only surviving male out of his fourteen children, suffered hereditary mental illness and by 1921 was so incapacitated that his own son Hirohito was declared regent.

The slide to War
Sadly, peace is the last thing that Hirohito's reign is remembered for. Economic and political turmoil in the early 1930s provided the military with the opportunity it needed to seize full control. Japan's politicians stood by helplessly during the...

The Pacific War
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the US naval base at Hawaii's Pearl Harbor, starting the Pacific War. In rapid succession, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaya and Burma fell to the seemingly unstoppable...