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Knowing the basics of Japanese history is key to understanding what makes this country tick, so consider this your whistle-stop introduction: from Jomon to Pokemon (and the 16,000 years in between).
Ancient Japan
Humans first made it to Japan across a land bridge from Asia, some 30,000 years ago, but it wasn’t until about 14,000 BC that something recognisable as a culture had begun to develop. This was the beginning of the Jōmon Period, when Japan was dominated by one of the most successful hunter-gatherer societies in history. Ancestors of the Ainu people of modern Hokkaido, the Jōmon survived and thrived for around 10,000 years, producing some of the world’s earliest examples of pottery.
Things changed dramatically for Japan in about 1,000 BCE, when a wave of migration from mainland Asia introduced new technologies such as wet-rice farming and metalworking. Now able to produce huge amounts of rice very quickly, the early Japanese began to live sedentary lifestyles for the first time, and wealthy rice kingdoms spread across the land. The most important of these was the Yamato Kingdom, near present-day Osaka, which existed from 250-710 AD. This was the kernel of what would eventually become modern Japan.
Classical Japan
The next big change for Japan came with (and you’ll begin to notice a pattern here) another wave of innovations from the Asian mainland. This time, it was Chinese writing, Chinese systems of government, and perhaps the most influential import in Japanese history: Buddhism. This was a huge turning point for the development of Japan, and it would shape the nation’s culture and society dramatically for centuries to come.
Until this point, the Japanese had moved their royal capital every time the Emperor died, which was immensely inconvenient and rather got in the way of them doing much else. In the year 794 AD, however, they finally abandoned this habit and settled down permanently in Heian-kyo (modern-day Kyoto).
Now that the court didn’t need to up sticks every couple of decades, they had time to think about other things — and soon there was a magnificent flowering of art and culture. Many quintessentially “Japanese” styles of poetry and architecture first began to take shape around this time, as well as the Japanese home-grown writing systems, Hiragana and Katakana.
Unfortunately, the Imperial Court was so absorbed in its artistic and cultural pursuits that it forgot to do much governing, leaving the rest of the country to fend for itself. In these lawless times, those who could afford it turned to a new class of soldier-for-hire for protection: the samurai.
Feudal Japan
The samurai were fierce and well organised, and it wasn’t long before they became more powerful than the artsy-fartsy aristocrats of the Imperial Court. In 1185, they officially seized control — though they allowed the Emperor to keep his throne and title.
Unfortunately, the samurai weren’t particularly good at getting along with each other, and it wasn’t long before the country descended into turmoil. By 1477, there was full-scale civil war, with Kyoto burned to the ground and hundreds of warring states scattered across the country. It didn’t exactly improve matters when a Portuguese ship arrived in 1543, with muskets.
All this conflict came to a head in 1600, with the Battle of Sekigahara. When the dust settled, one samurai clan was left on top: the Tokugawa. By 1603, they had consolidated power, and the greatest shogunate in Japanese history had begun.
Early Modern Japan
Having been humiliated by the Americans, the new Meiji Emperor and his samurai advisors resolved to modernise Japan so it could become a rival to the West. To this end, they abolished the Edo-era class structure, ended feudalism, and introduced all sorts of modern innovations — including railways, telegraph lines, and universal education.
Though Japan had had limited contact with Portuguese and Dutch traders in the past, now it went all in on the West — adopting Western clothing, hairstyles, technology, science and art forms. At the same time, however, it also started promoting a new form of nationalism — making Shinto the state religion, teaching children patriotism in schools, and declaring the Emperor a living god.
As the eighteenth century became the nineteenth, Japan’s imperial ambitions began to emerge. First, it claimed the Ryukyu Islands (now Okinawa), then the northern island of Hokkaido. Next, it expanded into the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and China, regularly defeating armies bigger and better-equipped than their own. Meanwhile, back at home, it rapidly industrialised and urbanised, and its population swelled.
Then WWI came along. Japan fought on the side of the Allies, taking the opportunity to expand its sphere of influence in China and seize German colonies in the South Pacific. This didn’t wash with the US, who met Japan’s expansionism with sanctions; Japan reacted by teaming up with Germany and Italy. In 1941, Japan entered WWII on the side of the Nazis — and we all know how that ended.
Modern Japan
Having been humiliated by the Americans, the new Meiji Emperor and his samurai advisors resolved to modernise Japan so it could become a rival to the West. To this end, they abolished the Edo-era class structure, ended feudalism, and introduced all sorts of modern innovations — including railways, telegraph lines, and universal education.
Though Japan had had limited contact with Portuguese and Dutch traders in the past, now it went all in on the West — adopting Western clothing, hairstyles, technology, science and art forms. At the same time, however, it also started promoting a new form of nationalism — making Shinto the state religion, teaching children patriotism in schools, and declaring the Emperor a living god.
As the eighteenth century became the nineteenth, Japan’s imperial ambitions began to emerge. First, it claimed the Ryukyu Islands (now Okinawa), then the northern island of Hokkaido. Next, it expanded into the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan and China, regularly defeating armies bigger and better-equipped than their own. Meanwhile, back at home, it rapidly industrialised and urbanised, and its population swelled.
Then WWI came along. Japan fought on the side of the Allies, taking the opportunity to expand its sphere of influence in China and seize German colonies in the South Pacific. This didn’t wash with the US, who met Japan’s expansionism with sanctions; Japan reacted by teaming up with Germany and Italy. In 1941, Japan entered WWII on the side of the Nazis — and we all know how that ended.
Post-war Japan
After the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki put two big full stops at the end of WWII, Japan was occupied by Allied Forces until 1952, and saw wide-reaching reforms inspired by the USA’s New Deal of the 1930s. Amongst other changes, the military was disarmed, Japan’s colonies were granted independence, and the Emperor was forced to renounce his divinity.
Japan’s economy was in pretty bad shape at this point, but it wouldn’t be for long. When the USA went to war with Korea, Japan produced its military supplies. This gave a gigantic boost to the domestic economy, and by 1955, Japan’s was the second-largest capitalist economy in the world. The rapid and sustained growth that followed became known as Japan’s “economic miracle” — that is, until the bubble burst in 1989.
Though Japan’s growth would never return to its runaway, pre-bubble rates, it hasn’t done too badly. Japanese popular culture exploded in the 1990s, as Japanese video games, manga comics, and anime cartoons become bona fide worldwide phenomena.
From what we’ve observed over the past 20 years, enthusiasm for Japan and Japanese culture shows no sign of waning, and the Tokyo Olympics — whenever they do take place — will put Japan on the world’s stage once again. What happens next is anybody’s guess, but we’ll have front-row seats!
Japan’s period of seclusion from the rest of the world continues to have cultural impact today – but you really do have to see it to believe it.
Whether you’re fascinated by Shinto shrines or towering skyscrapers, get in touch and we’ll tailor your perfect Japan trip.
