B r i e f     C h r o n o l o g y     o f     t h e     h i s t o r y o f     J a p a n     f r o m    t h e    m i d    1 2 t h    c e n t u r y t o     t h e     e n d     of     t h e     1 9 t h     c e n t u r y

HEIAN era    from 794 to 1185

From 1150 to 1185: clans MINAMOTO (or GENJI) and TAIRA (or HEIKE) are devoted to a fight baited for the capacity. This period ends with, from 1180 to 1185, the wars of GEMPEI.    1185: Crushing of the last remainders of the clan TAIRA at the time of the naval battle of DAN NO URA by the forces of MINAMOTO NO YORITOMO, led by his half-brother YOSHITSUNE.  of the XII 2nd century old middle at the end of the XIX 2nd

KAMAKURA era    from 1185 to 1333   -   Sabre TACHI of the type KOTO

1192: MINAMOTO NO YORITOMO is named SHOGUN. He transposes his government, the BAKUFU which means " government under the tent ", with KAMAKURA.    1200: erasure of SHOGUN MINAMOTO. The real power is exerted by regents resulting from family HOJO.    1274: 1st attempt of a mongole invasion (baie of Hakata in the island of Kyushu). It is pushed back.    1281: 2nd attempt of a mongole invasion by an extremely powerful army (4000 ships). It is a Typhoon which saves the country of the invasion by destroying the Mongolian fleet. It is the KAMI KAZE, the divine wind.

MUROMACHI era    from 1333 to 1568   -   Appearance of the KATANA, type KOTO

1336: General ASHIKAGA TAKAUJI, deposits the emperor, has another one elected. 1338: He has himself given the title of SHOGUN. 1338/1392: Period known as the court of the North and South (Nambokucho). Shogun ASHIKAGA YOSHIMITSU settles in Kyoto, the imperial capital, in the district of MUROMACHI. 1387: Birth of IIZASA CHOSAI IENAO, founder of Katori Shinto Ryu.    1482/1558: SENGOKU JIDAI (era of the country in war). With the death of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, begin 70 years of civil wars and fights between the large feudal ones. 1543: Introduction of the first fire weapon in Japan.

MOMOYAMA era    from 1568 to 1615   -   Creation of sabres "SHINTO

1568: General ODA NOBUNAGA seizes the power and undertakes to put a term to the conflicts. He does not take the title of Shogun and is satisfied to reign by the force. He starts in fight with the power of the temples, very powerful at that time (they sheltered very many called warlike monks SOHEI). 1575 - Battle of NAGASHINO: crushing of clan TAKEDA by the armies of NOBUNAGA, which used for the first time fire weapons in a systematic way. 1582: At his death, his principal General TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI, seizes the power. He has himself appointed regent (KAMPAKU). He has his castle at FUSHIMI, on the hill of MOMOYAMA. 1584 (or 1580, discussed date): birth of MYAMOTO MUSASHI. 1592/1598 - campaigns of Korea: Japan tries to invade Korea but encounters a savage resistance of Korean, helped of Chinese.    1598: At the death of Hideyoshi, a counseil of regents directs Japan (read the book of J CLAVELL "SHOGUN").    1600: battle of SEKIGAHARA. The clan of TOKUGAWA and its partisans (army of the East) crush the clan of ISHIDO MITSUNARI (army of the West). 1603: TOKUGAWA IEASU becomes SHOGUN.

EDO era    from 1615 to 1868   -   1780: Starting of sabres SHINSHINTO

1615: disapperance of the last partisans of the son of TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi in OSAKA. The government settles in EDO (today TOKYO). Era TOKUGAWA begins and will last 250 years.    1630: Japan is even closed again and prohibits any relation with the foreign countries.    1644/1645: writing of GO RIN NO SHO by MUSASHI 1854: Arrival of Commodore PERRY, which with its canons, forces Japan to open to the Occident.

MEIJI era   from 1868 to 1912   -   Sabres of thr type GENDAI TO

1867: Emperor MITSUHITO takes the power again, repeals the SHOGUNAT and adopts the name of MEI JI. It is the MEIJI restoration. EDO becomes the imperial capital under the name of TOKYO (Eastern capital).    1873: Creation of a national army to the modern direction of the term, based on the conscription.    1876: Prohibition of the port of the sabre. 1877: Revolt of SATSUMA. Last sudden starts of the partisans of the old system. Troops loyal to the old SHOGUN revolt, led by a General of the name of SAIGO TAKAMORI. They are crushed by the army in KUMAMOTO and KAGOSHIMA (Island of Kyushu).