Periods of Japan History

I intend to also advise you a few museums (though I am really not an expert of history).
And since you might not be an expert too I (patiently and nicely) did this summary of japanese history to help you understand it (roughly).
This is a summary of periods of Japanese history with a few dates of Japanese history.

Prehistory
● Pre-ceramics Palaeolithic era : ~ to - 10000
。 -30 000 human activity testified
● Jōmon era : -10 000 to -300  (rope pattern ceramics)
。 -660 start of the legendary reign of Jimmu, Japan first Emperor
● Yayoi -300 à 250 (agriculture and metallurgy)

Antiquity (Kodai)
● Yamato Era 250 -> 710
。250 -> 538 Kofun period
405 Chinese writing adoption
。538 -> 710 Asuka period
538 Buddhism enters in Japan
708 first japanese coins
●  Nara Era 710 -> 794
。712 writing of 「Kokiji」 book of Shinto basis
。720 writing of 「Nihon Shoki」 book of Japan chronicles
● Heian Era 794 -> 1185
。815 Tea is introduced in Japan from China
。861 chinese calendar adoption

Feudal period (Chūsei)
● Kamakura Era 1185 -> 1333
。1221 Beginning of the Shogunate
● Kenmu restoration 1333 ->1336
。Restoration of the emperor
。1335 Shogun take the power back
● Muromachi Era 1336 -> 1573
。1338 official restoration of shogunate
。1543 European arrives in Japan
● Azushi Momoyama Era 1573 -> 1600
。1592-1598 Occupation of Korea

Beginning of the modern period (Kinsei) : Edo Period 1600 - 1868
。Tension with occidental countries and then opening to foreigners
。1855 Tokyo Earthquake


Modern period (Kindai) : Japanese Empire 1868 - 1945
● Meiji Era 1868 -> 1910
。1871 creation of the 「ｙｅｎ」Tension with occidental countries and then opening to foreigners
。1873 Adoption of occidental calendar
。1889 Enactement of Meiji Constitution
。1894-1895 First war with China
。1904-1905 Russian war
。1910 annexation of Korea
● Taisho Era 1910 -> 1926
。1916 first japanese moviecreation of the 「ｙｅｎ」Tension with occidental countries and then opening to foreigners
。1923 Big kanto earthquake
● Pre-war Showa Era 1926 -> 1945
。1927 Start of the metropolitan in Tokyo
。1940 Pact with Italy and Germany
。1889 Enactement of Meiji Constitution
。1941 december 7th : Pearl Harbor attack
。1944 USA occupies Okinawa
。1945 august 6th : atomic bomb on Hiroshima
。1945 august 9th : atomic bomb on Nagasaki

Contemporary period (Gendai) : 1945 ~
。1945 december 17th : women can vote
。1946 may 3rd : opening of Tokyo trial
。1946 november : New constitution is voted
。1947 may 3rd : beginning of the new constitution (end of 「The empire of Japan」) 
。1948 end of Tokyo trial, 7 japanese leading mens are evicted to deaths 
。1948 governement officer are forbidden to go on stike
。1964 Tokyo Olympic games
。1965 Treaty with south Korea
。1972 Okinawa returns to Japan。1978 august 12th Treaty of Peace with China
。1995 Kobe Earthquake。1995 sarin gas attack in Tokyo Metro
。2011 march 11th : Tsunami on the Tohoku and Fukushima Nuclear disaster

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