Periodization
One commonly accepted periodization of Japanese history:
| Dates | Period | Period | Subperiod | Main government |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30,000–10,000 BC | Japanese Paleolithic | unknown | ||
| 10,000–300 BC | Ancient Japan | Jōmon | local clans | |
| 900 BC – 250 AD (overlaps) | Yayoi | |||
| c. 250–538 AD | Kofun | Yamato clans | ||
| 538–710 AD | Classical Japan | Asuka | ||
| 710–794 | Nara | Emperor of Japan | ||
| 794–1185 | Heian | |||
| 1185–1333 | Feudal Japan | Kamakura | Kamakura shogunate | |
| 1333–1336 | Kemmu Restoration | Emperor of Japan | ||
| 1336–1392 | Muromachi | Nanboku-cho | Ashikaga shogunate | |
| 1392–1467 | ||||
| 1467–1573 | Sengoku period | Ashikaga shogunate, daimyōs, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi | ||
| 1573–1603 | Azuchi-Momoyama | |||
| 1603–1868 | Early Modern Japan | Edo | Tokugawa shogunate | |
| 1868–1912 | Modern Japan | Prewar | Meiji | Emperor of Japan |
| 1912–1926 | Taishō | |||
| 1926–1945 | Prewar Shōwa | |||
| 1945–1952 | Contemporary Japan | Postwar | Occupied Japan (Postwar Shōwa) | Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers |
| 1952–1989 | Post-occupation (Postwar Shōwa) | Parliamentary democracy | ||
| 1989–present | Heisei | |||
Read more about this topic: History Of Japan