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A new branch of Buddhism that influenced the samurai’s focus on discipline and meditation.
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Samurai became the dominant warrior class, holding power and social prestige.
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Emperor Kammu moved the capital to Heian-kyo (Kyoto), beginning the Heian period when Japanese culture flourished and China’s influence declined. Over time, military leaders called Shoguns gained power over the emperor, who became a symbolic figurehead while Shoguns ruled Japan for nearly 700 years.
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A civil conflict between the Taira and Minamoto clans that ended with Minamoto no Yoritomo’s victory and the creation of the Kamakura shogunate. This marked the start of Japan’s feudal era, where real power shifted to the military government in Kamakura.
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Minamoto no Yoritomo became Japan’s first powerful Shogun, turning the once-temporary title into a hereditary position and establishing his military government (bakufu) in Kamakura. This marked the start of the Kamakura Shogunate, where real power rested with the Shogun while the emperor remained a ceremonial figure for the next 700 years.
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Established Japan’s first military government and began the shogunate system. -
Mongol forces tried to invade Japan but were defeated, partly due to “divine winds.” -
A time of political unrest and cultural flourishing in Japan, influenced strongly by Zen Buddhism and marked by developments in arts like tea ceremony, flower arranging, and noh drama. During this era, powerful regional warlords (daimyō) gained control over samurai, weakening the authority of the shogun.
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Ashikaga Takauji took power, marking a new shogunate after the fall of Kamakura rule. -
A civil war between powerful daimyō that plunged Japan into chaos for 10 years.
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Christianity was introduced to Japan, leading to cultural exchange and later suppression. -
Japan unified under Oda Nobunaga and his successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi, bringing all provinces under central control. It was an era of grandeur and luxury, marked by the construction of impressive castles such as Azuchi and Momoyama, which gave the period its name.
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Powerful warlord who began Japan’s unification using advanced military tactics. -
Finished the unification process and implemented strict social rules. -
Tokugawa Ieyasu became the first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, marking the start of the Edo period. This era was one of peace and prosperity, defined by a rigid class system and Japan’s isolation from the outside world.
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Began the Tokugawa Shogunate, a time of peace, order, and isolation. -
The samurai code of honour and loyalty guided behaviour and social expectations.
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Japan closed itself off to foreign contact, banning Christianity and trade with most nations.
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Western nations forced Japan to open trade, leading to the fall of the shogunate.