Historical Eras of Japan: From Jōmon to Reiwa

Major Periods of Japanese History

1. Jōmon (c. 14,000–300 BCE) – Hunter-gatherers, world's oldest pottery.
2. Yayoi (c. 300 BCE–250 CE) – Wet-rice farming, metal tools, social stratification.
3. Kofun (c. 250–538 CE) – Giant burial mounds, Yamato clan unification.
4. Asuka (538–710) – Buddhism, Chinese writing, centralized state.
5. Nara (710–794) – First permanent capital, Nihon Shoki, Buddhist art flourishes.
6. Heian (794–1185) – Court culture, Tale of Genji, kana script.
7. Kamakura (1185–1333) – First shogunate, samurai rise.
8. Muromachi (1333–1573) – Ashikaga shogunate, civil war, daimyō emerge.
9. Sengoku (1467–1615) – "Warring States," unification under Hideyoshi.
10. Edo (1603–1868) – Tokugawa peace, urbanization, merchant class.
11. Meiji (1868–1912) – Restoration, modernization, industrialization.
12. Taishō (1912–1926) – Democracy, labor, women's movements.
13. Shōwa (1926–1989) – War, occupation, economic miracle.
14. Heisei (1989–2019) – Bubble, stagnation, tech leadership.
15. Reiwa (2019–present) – Emperor Naruhito's era.

Each era name (gengō) marks a distinct political and cultural chapter.