Country history · Asia

History of Japan

83 recorded states lay in what is now Japan, from Na (Japan) (0 CE). 1 of them has a full profile, and 6 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)14 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

1st century

  1. Na (Japan)0 CE – 200 CE · chiefdom

2nd century

  1. Yamatai180 CE – 266 CE · kingdom

3rd century

  1. Yamato250 CE – 701 CE · kingdom

7th century

  1. Emishi600 CE – 811 CE · tribal confederation
  2. Hayato600 CE – 720 CE · tribal confederation

8th century

  1. Ritsuryo Japan701 CE – 1185 CE · kingdom

11th century

  1. Northern Fujiwara1087 CE – 1189 CE · other

12th century

  1. Kamakura shogunate1185 CE – 1333 CE · other

14th century

  1. Ainu chiefdoms1300 CE – 1869 CE · chiefdom
  2. Chuzan1314 CE – 1429 CE · kingdom
  3. Nanzan1314 CE – 1429 CE · kingdom
  4. Hokuzan1322 CE – 1416 CE · kingdom
  5. Kenmu Restoration1333 CE – 1336 CE · kingdom
  6. Ashikaga shogunate1336 CE – 1573 CE · other
  7. Northern Court1336 CE – 1392 CE · kingdom
  8. Southern Court1336 CE – 1392 CE · kingdom
  9. Kamakura-fu1349 CE – 1439 CE · other

15th century

  1. Ouchi clan domain1400 CE – 1557 CE · other
  2. Ryukyu Kingdom1429 CE – 1872 CE · profile
  3. Koga kubo1455 CE – 1583 CE · other
  4. Sakai1470 CE – 1569 CE · city state
  5. Asakura clan domain1471 CE – 1573 CE · other
  6. Imagawa clan domain1476 CE – 1569 CE · other
  7. Amago clan domain1486 CE – 1566 CE · other
  8. Kaga Ikko-ikki1488 CE – 1580 CE · theocracy
  9. Later Hojo clan domain1495 CE – 1590 CE · other

16th century

  1. Otomo clan domain1500 CE – 1593 CE · other
  2. Satake clan domain1500 CE – 1602 CE · other
  3. Takeda clan domain1519 CE – 1582 CE · other
  4. Azai clan domain1523 CE – 1573 CE · other
  5. Ishiyama Hongan-ji1533 CE – 1580 CE · theocracy
  6. Date clan domain1542 CE – 1600 CE · other
  7. Saito clan domain1542 CE – 1567 CE · other
  8. Miyoshi clan domain1549 CE – 1575 CE · other
  9. Iga confederacy1550 CE – 1581 CE · tribal confederation
  10. Ryuzoji clan domain1550 CE – 1584 CE · other
  11. Shimazu clan domain1550 CE – 1600 CE · other
  12. Uesugi clan domain1551 CE – 1600 CE · other
  13. Mori clan domain1557 CE – 1600 CE · other
  14. Oda regime1559 CE – 1582 CE · other
  15. Chosokabe clan domain1560 CE – 1600 CE · other
  16. Tokugawa clan domain1560 CE – 1603 CE · other
  17. Toyotomi regime1582 CE – 1600 CE · other
  18. Kaga Domain1583 CE – 1871 CE · other
  19. Tokushima Domain1585 CE – 1871 CE · other
  20. Takamatsu Domain1588 CE – 1871 CE · other
  21. Hirosaki Domain1590 CE – 1871 CE · other
  22. Odawara Domain1590 CE – 1871 CE · other

17th century

  1. Choshu Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  2. Fukuoka Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  3. Hikone Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  4. Himeji Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  5. Hiroshima Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  6. Kokura Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  7. Kumamoto Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  8. Matsue Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  9. Morioka Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  10. Okayama Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  11. Satsuma Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  12. Sendai Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  13. Tottori Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  14. Tsushima-Fuchu Domain1600 CE – 1871 CE · other
  15. Aizu Domain1601 CE – 1868 CE · other
  16. Fukui Domain1601 CE – 1871 CE · other
  17. Kuwana Domain1601 CE – 1871 CE · other
  18. Tosa Domain1601 CE – 1871 CE · other
  19. Yonezawa Domain1601 CE – 1871 CE · other
  20. Kubota Domain1602 CE – 1871 CE · other
  21. Matsumae Domain1604 CE – 1871 CE · other
  22. Owari Domain1607 CE – 1871 CE · other
  23. Saga Domain1607 CE – 1871 CE · other
  24. Tsu Domain1608 CE – 1871 CE · other
  25. Mito Domain1609 CE – 1871 CE · other
  26. Uwajima Domain1614 CE – 1871 CE · other
  27. Nagaoka Domain1618 CE – 1871 CE · other
  28. Kii Domain1619 CE – 1871 CE · other
  29. Kurume Domain1621 CE – 1871 CE · other
  30. Shonai Domain1622 CE – 1871 CE · other

19th century

  1. Ouetsu Reppan Domei1868 CE – 1868 CE · other
  2. Republic of Ezo1868 CE – 1869 CE · republic
  3. Ryukyu Domain1872 CE – 1879 CE · other

20th century

  1. Occupied Japan1945 CE – 1952 CE · other
  2. United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands1945 CE – 1972 CE · other

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Korea and Japan → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Japan. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/japan
MLA
“History of Japan.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/japan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Japan.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/japan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Japan’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/japan (Accessed: ).