Japan

The first known habitation of the Japanese archipelago dates back to the Upper Paleolithic.

The Kamakura shogunate was established, marking the rise of military aristocracy in Japan.

Japan was unified under the Tokugawa shogunate, initiating a period of isolation.

An American fleet forced Japan to open trade, leading to significant political shifts.

The Meiji Restoration restored imperial power and marked the end of the shogunate.

Japan officially annexed Korea, expanding its influence in East Asia.

Japan invaded China, escalating its militaristic expansion in Asia.

Japan attacked the U.S. and European colonial powers, joining World War II as an Axis power.

Japan surrendered after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II.

Japan experienced a prolonged period of economic stagnation known as the Lost Decades.