Edo period

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The History of Japan

Jomon

Yayoi

Azuchi-Momoyama period

Edo period

Meiji Era

Taisho period

Japanese expansionism

Occupied Japan

Post-Occupation Japan

Heisei

The Edo period is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1867. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa Shogunate which was also officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. During this period external political, economic and religious influence on Japan was limited. Only China and the Dutch V.O.C. enjoyed the right to visit Japan during this period. Other caucasians who landed on Japanese shores were put to death. The period ended in 1867 with the restoration of the Imperial rule by the 15th and last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu. The Edo period is also known to be the beginning of the early modern period of Japan.

The end of this period is particularly called "Late Tokugawa shogunate". The cause for the end of this period is controversial but is recounted as the forcing of Japan's opening to the world by Commodore M. Perry of the U.S. Navy whose armada (known by Japanese as 'the black ships') fired weapons from Tokyo Bay. Several artificial land masses were created to block the range of the armada and this land remains in what is presently called the Odaiba district.

Events of the Edo Period

Battle of Sekigahara (1600)

Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes shogun establishing the Edo shogunate (1603)

Winter Siege of Osaka (1614)

Summer Siege of Osaka (1615)

Eruption of Mt. Fuji (1707)

Restoration of the Imperial rule (1867)

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