It is widely believed that the first humans in the Japanese archipelago date back to prehistoric times. The Jomon period, named for its "cord-marked" pottery, was followed by the Yayoi in the first millennium BC when new technologies were introduced from mainland Asia. During this period, in the first century CE, the first known written reference to Japan was recorded in the Chinese Book of Han. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayBetween the fourth and ninth centuries, the many kingdoms and tribes of Japan slowly came together under a centralized government, primarily controlled by the emperor. The imperial dynasty established at this time continues to rule Japan to the present day. In 794, a new imperial capital was established at Heian-kyo (today known as Kyoto), marking the beginning of the Heian period, which lasted until 1185. The Heian period is considered an age of gold of classic Japanese culture. From this time on, Japanese religious life was a mixture of Buddhism and indigenous religious practices known as Shintoism (Wikipedia). Religions remain similar to this configuration today. Over the next centuries, the power of the emperor and the imperial court slowly declined, eventually passing to the military clans and their armies of samurai warriors. The Minamoto clan under Minamoto no Yoritomo was victorious during the Genpei War of 1180-1185. After taking power, Yoritomo set up his capital in Kamakura and changed his title to shogun. In 1274 and 1281, the Kamakura shogunate resisted two Mongol invasions, but in 1333 it was defeated by a rival, ushering in the Muromachi period. During the Muromachi period, regional warlords called daimyo gained power at the expense of the shogun. Eventually, Japan fell into a period of civil war. During the late 16th century, Japan ended civil war and found peace under the leadership of daimyo Oda Nobunaga and his successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. After Hideyoshi's death in 1598, Tokugawa Ieyasu rose to power and was named Shogun by the emperor. The Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled from Edo (modern Tokyo), developed during a prosperous and peaceful era known as the Edo period (1600-1868). The Tokugawa shogunate imposed a strict class system on Japanese society and cut off almost all contact with the outside world (Wikipedia). Japan was separated from the rest of the world for a long time, leaving it with some catching up to do when it returned to the world..