| 縄文時代-平安時代 |
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| ・打製石器 Use of chipped stone tools. |
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| 縄文時代 J mon Period |
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| ・縄文式土器, 磨製石器 Manufacture of Jmon (cord-marked) pottery and polished stone tools. |
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| 弥生時代 Yayoi Period |
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| ・弥生式土器, 青銅器, 鉄器 Manufacture of Yayoi earthenware, bronze ware, and ironware. |
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| 57 |
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| ・奴国王が後漢に使者 The king of the state of Na sent an envoy to China (Later Han 後漢) and was given a golden seal. |
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| 239 |
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| ・邪馬台国の卑弥呼が魏に使者 Queen Himiko of the state of Yamatai sent an envoy to China (Wei 魏) and was given a golden seal. |
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| 古墳時代 Kofun Period |
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| 4 世紀 |
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| ・大和朝廷の成立 The Yamato court, the first unified state in Japan, was established in present-day Nara (奈良). |
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| 538 |
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| ・仏教伝来 Buddhism was introduced to Japan from the Paekche (百済) kingdom in Korea. |
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| 562 |
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| ・任那の日本府滅亡 Imna (任那), the Japanese foothold on the Korean Peninsula, was conquered by Silla (新羅). |
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| 飛鳥時代 Asuka Period |
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| 593 |
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| ・聖徳太子, 推古天皇の摂政に Prince Shtoku became regent to the Empress Suiko. |
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| 603 |
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| ・冠位十二階 The system of twelve courtly ranks was established. |
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| 604 |
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| ・十七条憲法 The Seventeen-Article Constitution was promulgated. |
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| 607 |
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| ・遣隋使派遣 An envoy (Ono no Imoko 小野妹子) was sent to China (Sui 隋). |
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| 630 |
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| ・遣唐使派遣 An envoy was sent to China (Tang 唐), the first of about twenty similar missions. |
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| 645 |
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| ・大化の改新 The Taika Reform. The powerful Soga (蘇我) family was driven from power in a coup led by Prince Naka no  e (中大兄皇子) (later the Emperor Tenji 天智天皇) and Nakatomi no Kamatari (中臣鎌足) (later Fujiwara no Kamatari 藤原鎌足). |
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| 662 |
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| ・白村江の戦い A Japanese fleet was annihilated by the Tang-Silla allied navy at Hakusukinoe (the mouth of the Kum River) and thus failed to relieve Paekche. |
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| 672 |
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| ・壬申の乱 The Jinshin War. Prince tomo (大友皇子), son of the Emperor Tenji, was defeated by his uncle, Prince ama (大海人皇子). As the Emperor Tenmu (天武天皇) the next year, the latter made Asuka Kiyomihara no Miya (飛鳥浄御原宮) the capital. |
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| 694 |
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| ・藤原京遷都 The Empress Jit (持統天皇) built Fujiwaraky, Japan's first Chinese-style town with an orderly grid of streets, and transferred the capital there from Asuka. |
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| 701 |
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| ・大宝律令 The Taih Code was completed. |
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| 奈良時代 Nara Period (710-794) |
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| 710 |
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| ・平城京遷都 The court was moved to Heijky (now Nara). |
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| 752 |
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| ・奈良の東大寺の大仏が開眼 The Great Buddha of Nara was completed at the Tdaiji Temple. |
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| 9 世紀 |
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| ・平仮名, 片仮名の成立 Hiragana was developed from cursive forms of kanji (漢字) for use by women. Katakana was formed from parts of kanji for priests to show kanji readings. |
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| 平安時代 Heian Period (794-1192) |
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| 794 |
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| ・平安京遷都 The court was moved to Heianky (now Kyoto 京都). |
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| 797 |
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| ・坂上田村麻呂が征夷大将軍に Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was appointed the first shogun in Japanese history and led an expeditionary force against the aboriginal people in the north. |
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| 894 |
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| ・遣唐使の廃止 The dispatching of envoys to Tang (China) was ended. |
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| 1017 |
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| ・藤原道長が摂政に Fujiwara no Michinaga was appointed regent as the Fujiwara clan reached the height of its power. |
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| 1086 |
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| ・白河上皇による院政の開始 The Emperor Shirakawa abdicated and began the system under which retired emperors would have political power. |
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| 1156 |
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| ・保元の乱 The Hgen War. The former emperor failed in an attempt to remove the Emperor Goshirakawa (後白河天皇). Both sides in the conflict resorted to the rising samurai clans, Genji (源氏) (the Minamoto family) and Heike (平家) (the Taira family). |
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| 1159 |
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| ・平治の乱 The Heiji War. Taira no Kiyomori (平清盛) defeated Minamoto no Yoshitomo (源義朝), his former ally. |
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| 1167 |
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| ・平清盛が太政大臣に Taira no Kiyomori was appointed grand minister, marking the height of power for the Heike. |
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| 1185 |
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| ・平氏の滅亡 A young general, Minamoto no Yoshitsune (源義経), annihilated the Heike at the battle of Dannoura (壇ノ浦の戦い). |
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