CChronica Maps

Kamakura: History, Former Names & Timeline

Seat of the Kamakura shogunate, Japan’s first warrior government; its Great Buddha and Zen temples survive from the age of the samurai.

Map showing Kamakura in 1200Kamakura
Border map for 1200. See the world in 1200.

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Former names of Kamakura

FromNameNote
1180Kamakura

Timeline of Kamakura

YearEvent
1180Minamoto no Yoritomo enters Kamakura
1192Yoritomo is appointed shogun
1252Casting of the Great Buddha begins
1274The shogunate organises the defence against the first Mongol invasion
1333Nitta Yoshisada storms Kamakura and the shogunate falls

Who ruled Kamakura

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

PeriodState
500 BC–324 BCLate Jomon culture
323 BC–99Unclaimed / no data
100–199Yayoi
200–599Unclaimed / no data
600–799Yamato
800–899Japan
900–999Yamato
1000–1299Imperial Japan (Fujiwara)
1300–1399Shogun Japan (Kamakura)
1400–1491Ashikaga Shogunate
1492–1599Japan
1600–1649Japan (Warring States)
1650–1782Tokugawa shogunate
1783–1879Japan
1880–1913Imperial Japan
1914–1944Empire of Japan
1945–1959Japan (USA)
1960–todayJapan

Famous people of Kamakura

LivedPerson
1147 – 1199Minamoto no YoritomoFirst Kamakura shogun

Nearby cities

Questions about Kamakura

Which states have ruled Kamakura?

On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Kamakura lies within 12 different states: Late Jomon culture, Yayoi, Yamato, Japan, Imperial Japan (Fujiwara), Shogun Japan (Kamakura), Ashikaga Shogunate, Japan (Warring States), Tokugawa shogunate, Imperial Japan and others.

What are the key dates in the history of Kamakura?

1180: Minamoto no Yoritomo enters Kamakura. 1192: Yoritomo is appointed shogun. 1252: Casting of the Great Buddha begins. 1274: The shogunate organises the defence against the first Mongol invasion. 1333: Nitta Yoshisada storms Kamakura and the shogunate falls.

Which famous people are connected with Kamakura?

Minamoto no Yoritomo (first kamakura shogun, 1147 – 1199).