Kanagawa Prefecture is a diverse region south of Tokyo offering everything from the cosmopolitan port city of Yokohama to the ancient temples of Kamakura and the volcanic hot springs of Hakone. It combines urban sophistication with natural beauty, including stunning views of Mount Fuji and the rugged Shonan coastline.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Kanagawa.
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1
Jomon Period (10,000–300 BCE)
Archaeological sites throughout Kanagawa, particularly in Yokohama and the Miura Peninsula, show evidence of Jomon hunter-gatherer settlements. Shell middens and stone tools have been found at Natsushima in Yokosuka.
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2
Yayoi and Kofun Periods (300 BCE–710 CE)
Agricultural communities established in river valleys. The area remained peripheral to the political centers of Yamato (Nara) and later Asuka.
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3
Kamakura Shogunate (1185–1333)
Minamoto no Yoritomo established Japan's first military government (bakufu) in Kamakura in 1185, making this fishing village Japan's de facto capital for nearly 150 years. The period saw the flourishing of Zen Buddhism, samurai culture, and the construction of the Great Buddha (1252).
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4
Muromachi and Sengoku Periods (1333–1603)
Kamakura Shogunate fell in 1333. The Hojo clan controlled Kanagawa from Odawara Castle through much of the Sengoku (Warring States) era. The Hojo were defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi at the Siege of Odawara in 1590.
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5
Edo Period (1603–1868)
The Tokaido road — Japan's most important highway — ran through Kanagawa, passing through the post towns of Hodogaya, Totsuka, Fujisawa, and Odawara. Kanagawa-juku (modern Yokohama area) was a key waystation between Edo and Kyoto.
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6
Opening of Japan and Meiji Period (1854–1912)
The most transformative period in Kanagawa's history. In 1854 Commodore Perry signed the Convention of Kanagawa at Yokohama, ending Japan's 250 years of isolation. In 1859 Yokohama was formally opened as a treaty port, rapidly becoming Japan's most cosmopolitan city.
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7
Taisho and Early Showa Period (1912–1945)
The Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1923 devastated Yokohama and Kamakura. Yokohama was rebuilt along modernist lines and became a major naval and industrial base. The city suffered severe bombing in 1945.
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8
Post-War and Modern Era (1945–present)
Yokohama hosted the US military base and became central to Japan's post-war economic recovery. The Minato Mirai 21 waterfront redevelopment project, begun in the 1980s, transformed former industrial docks into a world-class urban district.
Historical sites
Places where Kanagawa's past comes alive.