Portuguese discover Japan, introduce firearms (1542)
Francis Xavier arrives to preach (1549)
Ashikaga shogunate overthrown by Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582)
Momoyama Period (1573-1615)
Nobunaga begins unification of Japan (1573) Nobunaga assassinated (1582)
Hideyoshi (1536-1598) assumes control and continues unification (1582)
Sen no Rikyu (1520-1591) propagates Zen aesthetics through
tea ceremony
City of Edo (Tokyo) founded (1590)
Hideyoshi unsuccessfully invades Korea, returns with Korean