A post from the archives
16th Century
room Japan
Early Japan-Myanmar connections
No one knows exactly when the first Japanese came to Myanmar, but it was likely by the early 1500s. This was during the Sengoku, or warring states, period when Japan experienced over a century of internal armed conflict. The 16th century was also a time of fast expanding global trade, linking markets across Asia, Europe, and Africa to the Americas. Slavery was an important part of these new markets.
There were significant Japanese communities during this time in Manila and...
Explore Myanmar History through a Timeline
About this project
The aim of this website is to promote interest in Myanmar's amazing history.Our hope is to challenge the often two-dimensional and uncritical views of history taught in Myanmar by reexamining key periods in the country's past. We would like as well to reveal the rich multicultural nature of Myanmar's history and its deep and ongoing ties to global events and trends.Finally, this website will also delve into the history of neighbouring regions, such as Yunnan in China and the Northeast in India, in the hope of introducing these places to a Myanmar audience.We believe that meeting Myanmar's many challenges today will require fresh imaginative thinking. This is turn will only be possible with a clear and critical understanding of Myanmar and global history.