A Chronological Table of Japanese and Osaka

Jomon period
( Around 8000B.C.〜300 B.C. )

Yayoi period
( Around 300 B.C.〜300 A.D )

57A.D
Dispatch of mission to China by a king in Kyushu

211
Sumiyoshi Taisha established

Sumiyoshi Taisha established.
Founded in the 3rd century before the introduction of Buddhism.

239
Himiko offers tribute to China

Yamato period
( Around 300 A.D.〜710 A.D. )

Around 350
Establishment of the Yamato Court

538〈552〉
Official introduction of Buddhism from Korea

593
Prince Shotoku is appointed regent
Construction of Shitennoji Temple

Construction of Shitennoji Temple

607
Construction of the Horyu-ji Temple

630
First envoy Tang-dynasty China

645
Taika Reformation

Nara period
( 710～794 )

710
Establishment of Heijo-kyo capital ( Nara ）

712
Compilation of Kojiki

720
Compilation of Nihonshoki

752
Construction of Great Buddha in Nara

759
Compilation of Manyoshu

Heian period
( 794～1185 )

794
Establishment of Heian-kyo capital (Kyoto)

858
Fujiwara no Yoshifusa becomes the regent

894
Abolition of Japanese envoys to Tang-dynasty China
Birth of Kana syllabary

905
Compilation of Kokin Wakashu

935
Rebellion of Taira no Masakado

1000
Makura no Soshi is written by Sei Shonagon

1007
The Tale of Genji is written by Murasaki Shikibu

1016
Fujiwara no Michinaga becomes the regent

1067
Taira no Kiyomori becomes the grand minister

1085
Fall of the Taira clan

Kamakura period
( 1185～1333 )

1192
Establishment of the Kamakura government (bakuhu) by Minamoto no Yoritomo

1221
Jokyu Disturbance / Hojo clan comes to power

1274・1281
First and second Mongol invasions of Japan

1333
Collapse of the Kamakura government

Period of the Northern and Southern Courts
( 1336～1392 )

1338
Ashikaga Takauji becomes the Shogun and makes Kyoto his capital city

1392
Unification of the Northern and Southern courts

Muromachi period
( 1392～1573 )

1397
Construction of Kinkaku, the Golden Pavilion by Ashikaga Yoshimitsu
Development of noh and kyogen

1467～8
The Ohnin wars devastate Kyoto, ushering in a century of civil anarchy

1543
Portuguese introduce firearms in Tanegashima

1549
St. Francis Xavier introduces Christianity

Christianity was first introduced to Japan in 1549 by Saint Francis Xavier, a Catholic missionary belonging to the Society of Jesus, who arrived at Kagoshima. He was welcomed by local rulers who expected to get something new and useful from him, like the firearms introduced by Portuguese visitors seven years earlier. It is said that at the peak of Christianity, in the early 17th century, there were about 750,000 Christians in Japan. But the Tokugawa shogunate banned this religion in 1612, because he suspected the Jesuits may have had territorial ambitions and believed Christian teachings would harm the establishment of feudalism. Thereafter, Christians were persecuted, and foreign missionaries were banished from Japan. This situation continued until the end of the 19th century, when Japan established diplomatic relations with Europe and the U.S. But it was denounced again during the Second World War as being a foreign religion. Now there are about 650,000 Protestants, 450,000 Catholics and 1.5 million people of other denominations, or about 2.6 million Christians in total in Japan.

1573
Overthrow of the Ashikaga shogunate government

Azuchi-Momoyama period
( 1573～1603 )

1582
The Honnouji Incident, assassination of Oda Nobunaga

1583
Construction of Osaka Castle (Osakajo)

Construction of Osaka Castle (Osakajo)

1586
Toyotomi Hideyoshi is appointed the Minister-President

1592
Invasion of Korea ordered by Hideyoshi

1598
Death of Hideyoshi and withdrawal from Korea

1600
Tokugawa Ieyasu wins the Battle of Sekigahara

Edo period
( 1603～1867 )

1603
Ieyasu is given the title of shogun and settles his government in Edo

1612
Prohibition of Christianity

1635
Establishment of the mandatory “alternate year attendance in Edo” for “outer” feudal lords

1637～39
Shimabara Rebellion and subsequent closing of Japan
Birth of kabuki

1853
Commodore Matthew Perry arrives at Uraga

1854
The end of isolation policy / Peace Treaty between the U.S. and Japan

1858
Treaty of Amity and Commerce signed with the U.S.

1867
Return of power to the Emperor by the last Tokugawa Shogun, Yoshinobu

Meiji period
( 1868～1912 )

1868
Meiji Restoration / Emperor Meiji moves his capital to Tokyo

1889
Promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan

1894
Japan wins Sino-Japanese War

1905
Japan wins Russo-Japanese War

1912
Death of the Meiji Emperor

Taisho period
( 1912～1926 )

1923
Great Kanto Earthquake

Showa period
( 1926～1989 )

1931
Manchurian Incident

1937
Outbreak of war with China

1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor and outbreak of the Pacific War

1945
Air raids on Tokyo / Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration / The end of World War II

1947
Enforcement of the Constitution of Japan

1951
Signing of the peace treaty with 48 other nations in San Francisco

1956
Japan joins the United Nations

1964
Tokyo Olympic Games

1973
Oil crisis

1989
Death of the Showa Emperor

Heisei period
( 1989～2019 )

1990
The collapse of the bubble economy

1995
Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake

2011
Great Eastern Japan Earthquake

2014
Construction of Abeno Harukas

Construction of Abeno Harukas

New period
( 2019～ )