Japan
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1585
Appointment of Hideyoshi as Kampaku.
1586
Hideyoshi granted surname of Toyotomi.
1587
Submission of the Shimazu family of Satsuma to Hideyoshi; promulgation of a decree ordering the expulsion of Christian missionaries.
1588
Confiscation ordered of the weaponry of the peasants (Hideyoshi’s “sword hunt”).
1590
Destruction of the Hojo family of Odawara in the Kanto and the establishment of Tokugawa Ieyasu at Edo as lord of the Kanto.
1592
Invasion of Korea; start of missionary activity by Spanish Franciscans.
1593
Truce with Chinese armies in Korea.
1597
Resumption of the Korean campaign; first executions of European missionaries and Japanese converts.
1598
Death of Hideyoshi and withdrawal from Korea.
1600
Victory of Ieyasu at the battle of Sekigahara.
1600–1867
TOKUGAWA PERIOD
1603
Assumption of the title of shogun by Ieyasu.
1605–1623
Shogunate of Hidetada (d. 1632).
1606
Completion of the reconstruction of Edo castle.
1609
Conquest of the Ryukyu Islands by the Shimazu of Satsuma; establishment of the Dutch trading post at Hirado.
1612
Resumption of the persecution of Christians.
1613
Establishment of the English trading post at Hirado.
1614
First siege of Osaka castle by Ieyasu.
1615
Second siege and capture of Osaka castle and the destruction of Hideyoshi’s heirs; promulgation of the Laws for the Military Houses (Buke Shohatto).
1616
Death of Ieyasu.
1617
Building of the Nikko mausoleum.
1623–1651
Shogunate of Iemitsu.
1623
Abandonment by the English of their Hirado trading post.
1624
Ban on further contact with the Spanish.
1635
Formalization of the “alternate attendance” (sankinkotai) system for “outer” (tozama) daimyo.
1636
Ban on Japanese travel abroad.
1637–1638
Shimabara rebellion.
1639
Expulsion of the Portuguese traders.
1641
Transfer of the Dutch traders from Hirado to Deshima in Nagasaki harbor.
1651–1680
Shogunate of Ietsuna.
1651
Plot against the shogunate by Yui Shosetsu.
1657
Great Edo fire.
1680–1709
Shogunate of Tsunayoshi.
1684
Assassination of the great councillor (tairo), Hotta Masayoshi.
1688–1704
Genroku year period.
1701–1703
Incident of the Forty-seven Ronin (Chushingura).
1703
Great Kanto earthquake.
1707
Last eruption of Mt. Fuji.
1716–1745
Shogunate of Yoshimune (d. 1751) of the Wakayama branch of the Tokugawa.
1720
Relaxation of the ban on the importation of Western books.
1725
Death of Arai Hakuseki, scholar and shogunal adviser under Ienobu (1709–1712).
1758
Punishment of Takenouchi Shikibu for teaching loyalist doctrines to the Kyoto courtiers.
1769–1786
Supremacy of Tanuma Okitsugu.
1779–1784
Stay of Titsingh in Japan.
1782
Compilation of the Gunsho ruiji (huge collection of early works).
1783
Eruption of Mt. Asama.
1787–1793
Supremacy of Matsudaira Sadanobu.
1792
Visit of the Russian Laxman to Hokkaido.
1798
Completion of the Kojiki-den by the Shinto scholar Motoori Norinaga (d. 1801).
1804
Visit of the Russian envoy Rezanov to Nagasaki.
1808
Visit to Nagasaki of British ship Phaeton.
1808–1809
Exploration of Sakhalin and Amur River by Mamiya Rinzo.
1811
Establishment of the Translation Bureau for Dutch Books.
1814
Founding of the Kurozumi sect of Shinto.
1823–1830
Siebold in Japan.
1830–1844
Tempo year period; Tempo reforms.
1837
Rice riots in Osaka led by the Confucian scholar Oshio Heihachiro; visit of the American ship Morrison to Edo Bay and Nagasaki.
1838
Founding of the Tenrikyo sect of Shinto.
1841–1843
Reforms of Mizuno Tadakuni (final retirement 1845).
1846
Visit of American Commodore Biddle to Uraga.
1849
Visit of the American Glynn to Nagasaki.
1853
Arrival of Commodore Matthew C. Perry at Uraga.
1854
Treaty of Kanagawa with the United States (March 31).
1856
Establishment of the Bansho Torishirabesho (Office for the Study of Barbarian Books); arrival of American Consul General Townsend Harris at Shimoda.
1858–1860
Supremacy of Ii Naosuke.
1858
Commercial treaty with the U.S. (July 29); founding of the future Keio University by Fukuzawa Yukichi.
1859
Execution of Yoshida Shoin of Choshu.
1860
Assassination of Ii Naosuke by Mito samurai; first embassy to the U.S.; death of Tokugawa Nariaki of the Mito branch.
1862
First embassy to Europe; assassination of the Englishman Richardson at Namamugi near Yokohama by Satsuma samurai; relaxation of the alternate attendance system.
1863
Visit of the shogun to Kyoto; bombardment of foreign vessels by Choshu forts at Shimonoseki; bombardment of Kagoshima, capital of Satsuma, by a British squadron; expulsion of Choshu forces from Kyoto.
1864
Bombardment of Shimonoseki forts by British, French, Dutch, and American ships.
1865
Imperial ratification of the foreign treaties.
1866–1867
Shogunate of Yoshinobu (Keiki, d. 1913).
1867
Enthronement of Mutsuhito (Meiji); return of power to the throne.
1868–1912
MEIJI PERIOD
1868
January 1, opening of Kobe and Osaka to foreign trade; January 3, resumption of rule by the emperor; April 6, emperor’s Charter Oath; reception of the foreign envoys by the emperor; November 26, establishment of Tokyo (Edo) as the new capital.
1869
March 5, return of their domains by the daimyo of Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa, and Hizen; July 25, appointment of the daimyo as governors of their former fiefs.
1871
Abandonment of class distinctions; August 29, substitution of prefectures (ken) for feudal domains; November 20, departure of the Iwakura Mission.
1872
Opening of the railway between Tokyo and Yokohama.
1873
January 1, adoption of the Gregorian calendar; January 10, inauguration of universal military service; debate over an expedition against Korea; July 28, adoption of the new land tax system; September 13, return of the Iwakura Mission; founding of a political party by Itagaki Taisuke.
1874
February–April, revolt of Eto Shimpei in Saga; May, victory of the expeditionary force in Taiwan.
1875
May 7, agreement with Russia over the exchange of Sakhalin for the Kuril Islands; June 20, convening of the Assembly of Prefectural Governors.
1876
February 26, treaty with Korea; March 28, prohibition of carrying of swords by samurai; August 5, compulsory commutation of samurai pensions; October, uprisings in Kumamoto and Hagi (Choshu).
1877
February–September, Satsuma Rebellion; May 26, death of Kido Koin; founding of Tokyo University (reorganized in 1886 as Tokyo Imperial University).
1878
May 14, assassination of Okubo Toshimichi; July 22, law for elected prefectural assemblies; December 5, creation of the Army General Staff.
1879
April 4, incorporation of the Ryukyu Islands as Okinawa Prefecture.
1880
February 5, establishment of ward, town, and village assemblies.
1881
October 12, decree promising the convening of a national assembly in 1890; October, Jiyuto (Liberal party) organized under Itagaki; October 21, appointment of Matsukata Masayoshi as the finance minister and the inauguration of an economic retrenchment policy.
1882
Founding of a political party and Waseda University by Okuma Shigenobu; October 10, founding of the Bank of Japan.
1883
July 20, death of Iwakura Tomomi.
1884
July 7, creation of the peerage.
1885
April 18, Tientsin convention concerning Korea; December 22, adoption of the cabinet system with Ito Hirobumi as the first prime minister; December 26, civil service regulations.
1887
December 26, promulgation of the peace preservation ordinance.
1888
April 25, establishment of city assemblies and the reorganization of local governments; April 30, Kuroda Kiyotaka as prime minister; April 30, creation of the privy council (Sumitsuin).
1889
February 11, promulgation of the constitution; December 24, General Yamagata Aritomo as prime minister.
1890
July 1, first general election for the Diet (convened November 25); October 30, Imperial Rescript on Education.
1891
May 6, Matsukata as prime minister.
1892
August 8, Ito again prime minister.
1894
July 16, Aoki-Kimberley treaty to abolish British extraterritoriality in 1899; August 1, declaration of war on China (Sino-Japanese War); November 22, capture of Port Arthur.
1895
February 12, capture of Wei-hai-wei; April 17, Treaty of Shimonoseki concluding the Sino-Japanese War; December 4, return of the Liaotung Peninsula after the intervention of Russia, France, and Germany.
1896
September 18, Matsukata again prime minister.
1897
March 29, adoption of the gold standard.
1898
June 30, Okuma and Itagaki cabinet of newly formed Kenseito party; November 8, Yamagata again prime minister.
1899
July 17, coming into effect of the revised treaties ending extraterritoriality.
1900
March 29, revision of the election laws; June 17–August 14, participation by Japanese forces in the capture of Taku, Tientsin, and Peking during the Boxer Uprising in China; September 13, founding of the Seiyukai by Ito; October 19, Ito again prime minister.
1901
June 2, General Katsura Taro as prime minister.
1902
January 30, signing of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance.
1904
February 9, attack on the Russian navy; February 10, declaration of war on Russia (Russo-Japanese War).
1905
January 1, surrender of Port Arthur; March 10, capture of Mukden; May 27–28, destruction of the Russian fleet in the Battle of Tsushima; September 5, conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War through the Treaty of Portsmouth; November 17, treaty of protection with Korea.
1906
January 7, Prince Saionji Kimmochi as prime minister; March 31, nationalization of the railways; November 26, founding of the South Manchurian Railway.
1908
February 18, Gentlemen’s Agreement on Japanese emigration to the U.S.; July 14, Katsura again prime minister.
1909
October 26, assassination of Ito.
1910
August 22, annexation of Korea; September 30, creation of the government-general of Korea.
1911
August 30, Saionji again prime minister; end of the foreign restrictions on tariffs.
1912
July 30, death of Meiji emperor and succession of his son Yoshihito.
1912–1926
TAISHO PERIOD
1912
December 21–February 20, 1913, “Taisho political change” (seihen) ended with Admiral Yamamoto Gombei as prime minister.
1914
April 16, Okuma as prime minister; August 23, Japanese declaration of war on Germany; November 7, capture of Tsingtao.