History of Japan in Timeline
Japan is an East Asian island country in the Pacific Ocean. It consists of four major islands - Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu - and thousands of smaller ones, totaling 377,975 square kilometers. Its population exceeds 123 million as of 2025, making it the eleventh-most populous nation. Tokyo is the capital and largest city; its metropolitan area is the world's largest. Japan is divided into 47 prefectures and eight regions. Approximately three-quarters of the terrain is mountainous and heavily forested, concentrating agriculture and urban areas along the eastern coast. Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis.
1900: Island Stretch Length
Japan stretches over 3000 km (1900 mi) northeast–southwest from the Sea of Okhotsk to the East China Sea.
1904: Russo-Japanese War Victory
In 1904, Japan gained victories in the Russo-Japanese War.
1905: Russo-Japanese War Victory
In 1905, Japan gained victories in the Russo-Japanese War.
1910: Annexation of Korea
In 1910, Japan annexed Korea, expanding its territorial control.
1912: Start of Taishō democracy
In 1912, the period of Taishō democracy started in Japan, lasting until 1926.
1912: End of Meiji Period
The Meiji period, which started in 1868, ended in 1912.
1923: Great Tokyo Earthquake
In 1923, the Great Tokyo Earthquake struck, leading to a period of lawlessness.
1926: End of Taishō democracy
In 1926, the period of Taishō democracy ended in Japan, overshadowed by increasing expansionism and militarization.
1931: Invasion of Manchuria
In 1931, Japan invaded China and occupied Manchuria.
1932: Establishment of Manchukuo
In 1932, Japan established the puppet state of Manchukuo following the occupation of Manchuria.
1933: Resignation from the League of Nations
In 1933, Japan resigned from the League of Nations following international condemnation of its occupation of Manchuria.
1935: Population Growth
By 1935, the Japanese population had doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million, with urbanization increasing.
1936: Anti-Comintern Pact
In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany.
1936: Establishment of Nippon Professional Baseball
In 1936, Japan's top professional baseball league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), was established.
1937: Japan Invades China
In 1937, Japan invaded China, escalating tensions in Asia.
1940: Tripartite Pact
In 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, becoming one of the Axis powers.
1940: Invasion of French Indochina
In 1940, the Empire of Japan invaded French Indochina, leading to an oil embargo from the United States.
1941: Attack on the United States
In 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonial powers, marking Japan's entry into World War II as an Axis power.
1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor
On December 7-8, 1941, Japanese forces launched surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor and other locations, initiating World War II in the Pacific.
1945: Surrender after Atomic Bombings
In 1945, after Allied victories and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender.
1945: Japan Surrenders
In 1945, after suffering defeat in the Pacific War and experiencing two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered and came under Allied occupation.
1945: Soviet Union Occupation of the Southern Kuril Islands
In 1945, the Soviet Union occupied the Southern Kuril Islands, which Japan contests Russia's control over.
1947: Adoption of New Constitution
In 1947, Japan adopted a new constitution emphasizing liberal democratic practices.
1947: Fundamental Law of Education
Since the 1947 Fundamental Law of Education, compulsory education in Japan includes elementary and junior high school, totaling nine years.
1948: Public Holiday Law
The Public Holiday Law regulating national holidays in Japan was established in 1948.
1952: End of Allied Occupation
In 1952, the Allied occupation of Japan ended with the Treaty of San Francisco.
1955: 1955 System
Since the 1950s, under what is often called the 1955 System, the broadly conservative Liberal Democratic Party has been the dominant party in Japan.
1956: Japan Joins the United Nations
In 1956, Japan became a member state of the United Nations and is one of the G4 countries seeking reform of the Security Council.
1956: UN Membership
In 1956, Japan was granted membership in the United Nations.
1964: Summer Olympics in Tokyo
Japan hosted the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964.
1968: Nobel Prize in Literature
In 1968, Yasunari Kawabata won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
1970: Introduction of Environmental Protection Laws
In 1970, responding to rising concerns, the government introduced environmental protection laws.
1972: Winter Olympics in Sapporo
Japan hosted the Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972.
1973: Universal Healthcare for the Elderly
Since 1973, all elderly persons in Japan have been covered by government-sponsored health insurance.
1973: Oil Crisis
The oil crisis in 1973 encouraged the efficient use of energy in Japan because of the country's lack of natural resources.
1981: Principal Cause of Death
Since 1981, cancer has been the principal cause of death in Japan.
1987: Privatization of Japanese Railways
In 1987, dozens of Japanese railway companies began to compete in regional and local passenger transportation markets after privatization.
1992: Establishment of Japan Professional Football League
Since the establishment of the Japan Professional Football League (J.League) in 1992, association football gained a wide following in Japan.
1994: Nobel Prize in Literature
In 1994, Kenzaburō Ōe won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
1995: Great Hanshin Earthquake
In 1995, the Great Hanshin earthquake occurred.
1997: Kyoto Protocol
As the host and signatory of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, Japan is under treaty obligation to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions.
1998: Winter Olympics in Nagano
Japan hosted the Winter Olympics in Nagano in 1998.
2000: Happy Monday System
Beginning in 2000, Japan implemented the Happy Monday System, moving several national holidays to Mondays to create long weekends.
2002: FIFA World Cup
In 2002, Japan co-hosted the FIFA World Cup with South Korea.
2006: Basketball World Championship
Japan hosted the official 2006 Basketball World Championship.
October 4, 2007: SELENE Lunar Explorer Entered Lunar Orbit
On October 4, 2007, Japan's lunar explorer SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) entered a lunar orbit, its purpose was to gather data on the Moon's origin and evolution.
2008: Addition of the Japanese Experiment Module to the ISS
In 2008, the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibō) was added to the International Space Station during Space Shuttle assembly flights.
June 11, 2009: SELENE Lunar Explorer Crashed into the Moon
On June 11, 2009, the lunar explorer SELENE was deliberately crashed into the Moon.
2010: Honshu Population Density
As of 2010, Honshu has the highest population density at 450 persons/km (1200/sq mi).
2010: Launch of Akatsuki Space Probe
In 2010, the space probe Akatsuki was launched.
March 2011: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster happened in March 2011.
2011: Tōhoku Earthquake and Fukushima Disaster
In 2011, Japan experienced the Tōhoku earthquake, triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
2011: FIFA Women's World Cup
In 2011, Japan won the FIFA Women's World Cup.
2011: Tōhoku Earthquake
In 2011, the Tōhoku earthquake triggered a large tsunami.
May 2012: Nuclear Power Plants Taken Offline
By May 2012, all of the country's nuclear power plants had been taken offline.
May 2014: Prime Minister Abe's Security Policy Announcement
In May 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated Japan wanted to shed its post-World War II passiveness and take more responsibility for regional security.
2014: Reclaimed Land
As of 2014, approximately 0.5% of Japan's total area is reclaimed land (umetatechi).
2014: Status of the Ainu Language
As of 2014, the Ainu language is moribund, with only a few native speakers remaining.
2014: Japan's Development Assistance
In 2014, Japan donated US$9.2 billion in official development assistance.
2014: Consumer Video Game Market Gross
In 2014, Japan's consumer video game market grossed $9.6 billion, with $5.8 billion coming from mobile gaming.
2015: Television Viewing Survey
According to the 2015 NHK survey on television viewing in Japan, 79 percent of Japanese watch television daily.
2015: PC Game Market Ranking
By 2015, Japan had become the world's fourth-largest PC game market by revenue.
2015: Restart of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant
In 2015, the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant was restarted, and since then several other nuclear power plants have been restarted.
2015: Akatsuki Achieves Orbit Around Venus
In 2015, the space probe Akatsuki achieved orbit around Venus.
April 2016: Integrated Schooling Program Begins
Starting in April 2016, various schools began integrating elementary and junior high schools into one nine-year compulsory schooling program, with plans for nationwide adoption by MEXT.
2016: Muslim Population in Japan
About 90% of those practicing Islam in Japan as of 2016 are foreign-born migrants.
2016: Hokkaido Population Density
As of 2016, Hokkaido has the lowest population density of 64.5 persons/km.
2016: Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision
In 2016, Japan announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which frames its regional policies.
2016: Fish Catch Statistics
In 2016, Japan ranked seventh in the world in tonnage of fish caught and captured 3,167,610 metric tons of fish.
2016: World Risk Index Ranking
Japan has the 17th highest natural disaster risk as measured in the 2016 World Risk Index.
2016: Newspapers Circulation
Japanese newspapers are among the most circulated in the world as of 2016.
2017: Road Network Statistics
As of 2017, Japan has approximately 1,200,000 kilometers (750,000 miles) of roads.
2017: Research and Development Budget
As of 2017, Japan's research and development budget is one of the highest in the world, with 867,000 researchers sharing a 19-trillion-yen budget.
2017: Keihin and Hanshin Superport Hubs Statistics
As of 2017, the Keihin and Hanshin superport hubs are among the largest in the world, at 7.98 and 5.22 million TEU respectively.
2017: Reformation of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
In 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue ("the Quad"), a multilateral security dialogue was reformed aiming to limit Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region, along with the United States, Australia, and India.
2017: Robotics Production Share
Japan supplied 55% of the world's total robotics production in 2017.
July 23, 2018: Highest Temperature Measured
On July 23, 2018, the highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was recorded.
2018: Christian Population
As of 2018, 1% to 1.5% of the Japanese population are Christians.
2018: Large Cooperative Sector in Japan
As of 2018, Japan has a large cooperative sector, with three of the world's ten largest cooperatives, including the largest consumer cooperative and the largest agricultural cooperative.
2018: Agricultural Sector Statistics
As of 2018, the Japanese agricultural sector accounts for about 1.2% of the country's total GDP and has an agricultural self-sufficiency rate of about 50%.
2018: Low Violent Crime Rates
As of 2018, the incidence rates of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, sexual violence, and robbery are very low in Japan.
2018: Causes of Death
In 2018, cancer accounted for 27% of the total deaths in Japan, followed by cardiovascular diseases, which led to 15% of the deaths.
2018: Mosques and Muslims in Japan
In 2018, there were an estimated 105 mosques and 200,000 Muslims in Japan, with 43,000 being Japanese nationals.
2018: Environmental Performance Index Ranking
Japan ranks 20th in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index.
April 1, 2019: Revised Immigration Law Enacted
On April 1, 2019, Japan's revised immigration law was enacted to protect the rights of foreign workers and help reduce labor shortages in certain sectors.
May 1, 2019: Emperor Naruhito's Accession
On May 1, 2019, Naruhito became Emperor of Japan, beginning the Reiwa era after his father Akihito's abdication.
2019: Energy Production Statistics
As of 2019, 37.1% of energy in Japan is produced from petroleum, 25.1% from coal, 22.4% from natural gas, 3.5% from hydropower and 2.8% from nuclear power, among other sources.
2019: Wildlife Species
As of 2019, Japan has over 90,000 species of wildlife.
2019: Japan's Territory
As of 2019, Japan's territory is 377,975.24 km (145,937.06 sq mi).
2019: Haneda Airport Ranking
In 2019, Haneda Airport in Tokyo was Asia's second-busiest airport.
2019: Emperor Naruhito's Accession
In 2019, Naruhito succeeded his father Akihito as the Emperor of Japan.
2019: Japan's Competitiveness and Tourism Ranking
Japan ranked sixth in the Global Competitiveness Report in 2019 and was ranked eleventh in the world for inbound tourism. Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $46.1 billion.
August 17, 2020: Highest Temperature Measured
On August 17, 2020, the highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was repeated.
2020: Government Initiative to Increase Shipbuilding Exports
In 2020, a government initiative identified the shipbuilding sector as a target for increasing exports.
2020: Carbon-Neutrality Target
In 2020, the government of Japan announced a target of carbon-neutrality by 2050.
2020: Life Expectancy in Japan
In 2020, the overall life expectancy in Japan at birth was 85 years (82 years for men and 88 years for women), the highest in the world.
2020: Robotics Production Share
Japan supplied 45% of the world's total robotics production in 2020.
2020: Summer Olympics in Tokyo
Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics, which were held in 2021.
2021: Education Spending and Ranking
In 2021, Japan spent 7.4% of its total GDP on education and ranked third for the percentage of 25- to 64-year-olds with tertiary education at 55.6%.
2021: Japan's Exports as Percentage of GDP
In 2021, Japan's exports amounted to 18.2% of its total GDP.
2021: Summer Olympics
In 2021, Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics, making it the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.
2021: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
In 2021, the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Japan first in the world out of 117 countries.
December 2022: Government Spending Increase
In December 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed the government to increase spending by 65% until 2027.
2022: Japan's Public Debt to GDP Ratio
As of 2022, Japan has the highest ratio of public debt to GDP among advanced economies, with a national debt estimated at 248% relative to GDP.
2022: Service Sector Contribution to Economic Output
As of 2022, Japan's service sector accounts for about 71.4% of its total economic output.
2022: Healthcare Spending
In 2022, Japan spent 11.42% of its total GDP on healthcare.
2022: Japan's Export and Import Markets
In 2022, Japan was the world's fifth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer. Japan's main export markets were China (23.9 percent, including Hong Kong) and the United States (18.5 percent). Its main import markets in 2022 were China (21.1 percent), the United States (9.9 percent), and Australia (9.8 percent).
2022: Tokyo Population Statistics
In 2022, the capital city of Tokyo has a population of 13.9 million.
2023: Japan's Labor Force Size
As of 2023, Japan's labor force is the world's tenth-largest, consisting of over 69.2 million workers.
2023: Manufacturing Output Ranking
As of 2023, Japan's manufacturing output is the fourth highest in the world.
2023: Urban Population Statistics
In 2023, 92% of the total Japanese population lived in cities.
2023: Basketball World Championship
Japan co-hosted the 2023 Basketball World Championship.
2024: Unemployment and Poverty Rates in Japan
As of 2024, Japan has a low unemployment rate of around 2.6%.
2024: Greater Tokyo Area Population
As of 2024, the Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37 million inhabitants.
2024: International Tourists in Japan
In 2024, Japan attracted 36.9 million international tourists.
2024: Japan's Diplomatic Network
In 2024, Japan had the fourth-largest diplomatic network in the world.
2024: Population Statistics
In 2024, Japan has a population of almost 123 million, with nearly 120 million being Japanese nationals. A small foreign resident population makes up the remainder.
2024: Japan's Military Budget and Peace Index Ranking
In 2024, Japan was the third highest-ranked Asian country in the Global Peace Index. It spent 1.4% of its total GDP on its defence budget and maintained the tenth-largest military budget in the world.
2024: Shigeru Ishiba Becomes Prime Minister
Shigeru Ishiba became Japan's prime minister in 2024 after winning the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election.
2025: Japan's Population
As of 2025, Japan has a population of over 123 million, making it the eleventh-most populous country.
2025: Elderly Population Statistics
As of 2025, over 29.3 percent of the Japanese population is over 65, which is more than one in four people.
2025: Number of Airports in Japan
As of 2025, there are 280 airports in Japan.
2027: Projected Spending Increase Completion
By 2027, the government aims to increase spending by 65% since instructed by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in December 2022.
2030: Planned Astronaut Landing on the Moon
By 2030, Japan plans to build a Moon base and land astronauts.
2050: Carbon-Neutrality Target
In 2020, the government of Japan announced a target of carbon-neutrality by 2050.
2060: Projected Elderly to Working Age Ratio
The Government of Japan projects that by 2060, there will be almost one elderly person for each person of working age.
2065: Projected Population Decline
By 2065, Japan's population is expected to drop to around 88 million due to fewer young Japanese people marrying or having children.
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