History of Japan in Timeline

Japan is an East Asian island country situated in the Pacific Ocean. Its archipelago comprises four main islands and thousands of smaller ones. Characterized by its mountainous terrain and dense forests, the majority of Japan's population and agricultural activity are concentrated along its eastern coastal plains. Administratively, Japan is divided into 47 prefectures. As of 2025, the country's population exceeds 123 million, making it the 11th most populous globally. Tokyo serves as Japan's capital and its largest urban center.

1900: Island length

As of 1900, Japan stretches over 3000 km (1900 mi) northeast–southwest from the Sea of Okhotsk to the East China Sea.

1904: Victory in Russo-Japanese War

In 1904, Japan achieved victory in the Russo-Japanese War, expanding its influence.

1905: Territorial gains after the Russo-Japanese War

In 1905, after winning the Russo-Japanese war, Japan gained control of the southern half of Sakhalin.

1910: Annexation of Korea

In 1910, Japan annexed Korea during the Meiji period, expanding its territory.

1912: Start of Taishō democracy

In 1912 the period of Taishō democracy began, overshadowed by increasing expansionism and militarization.

1912: End of Meiji Period

The Meiji period ended in 1912; during this time, Japan emerged as the most developed state in Asia and an industrialized world power.

1920: Japan Captures German Possessions

In 1920, after World War I, Japan captured German possessions in the Pacific and China.

1923: Great Tokyo Earthquake

In 1923, a period of lawlessness followed the Great Tokyo Earthquake.

1926: End of Taishō democracy

In 1926 the period of Taishō democracy ended.

1931: Invasion of Manchuria

In 1931, Japan invaded China and occupied Manchuria, leading to international condemnation.

1932: Establishment of Manchukuo

In 1932, Japan established the puppet state of Manchukuo in occupied 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 Doubles to 70 Million

By 1935, the Japanese population had doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million, with a significant shift to urbanization.

1936: Signing of the 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: Invasion of China

In 1937, Japan invaded China, escalating its military actions 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 by the United States.

1941: Attack on U.S. and European Colonial Powers

In 1941, Japan attacked the U.S. and European colonial powers, entering 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, marking the beginning of World War II in the Pacific.

1945: Unconditional Surrender

In 1945, after Allied victories and atomic bombings, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender, losing territories and influence.

1945: Surrender in World War II

In 1945, after being defeated in the Pacific War and suffering atomic bombings, Japan surrendered and came under Allied occupation.

1945: End of Sino-Japanese War

In 1945, the Second Sino-Japanese War concluded.

1945: Soviet Union occupied Southern Kuril Islands

In 1945, the Soviet Union occupied the Southern Kuril Islands, which are contested by Japan.

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 comprises elementary and junior high school, lasting nine years.

1948: Public Holiday Law

In 1948, the Public Holiday Law (国民の祝日に関する法律, Kokumin no Shukujitsu ni Kansuru Hōritsu) regulated public holidays in Japan.

1952: End of Allied Occupation

In 1952, the Allied occupation of Japan ended with the Treaty of San Francisco.

1956: United Nations Membership

In 1956, Japan was granted membership in the United Nations.

1956: Member state of the United Nations

Since 1956, Japan is a member state of 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, the Japanese government introduced environmental protection laws in response to rising concerns about pollution.

1972: Winter Olympics in Sapporo

Japan hosted the Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972.

1973: Government-Sponsored Insurance for Elderly

Since 1973, all elderly persons in Japan have been covered by government-sponsored insurance.

1973: Oil Crisis

The oil crisis in 1973 encouraged the efficient use of energy due to Japan's lack of natural resources.

1981: Principal Cause of Death

Since 1981, the principal cause of death in Japan is cancer.

1987: Privatization of Japanese Railway

Since privatization in 1987, dozens of Japanese railway companies compete in regional and local passenger transportation markets.

1992: Establishment of J.League

Since the establishment of the Japan Professional Football League (J.League) in 1992, association football gained a wide following.

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 in Japan.

1997: Kyoto Protocol

As the host and signatory, Japan signed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

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 Monday 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 entered a lunar orbit

On October 4, 2007, Japan's lunar explorer SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) entered a lunar orbit.

2008: Japanese Experiment Module added to International Space Station

In 2008, the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibō) was added to the International Space Station during Space Shuttle assembly flights.

June 11, 2009: SELENE deliberately crashed into the Moon

On June 11, 2009, Japan's lunar explorer SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) was deliberately crashed into the Moon.

2010: Population density of Honshu

As of 2010, Honshu has the highest population density at 450 persons/km (1200/sq mi).

2010: Nuclear Power

In 2010, nuclear power accounted for 11.2% of the energy produced in Japan.

2010: Akatsuki launched

In 2010, the space probe Akatsuki was launched.

March 2011: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

In March 2011, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster occurred, leading to public opposition to nuclear power.

2011: Tōhoku Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster

In 2011, Japan suffered 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 offline

By May 2012, all of Japan's nuclear power plants had been taken offline due to public opposition following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011.

May 2014: Abe's statement on regional security responsibility

In May 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that Japan aimed to shed its post-World War II passiveness and take greater responsibility for regional security.

2014: Reclaimed Land Area

As of 2014, approximately 0.5% of Japan's total area is reclaimed land (umetatechi).

2014: Ainu Language Speakers

As of 2014, the Ainu language was moribund, with only a few native speakers remaining.

2014: Fifth-largest donor of official development assistance

In 2014, Japan was the world's fifth-largest donor of official development assistance, donating US$9.2 billion.

2014: Consumer video game market grossed $9.6 billion

In 2014, Japan's consumer video game market grossed $9.6 billion, with $5.8 billion coming from mobile gaming.

2015: Television Viewing

According to the 2015 NHK survey, 79% of Japanese watch television daily.

2015: Fourth-largest PC game market

By 2015, Japan had become the world's fourth-largest PC game market by revenue, behind China, the United States, and South Korea.

2015: Nuclear Power Plant Restarted

In 2015, the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant restarted, and since then several other nuclear power plants have been restarted.

2015: Akatsuki achieved orbit around Venus

In 2015, the space probe Akatsuki achieved orbit around Venus.

April 2016: Integrated Schooling Program

Starting in April 2016, various schools in Japan began the academic year with elementary school and junior high school integrated into one nine-year compulsory schooling program.

2016: Population density of Hokkaido

As of 2016, Hokkaido has the lowest population density of 64.5 persons/km.

2016: Newspapers Circulation

As of 2016, Japanese newspapers were among the most circulated in the world.

2016: Muslims in Japan

As of 2016, approximately 90% of those practicing Islam in Japan were foreign-born migrants.

2016: Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision announced

In 2016, Japan announced the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, which frames its regional policies.

2016: World Risk Index

In 2016, Japan had the 17th highest natural disaster risk as measured in the World Risk Index.

2016: Tonnage of fish caught

In 2016, Japan ranked seventh in the world in tonnage of fish caught and captured 3,167,610 metric tons of fish, down from an annual average of 4,000,000 tons over the previous decade.

2017: Kilometers of roads in Japan

As of 2017, Japan had approximately 1,200,000 kilometers of roads, including city, town and village roads, prefectural roads, general national highways and national expressways.

2017: Port Hubs

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: Japan's Robotics Production

In 2017, Japan supplied 55% of the world's total in robotics production.

2017: Quadrilateral Security Dialogue reformed

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.

2018: Low incidence rates of violent crimes

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, as of 2018, Japan had very low incidence rates of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, sexual violence, and robbery.

2018: Large Cooperative Sector

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 and Self-Sufficiency Rate

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: Christian Population

In 2018, 1% to 1.5% of the population in Japan were Christians.

2018: Environmental Performance Index Ranking

In 2018, Japan ranked 20th in the Environmental Performance Index.

2018: Cancer Deaths

In 2018, cancer accounted for 27% of the total deaths in Japan.

2018: Mosques and Muslims

In 2018, there were an estimated 105 mosques and 200,000 Muslims in Japan, 43,000 of whom were Japanese nationals.

April 1, 2019: Revised Immigration Law Enacted

On April 1, 2019, Japan's revised immigration law was enacted, protecting the rights of foreign workers to help reduce labor shortages in certain sectors.

May 1, 2019: Emperor Naruhito Accession

On May 1, 2019, Emperor Naruhito acceded to the throne, beginning the Reiwa era, after his father Akihito's abdication.

2019: Energy Production

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 size

As of 2019, Japan's territory is 377,975.24 km (145,937.06 sq mi).

2019: Haneda Airport rank

In 2019, Haneda Airport in Tokyo, was Asia's second-busiest airport.

2019: Japan's Inbound Tourism

In 2019, Japan was ranked eleventh in the world for inbound tourism. Its international tourism receipts in 2019 amounted to $46.1 billion.

2019: Emperor Naruhito's Accession

In 2019, Naruhito became the Emperor of Japan, succeeding his father Akihito.

2019: IRB Rugby World Cup

Japan hosted the 2019 IRB Rugby World Cup.

2020: Government initiative identified sector for increasing exports

In 2020, a Japanese 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 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: Summer Olympics

Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics.

2021: Education Spending

In 2021, Japan spent 7.4% of its total GDP on education.

2021: Summer Olympics

In 2021, Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics, making Tokyo the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.

December 2022: Kishida confirmed increase in spending

In December 2022, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed the government to increase spending by 65% until 2027.

2022: Japan's National Debt

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: Healthcare Spending

In 2022, Japan spent 11.42% of its total GDP on healthcare.

2022: Tokyo Population

In 2022, the capital city, Tokyo, had a population of 13.9 million.

2023: Japan's Labor Force

As of 2023, Japan's labor force is the world's tenth-largest, consisting of over 69.2 million workers. In 2023, Japan has the world's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP.

2023: Manufacturing output

As of 2023, Japan's manufacturing output is the fourth highest in the world.

2023: Research and Development Budget

As of 2023, Japan's research and development budget is the sixth or seventh highest in the world, with 907,400 researchers sharing a 22-trillion-yen research and development budget.

2023: Japan's Service Sector Output

As of 2023, Japan's service sector accounts for about 69.8% of its total economic output.

2023: Population in Cities

In 2023, 92% of the Japanese population lived in cities.

2023: Tertiary Education Attainment

In 2023, Japan ranked third for the percentage of 25- to 64-year-olds that have attained tertiary education, at 56%.

2023: Exports as Percentage of GDP

In 2023, Japan's exports amounted to 21.9% of its total GDP.

2023: Basketball World Championship

Japan co-hosted the 2023 Basketball World Championship.

2024: Unemployment and Poverty Rates

As of 2024, Japan has a low unemployment rate of around 2.6%.

2024: Fourth-largest diplomatic network in the world

In 2024, Japan had the fourth-largest diplomatic network in the world.

2024: Population of Japan

In 2024, Japan has a population of almost 123 million, of whom nearly 120 million are Japanese nationals. Japan is the world's fastest aging country and has the highest proportion of elderly citizens of any country, comprising one-third of its total population.

2024: Japan's Military Budget

In 2024, Japan spent 1.4% of its total GDP on its defence budget and maintained the tenth-largest military budget in the world. Japan also ranked third highest-ranked Asian country in the 2024 Global Peace Index.

2024: Japan's Robotics Production

In 2024, Japan supplied 38% of the world's total in robotics production.

2024: Japan's Export and Import Markets

In 2024, Japan was the world's eight-largest exporter and sixth-largest importer. In 2024, Japan's main export markets were China (22.2%, including Hong Kong) and the United States (20.6%). In 2024, Japan's main import markets were China (22.3%), the United States (10.5%), and Australia (7.1%).