History of Japan in Timeline

Japan is an East Asian island country in the Pacific Ocean. It's bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west, extending from the Sea of Okhotsk to the East China Sea. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, along with thousands of smaller islands, covering 377,975 square kilometers. As of 2025, Japan's population exceeds 123 million, ranking it as the eleventh-most populous country.

1904: Russo-Japanese War

After victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, Japan gained control of the southern half of Sakhalin.

1905: Russo-Japanese War Victory

After victories in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Japan gained control of the southern half of Sakhalin.

1910: Annexation of Korea

In 1910, Japan annexed Korea.

1912: Start of Taishō democracy

The early 20th century saw a period of Taishō democracy starting in 1912.

1920: Japan captures territories in Pacific and China

In 1920, World War I allowed Japan to capture German possessions in the Pacific and China.

1923: Great Tokyo Earthquake

The 1920s saw a political shift towards statism, a period of lawlessness following the 1923 Great Tokyo Earthquake.

1931: Japan invades China

In 1931, Japan invaded China and occupied Manchuria.

1932: Establishment of Manchukuo

In 1932, Japan established the puppet state of Manchukuo.

1933: Japan resigns from the League of Nations

Following international condemnation of the occupation, Japan resigned from the League of Nations in 1933.

1935: Japanese Population Growth

The Japanese population doubled from 35 million in 1873 to 70 million by 1935, with a significant shift to urbanization.

1936: Japan signs Anti-Comintern Pact

In 1936, Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany.

1936: Nippon Professional Baseball Established

In 1936, Japan's top professional league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), was established.

1937: Japan Invades China

In 1937, Japan invaded China.

1937: Second Sino-Japanese War

In 1937, the Empire of Japan invaded other parts of China, precipitating the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).

1940: Invasion of French Indochina

In 1940, the Empire of Japan invaded French Indochina, after which the United States placed an oil embargo on Japan.

1940: Tripartite Pact

The 1940 Tripartite Pact made Japan one of the Axis powers.

1941: Attack on United States

In 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonial powers, entering World War II as an Axis power.

1945: Japan agrees to unconditional surrender

In 1945, after Allied victories culminating in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender.

1945: Japan Surrenders

In 1945, after defeat in the Pacific War and two atomic bombings, Japan surrendered and came under Allied occupation.

1945: Territorial Disputes

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 for nine years.

1947: Constitution of Japan

The Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947, is the oldest unamended constitution in the world.

1948: Public Holiday Law

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

1952: End of Allied Occupation

The Allied occupation ended with the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952.

1955: Liberal Democratic Party Dominance

The broadly conservative Liberal Democratic Party has been the dominant party in the country since the 1950s, often called the 1955 System.

1956: Joined the United Nations

In 1956, Japan became a member state of the United Nations.

1956: UN Membership

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

1964: Tokyo Summer Olympics

Japan hosted the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 1964.

1968: Yasunari Kawabata Nobel Prize

Yasunari Kawabata was a Nobel Prize-winning author in 1968.

1970: Environmental Protection Laws

Responding to rising concerns, the government introduced environmental protection laws in 1970.

1972: Sapporo Winter Olympics

Japan hosted the Winter Olympics in Sapporo in 1972.

1973: Government-Sponsored Insurance for the 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 because of Japan's lack of natural resources.

1981: Principal Cause of Death

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

1987: Railway Privatization

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

1992: Japan Professional Football League

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

1994: Kenzaburō Ōe Nobel Prize

Kenzaburō Ōe was a Nobel Prize-winning author in 1994.

1995: Great Hanshin earthquake

The 1995 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 and to take other steps to curb climate change.

1998: Nagano Winter Olympics

Japan hosted the Winter Olympics in Nagano in 1998.

2000: Happy Monday System Implementation

Beginning in 2000, Japan implemented the Happy Monday System, which moved a number of national holidays to Monday to obtain a long weekend.

2002: FIFA World Cup Co-hosting

In 2002, Japan co-hosted the FIFA World Cup with South Korea.

2006: Basketball World Championship Hosting

Japan hosted the official 2006 Basketball World Championship.

October 4, 2007: SELENE Lunar Explorer

On October 4, 2007, lunar explorer SELENE entered a lunar orbit.

2008: Kibo 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 Crash

On June 11, 2009, the lunar explorer SELENE was deliberately crashed into the Moon.

2010: Honshu Population Density

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

2010: Akatsuki Launch

In 2010, the space probe Akatsuki was launched.

2010: Nuclear Power

Nuclear power was 11.2 percent in 2010.

March 2011: Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

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.

2011: Tōhoku earthquake

In 2011, Japan suffered one of the largest earthquakes in its recorded history—the Tōhoku earthquake—triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

2011: FIFA Women's World Cup

In 2011, the Japan women's football team won the FIFA Women's World Cup.

May 2012: Nuclear Power Plant Shutdown

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: Prime Minister Abe's Announcement

In May 2014, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated Japan wanted to take more responsibility for regional security, shedding post-World War II passiveness.

2014: Reclaimed Land Area

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

2014: Ainu Language Status

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

2014: Official Development Assistance

In 2014, Japan donated US$9.2 billion in official development assistance, making it the world's fifth-largest donor.

2014: Consumer Video Game Market

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

2015: Television Viewing Habits

According to the 2015 NHK survey on television viewing in Japan, 79 percent of Japanese watched television daily.

2015: PC Game Market

By 2015, Japan had become the world's fourth-largest PC game market by revenue.

2015: Nuclear Power Plants Restart

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

2015: Akatsuki Venus Orbit

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: Japanese Newspapers Circulation

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

2016: Muslims in Japan

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

2016: Hokkaido Population Density

In 2016, Hokkaido has the lowest 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: World Risk Index Ranking

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

2017: Road Infrastructure

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

2017: Research and Development Budget

As of 2017, Japan had the sixth or seventh highest research and development budget relative to gross domestic product.

2017: Superport 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: Quadrilateral Security Dialogue Reform

In 2017, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue ("the Quad") was reformed, aiming to limit Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

2017: Robotics Production

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

July 23, 2018: Highest Temperature ever measured

On July 23, 2018 the highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was recorded.

2018: Large Cooperative Sector

As of 2018, Japan had a large cooperative sector, with three of the world's ten largest cooperatives.

2018: Low Incidence of Violent Crimes

As of 2018, Japan reported very low incidence rates of violent crimes such as murder, abduction, sexual violence, and robbery.

2018: Mosques and Muslims in Japan

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

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: Environmental Performance Index Ranking

Japan ranks 20th in the 2018 Environmental Performance Index.

April 1, 2019: Revised Immigration Law

On April 1, 2019, Japan's revised immigration law was enacted, protecting the rights of foreign workers.

May 1, 2019: Emperor Naruhito Enthronement

On May 1, 2019, Naruhito became Emperor, beginning the Reiwa era.

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: Japan Territory Area

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

2019: Haneda Airport

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

2019: Global Competitiveness Report

In 2019, Japan ranked sixth in the Global Competitiveness Report. It also attracted 31.9 million international tourists and was ranked eleventh in the world for inbound tourism.

2019: Species of Wildlife

Japan has over 90,000 species of wildlife as of 2019.

2019: IRB Rugby World Cup Hosting

Japan hosted the 2019 IRB Rugby World Cup.

2019: Emperor Naruhito Accession

Naruhito is the Emperor of Japan, having succeeded his father Akihito upon his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019.

August 17, 2020: Highest Temperature ever measured

On August 17, 2020 the highest temperature ever measured in Japan, 41.1 °C (106.0 °F), was repeated.

2020: Elderly Population

As of 2020, over 28.7 percent of the population in Japan is over 65.

2020: Government initiative

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 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: Tokyo Summer Olympics

Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021.

2021: Labor Force Size

As of 2021, Japan's labor force was the world's eighth-largest, consisting of over 68.6 million workers.

2021: Service Sector Contribution

As of 2021, Japan's service sector accounted for about 69.5% of its total economic output.

2021: Tertiary Education Attainment

In 2021, Japan ranked third for the percentage of 25- to 64-year-olds that have attained tertiary education with 55.6%.

2021: Healthcare Spending

In 2021, Japan spent 10.82% of its total GDP on healthcare.

2021: Exports

In 2021, Japan's exports amounted to 18.2% of its total GDP.

2021: Tokyo Summer Olympics

The 2020 Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo in 2021, making Tokyo the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.

2021: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report Ranking

The 2021 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report ranked Japan first in the world out of 117 countries.

December 2022: Increase in Spending

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

2022: Low Unemployment Rate

As of 2022, Japan had a low unemployment rate of around 2.6%.

2022: Population in Cities

In 2022, 92% of the total Japanese population lived in cities, and the capital city, Tokyo, had a population of 13.9 million.

2022: Defense Budget

In 2022, Japan spent 1.1% of its total GDP on its defence budget, maintaining the tenth-largest military budget in the world.

2022: Export and Import

In 2022, Japan was the world's fifth-largest exporter and fourth-largest importer. Main export markets were China and the United States, and main import markets were China, the United States, and Australia.