-
552
Buddhist teachings spread to Japan
Buddhism has had a major influence on the culture and development of Japan over the centuries, and remains an important part of the culture. About 90 million people in Japan claim to be Buddhist practitioners and/or believers,[2][3] which accounts for about 70% of the population. -
Jan 1, 1191
Rinzai Zen Buddhism established in Japan
Rinzai, one of two major Zen Buddhist sects in Japan; it stresses the abrupt awakening of transcendental wisdom, or enlightenment. The sect is traced back to China, where it is known as Lin-chi, in the 9th century by I-hsüan and was transmitted to Japan in 1191 by the priest Eisai. -
Jan 1, 1274
Mongol army attacks Japan
The Mongol invasion of Japan, lead by Kublai Khan, was the only severe threat to Japan from abroad prior to World War II. -
Jul 27, 1549
Saint Francis Xavier arrives in Japan
He was the first Christian missionary to arrive in Japan. His acquaintance there becomes the first Japanese Christian. -
Jan 1, 1561
Himeji Castle is completed
Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex located in Himeji, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. feudal ruler Kuroda Shigetaka remodeled the castle into Himeji Castle, completing the work in 1561. -
Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes Shogun
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but remained in power until his death in 1616. -
Period: to
Edo Period
is the period between 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when Japanese society was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional Daimyo. The period was characterized by economic growth, strict social order, isolationist foreign policies, environmental protection policies, and popular enjoyment of arts and culture. -
Edo Becomes the Capital
It sets up Edo to be the capital, which later becomes Tokyo. It centered the political power of Japan making it grow from a small town to a metropolis. -
"Closed Country Edict" of Tokugawa Iemitsu
Japanese policy of isolation that strictly forbid Japanese people from leaving Japan and visiting other countries. -
Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Tokyo
Commodore Perry arrived in Tokyo with nine ships in March 1854. On March 31, he signed the Treaty of Kanagawa with the Japanese government, opening the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate to American trade and permitting the establishment of a U.S. consulate in Japan. -
Meiji Emperor begins his rule
was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death. -
The Treaty of Portsmouth
The Treaty of Portsmouth formally ended the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War. It was signed on September 5, 1905[1] after negotiations at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, in the United States. -
Japan declares war on Germany
On August 7, 1914, the Japanese government was asked by the British government to assist in destroying the German raiders of the Kaiserliche Marine in and around Chinese waters. Japan sent Germany an ultimatum on August 14, 1914. This was a demand for Germany to stop the raiding of ships. The Germans declined the ultimatium and then declared war on Germany on August 23, 1914. -
Hirohito Becomes Emperor
Led Japan during World War II. B the end of his reign, Japan had emerged as the world's second largest economy. -
Japan conquers Manchuria
The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on September 19, 1931, when Manchuria was invaded by the Kwantung Army of theEmpire of Japan immediately following the Mukden Incident. The Japanese established a puppet state, called Manchukuo, and their occupation lasted until the end of World War II. -
The United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6, 1945, the United States used a massive, atomic weapon against Hiroshima, Japan. This atomic bomb, the equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT, flattened the city, killing tens of thousands of civilians. While Japan was still trying to comprehend this devastation three days later, the United States struck again, this time, on Nagasaki. -
The Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Masscre was a mass murder and war rape that occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese capture of the city of Nanking. -
Period: to Jan 1, 1185
Heian era
It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height. ls also considered the peak of the Japanese imperial court and noted for its art, especially poetry and literature.
