Japan

By ajspeed
  • 660 BCE

    Jimmu Ascends to the Throne

    Emperor Jimmu is born, and soon becomes the first Emperor of Japan. According to religious beliefs, Jimmu is a descendant of the sun god, Amaterasu. There is no evidence Jimmu existed, so many historians consider him a legendary figure, but his impact on Japan as a nation cannot be understated, as he created what is Japan today.
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  • 593

    First Temples Built

    Prince Shotoku invites 3 carpenters from Korea to build Shitenno-ji, which would become the first Buddhist temple in Japan. Buddhism is now one of the most popular religions in Japan.
  • 710

    Nara Becomes the First Permanent Capital of Japan

    Nara was established as the capital of Japan by Empress Genmei. The capital was eventually moved because of the growing power of the Buddhist monasteries.
  • 1274

    Mongol Invasion of Japan

    Mongol leader Kublai Khan demands Japan pay tribute to him and is left without an answer. The Mongols invade Japan with a massive fleet. Japan is saved by a typhoon which leaves a majority of the Mongol's fleet in the deep sea.
  • 1350

    Samurai Declared Official Warriors

    In the middle 1300's, the Samurai that were once tied to different Japanese clans became official warriors of a united Japan

  • The Battle of Sekigahara

    The Tokugawa family defeats the Toyotomi family and established a period of stability for 2 and a half centuries in Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu becomes Emperor of Japan.

  • West Demands Trade with Japan

    Commodore Matthew Perry sails for Tokyo, Japan with the demands that Japan open their borders to trade with the western nation. As Japan had no navy, they were not able to negotiate and opened their borders. This was the beginning of western interest in Japan.
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  • Meiji Restoration

    The former Japanese shogunate had been relieved of much of its power and Emperor Meiji had rose to power as a result of the Samurai supporting him. This was the beginning of Japan's modern era.

  • Nintendo Founded

    Nintendo was founded in Kyoto by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce and distribute playing cards. The company goes on to become the largest video game company in the world with recognizable games and characters such as Mario, Kirby, and Zelda.

  • Russo-Japanese War Begins

    Japan launches a surprise attack against the Russians as a result of Russia's growing outreach to outlets to the sea. The attack resulted in heavy Russian casualties and a year-long war.

  • Korea Annexed by Japan

    Korea was annexed by Japan after many years of war and intimidation. Japan attempted to annihilate Korean culture, making Koreans slaves and forbade them from speaking Korean.

  • Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

    The first ripple in the relationship between Japan and the USA began when Matthew Perry and his "Black Ships" forced Japan to open its borders to trade and other countries. During WWII, due to a number of factors such as their war with China, Japan decided to take a chance and attack the USA so they could not intervein with their plans with their own war. The attack was a success for Japan, leaving 19 warships and 300 aircrafts destroyed, with 2400 US servicemen left dead.

  • Nukes Dropped on Japan

    After Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor and draw the USA into the war, the USA responded. On August 9th, 1945, the USA dropped the Little Boy and Fat Man nuclear bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. These two weapons caused over 200000 casualties and leveled the cities they were dropped on.

  • Japan Surrenders

    Japan surrenders to the Allied Powers, ending WWII. The arial and naval Japanese fleet had been completely destroyed and major Japanese cities were still suffering and recovering from bombings. The capture of a Japanese island led to Japan finally surrendering.
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  • Japan's First Bullet Train

    The first "Bullet Train" is opened in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan. These high speed vehicles could reach up to 210 km/h and traversed the 515km distance in just over 3 hours.
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  • Japan Hosts Summer Olympics

    Japan hosted the first Olympics on Asian soil during the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo. During the opening ceremony, a man born on the day of the Hiroshima bombing lit the torch to commence the games. Japan finished third behind the United States and Soviet Union.
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  • Period: to

    The Lost Decade

    Japan has an economic "bubble" which bursts, causing a economic stagnation. This caused many large companies to go bankrupt as well as mass unemployment. Japanese citizens, once in the most bustling economy in the world, chose to hoard their savings until recovery eventually occured.

  • Japan's First Astronaut

    Morhi Mamoru becomes the first Japanese Astronaut to have a mission. He was apart of the Space Shuttle Endeavour project hosted by NASA.

  • Japan Hosts the World Cup

    Japan and Korea co-host the world cup, bringing economic growth and recognition to Japan. This was the first time the World Cup was hosted in an Asian country and the new market for football exploded in these countries. Japan did not do spectacular in the tournament.
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  • Tohoku Earthquake

    Japan suffers its largest earthquake in recorded history, causing a tsunami. This disaster left more than 18000 dead and displaced over 100000 residents of local cities.