Japan's Rise to Power By japanpower Dec 8, 1853 Commodore Perry Arrives in Japan Mar 31, 1854 First of the Unequal Treaties Signed Nov 9, 1867 Tokugawa Shogunate Ends Jan 3, 1868 Emperor Meiji Formally Restored to Power Dec 23, 1871 Iwakura Mission Tours Europe/USA to Learn Western Ways Aug 1, 1894 Start of First Sino-Japanese War Apr 17, 1895 End of First Sino-Japanese War Feb 8, 1904 Russo-Japanese War Begins Sep 5, 1905 Russo-Japanese War Ends Aug 22, 1910 Annexation of Korea Jul 30, 1912 Taisho Period Begins Aug 23, 1914 Entrance to World War One, Allied with the Entente Powers Jan 21, 1920 End of the Paris Peace Conference Dec 25, 1926 Showa Period Begins Sep 18, 1931 Invasion of Manchuria Feb 18, 1932 Puppet State of Manchukuo Formed Jul 7, 1937 Start of Second Sino-Japanese War Dec 7, 1941 Bombing of Pearl Harbor Aug 6, 1945 Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima Aug 9, 1945 Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki Sep 2, 1945 End of Second Sino-Japanese War Sep 2, 1945 Formal Surrender of World War Two May 3, 1947 New Constitution Takes Effect Sep 8, 1951 Treaty of Peace with Japan Signed Oct 10, 1964 Olympic Games Hosted in Tokyo Jan 1, 1968 Economy Becomes Second Largest in the World