Japan: From

1853-1941

Made By: Kabeer Qazi

 1850’s
● 8th July, 1853: Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Edo Bay, Japan with a
couple of steam-powered “Black Ships” on a mission to start diplomatic and trade
relations with Japan.
● 11th February, 1854: Commodore Perry comes back with 12 warships for an
answer to the US President’s offer of trade
● 31st March, 1854: Chief Shogun Iyesada signs the Treaty of Kanagawa with
Commodore Perry.
● 1855: Japan acquired some of the Kurile Islands (Kuril Islands), a chain of 56
islands that extended 744 miles from Hokkaido to Russia's Kamchatka peninsula.
● 29th July, 1858: The shogunate signs Harris Treaty between U.S. and Japan
opening up eight Japanese ports to American merchants and giving the U.S. “most
favored nation” trade status.
 1860’s

● 25th April, 1860: The first japanese ambassador, Niimi Buzennokami arrives in
USA.
● 8th Jan, 1867: Japan’s Emperor Osahito died. The Tokugawa Shogunnate was
overthrown as a result and Ryoma Sakamoto, a samurai, was the main rebel.
● 15th November, 1868: Ryoma Sakamoto, the rebel who helped topple Japan’s
feudal government system, was assassinated.
● 3rd January, 1868: Emperor Mutsohito ascends the throne and the Meiji
Restoration starts.
● 4th July, 1868: Battle of Uneo results in the last Tokugawa armies defeated.
 1870’s

● 1871: Iwakura Mission departs for the West. Aim is to observe and learn
about western models and methods of civil governance.
● 27th July, 1871: The Yen became Japan’s new currency.
● 1875: Russia recognized Japan's control over the 4 southernmost Kurile
Islands.
● 1877: The rebellion in Satsuma was put down.
● 25th March, 1879: Japan invaded the kingdom of Liuqiu (Ryukyu) Islands,
previously a part of china. The islands were named Okinawa which became
Japan’s first colony.
 1880’s
● 4th January, 1882: The Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors is
published. It was a document which instructed soldiers and sailors to show
undoubtable loyalty to the Emperor and refrain from criticising his
decisions.
● 1884: Japan discovered the Senkaku Islands which they later annexed in
1895.
● 22nd December 1885: Ito Hirobumi began serving as the first Prime
Minister of Japan. He became the Prime Minister 3 more times in his
lifetime.
● 11th February, 1889: The first real constitution is promulgated and Japan
becomes a constitutional monarchy.
 1890’s

● 30th October, 1890: Emperor Meiji issued the Imperial Rescript on Education to
illustrate the moral principles that each citizen was to follow.
● 29th November, 1890: The Imperial Diet is convened.
● 23rd July, 1894: Japanese troops took over the Korean Imperial Palace in Seoul.
● 1st August, 1894: The First Sino-Japanese War started over the dispute of
control over Korea.
● 15th September, 1894: China was defeated in the Battle of Ping Yang.
● 17th April, 1895: Treaty of Shimonoseki is signed and Japan takes over Taiwan
and the Liaodong Peninsula from China.
● 23rd April, 1895: The Triple Intervention- Russia, France and Germany force
Japan to return the Liaodong Peninsula.
● 6th September, 1899: The Open Door Policy is announced by US which proposes
that China be opened for trade with all countries on an equal basis.
 1900’s

● 30th January, 1902: Japan and England enter into an alliance.

● 4th February, 1904: Russia offered Korea to Japan in return for leaving
Manchuria alone.
● 8th February, 1904: Japan surprised Russia by attacking on Port Arthur.
● 10th February, 1904: Japan and Russia declared war on each other.
● 5th December, 1904: Japanese destroyed Russian fleet at Port Arthur in Korea.
● 2nd January, 1905: After a six-month siege, Russians surrendered Port Arthur to
the Japanese.
● 27th May, 1905: The Japanese destroy the Russian East Sea Baltic Fleet.
● 5th September, 1905: The Treaty of Portsmouth is signed and Korea became
Japan’s protectorate.
● 22nd August, 1910: Japan annexed Korea following 5 years as a protectorate.
 1910’s
● 30th July, 1912: Emperor Meiji dies and the Meiji Era ends. The Taisho Era begins as
Yutsohito ascends the throne.
● 23rd August, 1914: The Emperor of Japan sided with the Allies and declared war on
Germany in World War I.
● 8th January, 1915: Japan presents the Twenty-One Demands to China which are
severely criticised by the USA and UK.
● 2nd November, 1917: The Lansing-Ishii Agreement is signed between Japan and US
in which the US recognizes Japan’s special privileges in China.
● August 1918: The Siberian Intervention- Japan sends 70,000 soldiers to Siberia to
halt progress of the Red Army in the Russian Civil War.
● 18th January, 1919: Japan claims Shandong Province in China.
● 14th February, 1919: Japan fails to get a racial equality clause inserted into the
League of Nations Charter.
 1920’s
● 4th November, 1921: Takashi Hara, the Prime Minister, is assassinated.
● 12th November, 1921: - The Washington Naval Conference takes place in which major
powers agreed on the Four-Power Treaty, Five-Power Naval Treaty, and Nine-Power
Treaty.
● 25th November, 1921: Prince Hirohito becomes Regent.
● 1st September, 1923: The Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama were devastated by
the Great Kanto earthquake that claimed 99,000-143,000 lives
● 26th May, 1924: Johnson-Reed Immigration Act signed barring all Japanese entrance to
the United States.
● 5th May, 1925: Universal male suffrage instituted. The electorate increased fivefold
● 25th December, 1926: Hirohito became emperor of Japan, succeeding his father,
Emperor Yoshihito. His rule was called the Showa Period.
● 24th October, 1929: The Wall Street in New York crashes and as a result, majority
of the world goes through The Great Depression.
 1930-1941

● 22nd April, 1930: The US, UK and Japan signed the London Naval Treaty, which
regulated submarine warfare and limited shipbuilding.
● 18th September, 1931: The Mukden Incident was initiated by the Japanese
Kwantung Army in Mukden.
● 19th September, 1931: Japanese Army invaded Manchuria without its own
government’s consent and established a puppet state called Manchukuo.
● 24th February, 1933: The League of Nations told the Japanese to pull out of
Manchuria.
● 27th March, 1933: Japan left the League of Nations.
● 25th November, 1936: - Japan signs the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany.
Germany recognized Manchukuo diplomatically as a result.
 1930-1941
● 7th July, 1937: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident leads to the Japanese Invasion of China
● and the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
● 6th November, 1937: Italy joins the Anti-Comintern Pact.
● 13th December, 1937: Japan attacks Nanking and “Rape of Nanking” takes place.
● 24th February, 1939: Hungary signed an anti-Communist pact with Italy, Germany and
Japan.
● 26th September, 1940: Japanese troops attacked French Indochina.
● August, 1940: US Army crypto-analysts break Japan’s top secret Purple Code which
was used for diplomatic communications.
● 27th September, 1940: Nazi-Germany, Italy & Japan signed a formal alliance called
Tripartite Pact.
● 26th November, 1941: Pearl Harbour task force sets sail.
● 7th December, 1941: Pearl Harbour is attacked.
● 8th December, 1941: Britain and US declare war on Japan.
 Bibliography

● https://www.timelines.ws/countries/JAPAN_A.HTML
● https://www.facinghistory.org/nanjing-atrocities-crimes-war/timeline-e
vents-japan