-
604 BCE
Prince Shotoku's Constitution
This is important because it was the first Constitution in Japan. it is a code of moral principles, for the ruling class. The release of the Constitution set the primary orientation and spirit of the civilization. -
552 BCE
Introduction to Buddhism
this is important because if Buddhism had not being introduced, who knows what Japan would be like today. the introduction of Buddhism led to a major influence of the development of what and who Japan is today. -
1191
The Zen Sect is Introduced
Zen was introduced in 1191, and has been a big part of life in Japan and all over the world since. It was introduced by a Japanese monk Eisai. (He also introduced powdered tea) This was important to the history of Japan because it helped and still helps many of people calm down and believe in something. -
1232
Legal Code, the Joei Shikimoku, is Promulgated.
This was a law code. It had 51 articles, and told everyone who owned what land. It also helped define the relationship between people such as lords, samurai and vassals. It established the taking of legal decisions based on precedence, and limited the role of the emperor. This was important because without it, there could quite possibly have been fights over land, the emperor could have done things no one else agreed with, and it would have caused mayhem. -
1274
Mongols Invade Japan
Leaders in Korea gathered a fleet of around 800 to 900 ships, which were sailed to Japan. In total, the ships carried at least 16,600 men, or, on the larger side, 40,000 men. Japanese islands Tsushima and Iki were attacked first, and suffered largely, soon resulting in being taken over. Japan had a defense team of only 4,000-6,000, and were soon defeated. This attack may have been a reconnaissance mission, in preparation for the larger attack yet to come. -
1281
Mongols Invade Japan - AGAIN
The second time around, the army was double the size of the first one. At least 100,000 men were prepared to storm Japan.They attacked the same islands as before, as well as Hakata Bay on Kyushu. In the end, Japan put up a larger defense system, and forced the Mongols to surrender and withdraw. However, the leaders of Korea sent reinforcements, and the fighting continued, until weather intervened, and thousands of Mongols were killed. -
1333
Kamakura Government Falls
The Kamakura Government helped improve the agriculture, religion, and the government itself. The government managed to withstand and stay strong during the invasions made by Mongol. The government fell with the Kamakura Shogunate, when a newer clan took over as shoguns throughout Japan. -
1467
Onin War Begins
Beginning over a controversy over who would replace shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, as he had no heir at the time. The war overall, was caused as a weakness showed by the shogun. Riots were started, which led the a battle. -
Isolation of Japan
At this time, Japan really just wanted to be stable and have order. So, in fear of thee disruptive potential of Christianity, they quickly decided to try and destroy it. So, they isolated Japan from the rest of the world. -
Russo-Japanese War.
Both the Russian and Japanese Empires fought in this battle. It started over rival imperial ambitions. They fought for a year, ships in the water firing at each other. In the end, Japan won, which shocked many. -
Japan joins allied forces in WW1.
Japan decides to join the allied forces, which might come as a surprise to some back in the day. They did this because they saw it as a good opportunity for them to pursue their own interests in the Far East -
Manchurian Incident
this was a staged event by the Japanese military personnel - a pretext for the invasion of Manchuria. it was an explosion that destroyed a section of the railway track near Mukdan. the Japanese blamed Chinese nationalists for it, which then led to the invasion previously mentioned. -
Second Sino-Japanese War Starts
a military conflict, primarily waged between the republic of China and the Empire of Japan. It broke out when China began a full scale resistance to the expansion of Japanese influence in its territory. The two nations met on the Marco Polo Bridge, near Beijing. -
Pacific War
Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States fleet at Peal Harbor, Hawaii. the States fleet were severely, which led to the prevention of serious American interference with Japan's military operations - for a little while, anyways. -
Japan Surrenders
the war between the US and Japan didn't end until Japan surrendered due to fear of Nuclear Weapons. however, Japan really surrendered because the Soviet Union entered the war, Japan claimed the bomb forced them to surrender, because it would be less embarrassing to say they were defeated by a 'miracle weapon'. -
The New Constitution
Many conservatives were not very excited and supportive of this constitution, which allowed Japanese women to vote for the first time.This is important because had this not come to be as it is today, chances are woman would still not be allowed to vote, and we would have many angered people in the world -
Allied Occupation of Japan Ends
The occupation of Japan (Operation Blacklist, as some may know it as) ended because of the San Francisco Peace Treaty. After the treaty was signed, Japan's sovereignty was fully restored. -
Japan Becomes a Member of the UN
One of the main reasons as to why Japan became a member of the UN is because of the of the two previous world wars. The aim was to save the world from ever having to go through that again -
Hanshin Earthquake
This was one of the worst earthquakes Japan has had, killing 6,433 people. Along with the fatalities,the 5.2 magnitude earthquake caused a damage expense in the billions. -
Sarin Gas Attack
The attack was in a subway station, in Tokyo Japan. It was an act of domestic terrorism, performed by members of the cult movement Aum Shinrikyo. Sarin gas has multiple affects on the human body, including tightness of the chest, runny nose, constriction of the pupils, difficulty breathing, and uncontrollable nausea and drooling.