Japan's Sengoku & Edo Periods: Unification under Oda, Toyotomi & Tokugawa Shogunate
Encyclopedia/3. History, Societies & Civilizations/01. East Asian Civilizations/02. Japanese History • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
From the chaos of the Ōnin War (1467) to the peaceful isolation of the Edo period (1603–1868), Japan underwent unification under three great warlords—Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu—establishing a 250-year shogunate marked by strict social order, cultural flourishing, and sakoku policy.
Chronological Storyline (45 Milestones)
1467 CE
Ōnin War Begins
The Ōnin War erupts in Kyoto, sparking the century-long Sengoku period of civil war. #history #japan
Ōnin War Begins By Utagawa Yoshitora - Japanese-finearts.com https://www.japanese-finearts.com/item/list2/A1-92-044/Yoshitora/The-Battle-of-Onin, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97936188
1543 CE
Portuguese Reach Tanegashima
Portuguese traders land on Tanegashima, introducing firearms (tanegashima) and European knowledge to Japan. #history #japan )
Portuguese Reach Tanegashima By Unknown author, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7611377
Aug 15, 1549 CE
Francis Xavier Arrives in Japan
Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier arrives in Kagoshima, beginning Christian proselytization in Japan. #history #religion
Francis Xavier Arrives in Japan By Unknown author - 『中公バックス 日本の歴史 別巻2 図録 鎌倉から戦国』より。, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1262310
Jun 12, 1560 CE
Battle of Okehazama
Oda Nobunaga defeats Imagawa Yoshimoto with a surprise attack, marking his rise as a major warlord. #history #japan
Battle of Okehazama By Utagawa Toyonobu - "Bishū Okehazama-gassen" 『尾州桶狭間合戦』 (http://morimiya.net/online/ukiyoe-big-files/U896.html), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16989647
1568 CE
Nobunaga Enters Kyoto
Oda Nobunaga installs Ashikaga Yoshiaki as shogun and takes control of Kyoto, beginning the unification process. #history #japan
Nobunaga Enters Kyoto By 狩野宗秀 (Kanō Sōshū, 1551 - 1601) - en:Image:Odanobunaga.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=191607
1573 CE
End of Ashikaga Shogunate
Oda Nobunaga drives Ashikaga Yoshiaki from Kyoto, effectively ending the Ashikaga shogunate. #history #japan
Jun 28, 1575 CE
Battle of Nagashino
Oda Nobunaga uses massed arquebusiers to defeat the Takeda cavalry, a turning point in Japanese warfare. #history #warfare
Battle of Nagashino By Unknown author (Edo period, circa 18th century) - Nagahama Castle Historical Museum in Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113012775
Jun 21, 1582 CE
Incident at Honnō-ji
Oda Nobunaga is betrayed and killed by his general Akechi Mitsuhide; Toyotomi Hideyoshi avenges him within weeks. #history #japan
Incident at Honnō-ji By Nobukazu Yōsai - ブレイズマン (talk) 10:19, 12 July 2008 (UTC), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4365002
1585 CE
Toyotomi Hideyoshi Becomes Kampaku
Hideyoshi is appointed Imperial Regent (Kampaku), consolidating his power after Nobunaga's death. #history #japan
Toyotomi Hideyoshi Becomes Kampaku By Kanō Mitsunobu (狩野 光信, 1565–1608) - Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts (大阪市立美術館) - https://ocmfa.official.ec/blog/2021/04/08/175618, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=120827897
Jul 1, 1587 CE
Sword Hunt Edict
Hideyoshi orders the Sword Hunt, disarming farmers and monks to enforce class separation. #history #japan
1588 CE
Sword Hunt and Class Separation
Hideyoshi's Sword Hunt edict confiscates weapons from non-samurai, reinforcing the rigid social hierarchy. #history #japan
1590 CE
Siege of Odawara
Hideyoshi defeats the Hōjō clan, unifying Japan under his rule after the Siege of Odawara. #history #japan )
Siege of Odawara By Σ64 - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=68398104
May 23, 1592 CE
First Invasion of Korea
Hideyoshi launches an invasion of Korea, leading to a brutal war with China and Korea that ends in 1598. #history #japan #korea )
First Invasion of Korea By Unknown author - http://www.cha.go.kr/unisearch/Culresult_Db_View.jsp?VdkVgwKey=12,03910000,11, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=752659
1597 CE
Second Invasion of Korea
Hideyoshi's second invasion of Korea fails; Japanese forces withdraw after his death. #history #japan #korea )
Sep 18, 1598 CE
Death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Hideyoshi dies, leaving a power vacuum and his young son Hideyori as heir. #history #japan
Oct 21, 1600 CE
Battle of Sekigahara
Tokugawa Ieyasu defeats the Western Army under Ishida Mitsunari, paving the way for the Tokugawa shogunate. #history #japan
Battle of Sekigahara By User LordAmeth on en.wikipediaCollection of The Town of Sekigahara Archive of History and Cultural Anthropology - http://www.sengoku-expo.net/flash/sekigahara/byoubu/byoubu_c.html http://inpaku02.iamas.ac.jp/sekigahara/byoubu/images/l/263.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1028364
Mar 24, 1603 CE
Tokugawa Shogunate Established
Tokugawa Ieyasu is appointed shogun, officially starting the Edo period and Tokugawa rule. #history #japan
Tokugawa Shogunate Established By This vector image was created with Inkscape by TRAJAN 117, and then manually replaced. - Own work, sources: [1], Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20440594
Nov 8, 1614 CE
Siege of Osaka Begins
Tokugawa Ieyasu attacks Osaka Castle, beginning the conflict that ends the Toyotomi clan. #history #japan
Siege of Osaka Begins By Utagawa Yoshitora - パブリックドメイン, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=124053786
May 1, 1615 CE
Siege of Osaka Ends
Osaka Castle falls; Toyotomi Hideyori and his mother Yodo-dono commit suicide, ending the Toyotomi line. #history #japan
Jul 1, 1615 CE
Buke Shohatto (Laws for Military Houses)
The Tokugawa shogunate issues the Buke Shohatto, regulating daimyō behavior and reinforcing control. #history #japan
Jun 1, 1616 CE
Death of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu dies, but the shogunate continues under his successors. #history #japan
Death of Tokugawa Ieyasu By Kanō Tan'yū - Osaka Castle main tower, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9558314
1635 CE
Sankin-kōtai System Mandated
The shogunate mandates alternate attendance (sankin-kōtai), requiring daimyō to reside in Edo every other year. #history #japan
Sankin-kōtai System Mandated By a former retainer - [1], Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4625127
Dec 11, 1637 CE
Shimabara Rebellion Begins
Christian peasants and ronin rebel in Shimabara; the shogunate crushes them with massive force. #history #japan #religion
Shimabara Rebellion Begins By Unknown author - Yanagawa Ancient Archives - https://www.city.yanagawa.fukuoka.jp/blog-buka/2020/_7900/_7933.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113025861
1639 CE
Sakoku Edicts (Isolation)
Japan enacts the Sakoku policy, banning most foreign contact and restricting trade to Nagasaki. #history #japan
1641 CE
Dutch Trade Restricted to Dejima
The Dutch East India Company is confined to the artificial island of Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor. #history #japan
Dutch Trade Restricted to Dejima By Isaac Titsingh - Koninklijke Bibliotheek Bijzonderheden over Japan, behelzende een verslag van de huwelijks plechtigheden, begrafenissen en feesten der Japanezen, de gedenkschriften der laatste Japansche keizers, en andere merkwaardigheden nopens dat rijk, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7712717
Mar 2, 1657 CE
Great Fire of Meireki
A catastrophic fire destroys much of Edo, killing over 100,000 people and reshaping the city. #history #japan #disaster
Great Fire of Meireki By 田代幸春 - 戸火事図巻（江戸東京博物館 Edo-Tokyo Museum ：収蔵品）, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10490659
1688 CE
Genroku Era Begins
The Genroku era marks a cultural golden age, with flourishing ukiyo-e, kabuki, and literature. #culture #history #japan
Jan 30, 1702 CE
Forty-Seven Ronin Incident
Forty-seven masterless samurai avenge their lord's death and later commit seppuku, becoming a symbol of bushido. #history #japan #bushido
Forty-Seven Ronin Incident By Yasuda Raishū 安田雷洲 (?-1858) - https://tokyoartnavi.jp/edoartnavi/index009.php, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81431943
Dec 31, 1703 CE
Great Genroku Earthquake
A massive earthquake and tsunami hit Edo, killing thousands and causing widespread damage. #history #japan #disaster
Great Genroku Earthquake By As6022014 - 宇佐美龍夫 『最新版 日本被害地震総覧 416‐2001』 , Lincun(2010)ファイル:地図 令制国 和泉国.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18458718
1720 CE
Kyōhō Reforms
Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune implements Kyōhō Reforms to stabilize the economy and revive samurai values. #history #japan
1764 CE
Hōreki-Tenmei Famine Begins
A series of crop failures and famines devastate Japan, leading to social unrest. #history #japan
1787 CE
Matsudaira Sadanobu and Kansei Reforms
Matsudaira Sadanobu leads Kansei Reforms to curb corruption and promote Confucian austerity. #history #japan
Matsudaira Sadanobu and Kansei Reforms By Toyooka Harusuke - The Japanese book "大江磐代君顕彰展", Kurayoshi Museum(倉吉博物館), 2012, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10729737
May 1, 1792 CE
Unzen Earthquake and Tsunami
A volcanic eruption and earthquake trigger a massive tsunami that kills thousands. #history #japan #disaster
Unzen Earthquake and Tsunami By Unknown author - https://www.hp1039.jishin.go.jp/danso/Nagasaki9/figures/f3-8.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128151637
1808 CE
Phaeton Incident
The British frigate HMS Phaeton enters Nagasaki harbor, causing fear and demonstrating Japan's vulnerability. #history #japan
Phaeton Incident By John Christian Schetky - http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/150855, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62829776
1825 CE
Edict to Repel Foreign Ships
The shogunate issues an edict ordering coastal authorities to drive away foreign ships, reinforcing isolation. #history #japan
1837 CE
Ōshio Heihachirō Rebellion
A former official leads a rebellion in Osaka against corruption and famine, quickly suppressed. #history #japan
Ōshio Heihachirō Rebellion By Kikuchi Yōsai - 大阪城天守閣蔵, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47313439
1841 CE
Tempō Reforms
Shogun Tokugawa Ieyoshi initiates Tempō Reforms to address financial crises, with limited success. #history #japan
Jul 8, 1853 CE
Perry Arrives in Japan
Commodore Matthew Perry arrives at Uraga with American warships, demanding Japan open its borders. #history #japan #usa
Perry Arrives in Japan By Mathew Benjamin Brady - Metropolitan Museum of Art, online collection (The Met object ID 283184), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17461041
Mar 31, 1854 CE
Convention of Kanagawa
Japan signs the Treaty of Kanagawa with the U.S., opening two ports and ending sakoku. #history #japan
Convention of Kanagawa By World Imaging - Own work, photographed at Foreign Ministry Archives, Tokyo, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12764180
Jul 29, 1858 CE
Treaty of Amity and Commerce (Harris Treaty)
Japan signs the Harris Treaty with the U.S., granting extraterritoriality and tariff controls. #history #japan )
Treaty of Amity and Commerce (Harris Treaty) By World Imaging - Own work, photographed at Japan Foreign Ministry Archives, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12765184
Aug 15, 1863 CE
Bombardment of Kagoshima
British ships bombard Kagoshima in retaliation for the Namamugi Incident, forcing the Satsuma domain to negotiate. #history #japan
Bombardment of Kagoshima By E. Roevens after special artist and correspondent in Japan - Le Monde Illustre, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1980508
Sep 5, 1864 CE
Bombardment of Shimonoseki
An allied fleet of Western powers attacks Chōshū domain, ending its resistance to opening. #history #japan
Bombardment of Shimonoseki By Felice Beato - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3227733
Jan 21, 1866 CE
Satchō Alliance Formed
The Satsuma and Chōshū domains form a secret alliance to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate. #history #japan
Satchō Alliance Formed By Felice Beato - From the English Wikipedia. Origin source unknown, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53809
Nov 9, 1867 CE
Taisei Hōkan (Return of Power)
Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu resigns, formally returning political power to the Emperor. #history #japan
Jan 3, 1868 CE
Meiji Restoration Begins
The Meiji Restoration is proclaimed, ending the Edo period and beginning modern Japan under Emperor Meiji. #history #japan
Meiji Restoration Begins By Takahashi Yuichi (1828-1894) - https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2013/11/27/arts/the-imperial-household-of-tradition/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=46694400
