1890 | Meiji Constitution and Imperial Rescript on Education promulgated. |
1894 | Great Britain agrees to relinquish extraterritoriality by 1899 |
1894-5 | Sino-Japanese War: Japan wins indemnity, Formosa. |
1896 | Triple Intervention (Germany, France, Russia) forces return of Liaotung (Kwantung) Peninsula to China. Complete Civil Code goes into effect. |
1898 | Okuma-Itagaki Cabinet formed, falls almost immediately. |
1900 | Ito Hirobumi becomes president of Seiyukai party. Japanese population at 44.8M. Boxer Rebellion. |
1902 | Anglo-Japanese Alliance. |
1903 | Ito passes Seiyukai leadership to Saionji Kinmochi. |
1904 | Russo-Japanese War begins with assault on Port Arthur. |
1905 | Japan wins, gaining Liaotung Peninsula and influence in Korea, but no indemnity. Taft-Katsura agreement over Korea and Philippines. |
1907 | San Francisco School Segregation Incident |
1908 | Gentleman’s Agreement. |
1909 | Assassination of Ito Hirobumi in Korea. |
1910 | Annexation of Korea into the Japanese Empire. |
1911 | Great Treason Incident. Special Higher Police established. Seito (“Bluestockings”) magazine begins publication. |
1912 | Meiji Emperor dies. General Nogi Maresuke and his wife commit suicide (junshi). Taisho era begins |
1913 | Dispute over military expenditures sparks Diet-government clash, including popular demonstrations, called the Taisho Crisis; government backs down. California prohibits non-citizens from owning land. |
1914 | World War I begins Japan seizes German possessions in South Pacific and Northern China. |
1917 | Lansing-Ishii Agreement confirms Japan’s interests in China. |
1918 | World War I ends: Japan a Victor at the Versailles Conference. Rice Riots bring down Terauchi cabinet. Hara Kei (Takashi) forms first party cabinet. |
1918-22 | Siberian Intervention. |
1920 | California prohibits leasing of land by Japanese immigrants. |
1921 | Washington Conference sets naval balance in Pacific (5-5-3) Four Power Treaty replaces Anglo-Japanese alliance. Hara Kei (Takashi) assassinated. |
1922 |
Yamagata Aritomo dies. |
1923 | Great Kanto Earthquake kills 130,000, levels Tokyo. |
1924 | Matsukata Masayoshi, last genro dies. Alien Exclusion Act enacted in USA; Peru follows suit. |
1925 |
Kellogg-Briand Pact renouncing war signed by Japan. |
1926 | Taisho Emperor dies; Showa Era begins. Domestic depression. |
1929 | Great Depression begins in USA. Silk market collapses. |
1930 | London Naval Conference. Smoot-Hawley tariffs in effect in USA. |
1931 | Mukden Incident and seizure of Manchuria. |
1932 | Inukai Tsuyoshi assassinated in 5-15 incident. |
1933 | Japan withdraws from League of Nations. |
1936 | February 26 uprising. Japan joins Anti-Comintern Pact. |
1937 | Marco Polo Bridge Incident sparks China War. |
1940 |
Japanese population at 73.1M. |
1941 |
Japanese seize Indo-China; USA initiates oil embargo. |
© 2002 — Jonathan Dresner