Timeline of Osaka

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Osaka, Japan.

Prior to 19th century

• 211 CE – Sumiyoshi taisha (shrine) founded.
• 593 CE – Shitennō-ji (temples) founded.
• 645 CE – Capital of Japan relocated to Naniwa-kyō; Kōtoku in power.
• 672 – Tenmu in power.
• 724 – Shōmu in power.
• 794 – Japanese capital relocated from Naniwa to Heian-kyō.
• 1496 – Ishiyama Hongan-ji construction begins (approximate date).
• 1583 – Osaka Castle construction begins.
• 1614 – November: Siege of Osaka begins.
• 1615
• June: Siege of Osaka ends.
• Dōtonbori (canal) built.
• 1684 – Takemoto-za puppet theatre opens.
• 1720 – Sasa-se theatre fan club founded.
• 1724 – Kaitokudō merchant academy established.

19th century

• 1805 – Bunrakuza puppet theatre opens (approximate date).
• 1837 – Economic/social unrest led by Ōshio Heihachirō.
• 1838 – Tekijuku (school) opens.
• 1868
• European commerce begins.
• City becomes part of Osaka Municipal Prefecture.
• 1869 – Tokyo-Osaka steamship line begins operating.
• 1871
• Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka postal service begins.
• Imperial Mint built.
• 1874 – Kobe-Osaka railway begins operating; Ōsaka Station (with clocktower) opens.
• 1875 – Meiji political Osaka Conference of 1875 held.
• 1876 – Osaka Nippō (newspaper) begins publication.
• 1878 – Osaka Stock Exchange and http://www.osaka.cci.or.jp/e/profile/ established.
• 1879 – Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) begins publication.
• 1880 – established.
• 1881 – Osaka Iron Works established.
• 1882
• Osaka Boseki Kaisha (spinning mill) in business.
• Population: 332,425.
• 1884 – Osaka Shosen Kaisha (shipping firm) in business.
• 1887 – Population: 426,846.
• 1888 – ' (newspaper) begins publication.
• 1890 – Nakanoshima Park opens.
• 1892
• December 20: Fire.
• Population: 479,895.
• 1895
• Sumitomo Bank established.
• Kyōbashi Station built.
• 1897
• Parts of and annexed to Osaka city.
• Demonstration of Lumière "projected pictures" at the Nanchi Embujo theatre.
• Population: 758,285.
• 1900 – Population: 881,344 city; 1,678,422 prefecture.

20th century

1900s–1940s

• 1901 – Satirical begins publication.
• 1903 – held in Osaka.
• 1904 – Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library opens.
• 1905 – Maruki-go bakery in business.
• 1909 – Tennōji Park established.
• 1910 – Population: 1,239,373 city; 2,197,201 prefecture.
• 1915 – Tennōji Zoo founded.
• 1917 – City planning committee formed.
• 1918
• City Social Bureau established.
• built.
• 1919 – Miki Hall (concert venue) opens.
• 1920
• Shirokiya department store built.
• Population: 1,768,295.
• 1922 – Daimaru department store built.
• 1923
• Sharp in business.
• becomes mayor.
• 1924 – Osaka Photographic Science Society founded.
• 1925
• City wards established: Higashinari, Higashiyodogawa, Konohana, Minato, Naniwa, Nishinari, Nishiyodogawa, Sumiyoshi, and Tennōji.
• "Public radio broadcasting commences."
• Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. established.
• Population: 2,114,804.
• 1926 – Asahi Kaikan (concert hall) opens.
• 1927 – (bridge) built over Dojima River.
• 1928 – active.
• 1929
• Kosobe Conservatory (garden) established.
• Hankyu Department Store opens in Umeda Station.
• 1930 – Population: 2,453,573 city; 3,540,017 prefecture.
• 1931 – National Defense Women's Association founded in Osaka.
• 1932 – City wards established: Asahi and Taishō.
• 1933
• Subway Midōsuji Line begins operating.
• Sanwa Bank established.
• 1936
• Osaka Tigers baseball team formed.
• opens.
• 1940
• January 28: Train crash at Ajikawaguchi Station.
• Population: 3,252,340 city; 4,843,032 prefecture.
• 1942
• ' (newspaper) in publication.
• Subway Yotsubashi Line begins operating.
• 1943
• City wards established: Abeno, Fukushima, Higashisumiyoshi, Ikuno, Jōtō, and Miyakojima.
• Hitachi Zosen Corporation in business.
• 1945
• March 13: Bombing of Osaka during World War II begins.
• August 14: Bombing of Osaka ends.
• Population: 1,102,959.
• Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau established.
• 1947
• Kansai Symphony Orchestra founded.
• Population: 1,559,310.
• 1948 – Grand Sumo tournament begins.
• 1949 – Osaka City University and Osaka Securities Exchange active.

1950s–1990s

• 1950 – Population: 1,956,136.
• 1955
• Cinerama Gekijo opens.
• Sankei Sports newspaper begins publication.
• Population: 2,547,321.
• 1956
• TsÅ«tenkaku (tower) built.
• Osaka designated a government ordinance city.
• 1957 – Sister city relationship established with San Francisco, USA.
• 1958 – Radio Osaka begins broadcasting.
• 1961
• September: Typhoon Muroto II occurs.
• Subway Chūō Line begins operating.
• 1964
• Tokyo-Osaka Tōkaidō Shinkansen (hi-speed train) begins operating.
• Nagai Stadium opens.
• 1967 – Subway Tanimachi Line begins operating.
• 1968 – newspaper in publication.
• 1969 – Subway Sakaisuji Line and Sennichimae Line begin operating.
• 1970
• April: Gas explosion in Kita-ku.
• Expo '70 (world's fair) held in Osaka.
• 1972
• May 13: Sennichi Department Store Building fire.
• Osaka Expo '70 Stadium opens.
• 1974 – City wards established: Hirano, Suminoe, Tsurumi, and Yodogawa.
• 1975 – Population: 2,780,000.
• 1977 – National Museum of Art, Osaka opens.
• 1979 – Capsule Inn Osaka in business.
• 1980 – established.
• 1982
• Osaka International Ladies Marathon begins.
• Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka established.
• 1983 – Osaka-jō Hall (arena) opens.
• 1984 – National Bunraku Theatre opens.
• 1987 – Kincho Stadium opens.
• 1989
• City wards established: Chūō and Kita.
• Osaka Science Museum opens.
• 1990
• Subway Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line begins operating.
• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan opens.
• Garden and Greenery Exposition held in city.
• 1993 – Umeda Sky Building constructed.
• 1995
• January 17: The 6.9 Great Hanshin earthquake shakes the southern Hyōgo Prefecture with a maximum Shindo of VII, leaving 5,502–6,434 people dead, and 251,301–310,000 displaced in the region.
• Takafumi Isomura becomes mayor.
• 1996 – Osaka Prefectural Central Library opens.
• 1997 – Tempozan Ferris Wheel and Kyocera Dome open.
• 1999 – Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum opens in nearby Ikeda.

21st century

• 2001 – June 8: Ikeda school massacre occurs in nearby Ikeda.
• 2006 – Subway Imazatosuji Line begins operating.
• 2007 – Kunio Hiramatsu becomes mayor.
• 2009 – Kansai Music Conference begins.
• 2010 – Population: 2,665,314.
• 2011 – Tōru Hashimoto becomes mayor.
• 2013 – Festival Hall opens.
• 2014 – Population: 2,685,218.
• 2021 – December 17: A fire occurs in Kita ward.

See also

• Osaka history
• (in Japanese; includes timeline)

References

This article incorporates information from the Japanese Wikipedia.

Bibliography

Published in the 19th century

Published in the 20th century

Published in the 21st century

• (first published in 1987)

External links

• Items related to Osaka, various dates (via Europeana).
• Items related to Osaka, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).