Timeline of Osaka

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

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Prior to 19th century

Map of Osaka in 1686 CE

• 211 CE – Sumiyoshi taisha (shrine) founded.
• 593 CE – Shitennō-ji (temples) founded.
• 645 CE – Capital of Japan relocated to Naniwa-kyō;^[1] Kōtoku in power.
• 672 – Tenmu in power.^[2]
• 724 – Shōmu in power.^[2]
• 794 – Japanese capital relocated from Naniwa to Heian-kyō.^[2]
• 1496 – Ishiyama Hongan-ji construction begins (approximate date).^[3][4]
• 1583 – Osaka Castle construction begins.^[4][5]
• 1614 – November: Siege of Osaka begins.
• 1615
  • June: Siege of Osaka ends.
  • Dōtonbori (canal) built.
• 1684 – Takemoto-za puppet theatre opens.^[6]
• 1720 – Sasa-se theatre fan club founded.^[7]
• 1724 – Kaitokudō merchant academy established.^[8]

• Gallery
• 
  Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine
• 
  Shitennoji
• 
  Remains of Naniwa-no-Miya Palace (2017)

19th century

Osaka Japan in 1880s

Sennichimae area in 1916

• 1805 – Bunrakuza puppet theatre opens (approximate date).^[6]
• 1837 – Economic/social unrest led by Ōshio Heihachirō.^[1]
• 1838 – Tekijuku (school) opens.^[6]
• 1868
  • European commerce begins.^[9][5]
  • City becomes part of Osaka Municipal Prefecture.^[6]
• 1869 – Tokyo-Osaka steamship line begins operating.^[10]
• 1871
  • Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka postal service begins.^[11]
  • Imperial Mint built.^[12][13]
• 1874 – Kobe-Osaka railway begins operating;^[14] Ōsaka Station (with clocktower) opens.^[15]
• 1875 – Meiji political Osaka Conference of 1875 held.
• 1876 – Osaka Nippō (newspaper) begins publication.
• 1878 – Osaka Stock Exchange and Osaka Chamber of Commerce [ja] ^[16] established.
• 1879 – Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) begins publication.^[17]
• 1880 – Osaka Commercial Training Institute [ja] established.
• 1881 – Osaka Iron Works established.^[10][18]
• 1882
  • Osaka Boseki Kaisha (spinning mill) in business.
  • Population: 332,425.^[4]
• 1884 – Osaka Shosen Kaisha (shipping firm) in business.^[19]
• 1887 – Population: 426,846.^[4]
• 1888 – Osaka Mainichi Shinbun [ja] (newspaper) begins publication.^[20]
• 1890 – Nakanoshima Park opens.^[13]
• 1892
  • December 20: Fire.^[9]
  • Population: 479,895.^[4]
• 1895
  • Sumitomo Bank established.^[21][22]
  • Kyōbashi Station built.^{[citation needed]}
• 1897
  • Parts of Higashinari-gun [ja] and Nishinari-gun [ja] annexed to Osaka city.^[23]
  • Demonstration of Lumière "projected pictures" at the Nanchi Embujo theatre.^[24]
  • Population: 758,285.^[4]
• 1900 – Population: 881,344 city; 1,678,422 prefecture.^[25]

20th century

Osaka castle

Skyscrapers in Umeda district

1900s–1940s

• 1901 – Satirical Kokkei Shinbun [ja] begins publication.^[26][27]
• 1903 – National Industrial Exposition (Japan) [ja] held in Osaka.^[28][4]
• 1904 – Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library opens.
• 1905 – Maruki-go bakery in business.^[29]
• 1909 – Tennōji Park established.
• 1910 – Population: 1,239,373 city; 2,197,201 prefecture.^[25]
• 1915 – Tennōji Zoo founded.^[30]
• 1917 – City planning committee formed.^[14]
• 1918
  • City Social Bureau established.^[14]
  • Osaka Central Public Hall [ja] built.^[31]
• 1919 – Miki Hall (concert venue) opens.^[31]
• 1920
  • Shirokiya department store built.^[29]
  • Population: 1,768,295.^[32]
• 1922 – Daimaru department store built.^[29]
• 1923
  • Sharp in business.^[33]
  • Seki Hajime [fr] becomes mayor.^[34]
• 1924 – Osaka Photographic Science Society founded.^[35]
• 1925
  • City wards established: Higashinari, Higashiyodogawa, Konohana, Minato, Naniwa, Nishinari, Nishiyodogawa, Sumiyoshi, and Tennōji.
  • "Public radio broadcasting commences."^[17]
  • Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. established.
  • Population: 2,114,804.^[32]
• 1926 – Asahi Kaikan (concert hall) opens.^[31]
• 1927 – Dojima Ohashi [ja] (bridge) built over Dojima River.^[18]
• 1928 – Osaka University of Commerce active.
• 1929
  • Kosobe Conservatory (garden) established.^[36]
  • Hankyu Department Store opens in Umeda Station.^{[citation needed]}
• 1930 – Population: 2,453,573 city; 3,540,017 prefecture.^[25]
• 1931 – National Defense Women's Association founded in Osaka.^[11][37]
• 1932 – City wards established: Asahi and Taishō.
• 1933
  • Subway Midōsuji Line begins operating.
  • Sanwa Bank established.^[22]
• 1936
  • Osaka Tigers baseball team formed.
  • Osaka Municipal Museum of Art [ja] opens.
• 1940
  • January 28: Train crash at Ajikawaguchi Station.^[12]
  • Population: 3,252,340 city;^[38] 4,843,032 prefecture.^[25]
• 1942
  • Osaka Shimbun [ja] (newspaper) in publication.^[16]
  • Subway Yotsubashi Line begins operating.
• 1943
  • City wards established: Abeno, Fukushima, Higashisumiyoshi, Ikuno, Jōtō, and Miyakojima.
  • Hitachi Zosen Corporation in business.^[18]
• 1945
  • March 13: Bombing of Osaka during World War II begins.
  • August 14: Bombing of Osaka ends.
  • Population: 1,102,959.^[39]
  • Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau established.
• 1947
  • Kansai Symphony Orchestra founded.
  • Population: 1,559,310.^[38]
• 1948 – Grand Sumo tournament begins.^[40]
• 1949 – Osaka City University and Osaka Securities Exchange^[16] active.

1950s–1990s

• 1950 – Population: 1,956,136.^[39]
• 1955
  • Cinerama Gekijo opens.^[41]
  • Sankei Sports newspaper begins publication.^[16]
  • Population: 2,547,321.^[32]
• 1956
  • Tsūtenkaku (tower) built.
  • Osaka designated a government ordinance city.^[42]
• 1957 – Sister city relationship established with San Francisco, USA.^[43]
• 1958 – Radio Osaka begins broadcasting.
• 1961
  • September: Typhoon Muroto II occurs.^[12]
  • Subway Chūō Line begins operating.
• 1964
  • Tokyo-Osaka Tōkaidō Shinkansen (hi-speed train) begins operating.^[12]
  • Nagai Stadium opens.
• 1967 – Subway Tanimachi Line begins operating.
• 1968 – Osaka Sports [ja] newspaper in publication.^[16]
• 1969 – Subway Sakaisuji Line and Sennichimae Line begin operating.
• 1970
  • April: Gas explosion in Kita-ku.^[12]
  • Expo '70 (world's fair) held in Osaka.^[44]
• 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.^[45]
• 1977 – National Museum of Art, Osaka opens.
• 1979 – Capsule Inn Osaka in business.^[46]
• 1980 – Osaka Symphony Orchestra [ja] established.^[47]
• 1982
  • Osaka International Ladies Marathon begins.
  • Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka established.
• 1983 – Osaka-jō Hall (arena) opens.
• 1984 – National Bunraku Theatre opens.^[2]
• 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.^[48]
• 1993 – Umeda Sky Building constructed.
• 1995
  • January 17: The 6.9 M_w  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.^[49]
• 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.^[50]
• 2011 – Tōru Hashimoto becomes mayor.^[51]
• 2013 – Festival Hall opens.
• 2014 – Population: 2,685,218.^[52]
• 2021 – December 17: A fire occurs in Kita ward.

See also

• Osaka history
• Osaka history (in Japanese; includes timeline)
• List of mayors of Osaka [ja]