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.

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

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 Osaka Chamber of Commerce [1] established.
• 1879 – Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) begins publication.
• 1880 – Osaka Commercial Training Institute 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 – Osaka Mainichi Shinbun (newspaper) begins publication.
• 1890 – Nakanoshima Park opens.
• 1892
  • December 20: Fire.
  • Population: 479,895.
• 1895
  • Sumitomo Bank established.
  • Kyōbashi Station built.
• 1897
  • Parts of Higashinari-gun and Nishinari-gun 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 Kokkei Shinbun begins publication.
• 1903 – National Industrial Exposition (Japan) 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.
  • Osaka Central Public Hall 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.
  • Seki Hajime 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 – Dojima Ohashi (bridge) built over Dojima River.
• 1928 – Osaka University of Commerce 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.
  • Osaka Municipal Museum of Art opens.
• 1940
  • January 28: Train crash at Ajikawaguchi Station.
  • Population: 3,252,340 city; 4,843,032 prefecture.
• 1942
  • Osaka Shimbun (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
  • Tsūtenkaku (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 – Osaka Sports 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 – Osaka Symphony Orchestra 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 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.
• 1997 – Tempozan Ferris Wheel and Kyocera Dome open.
• 1999 – Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum opens in nearby Ikeda.

21st century

• 2001 – June 8: Osaka 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
• Osaka history (in Japanese; includes timeline)
• List of mayors of Osaka