Timeline of Tokyo facts for kids

Tokyo Skytree in 2014

The following is a timeline of the history of Tokyo, Japan.

Prior to 19th century

• 1457 - Edo Castle built.
• 1634 - Sankin-kōtai policy established.
• 1657 - March 2: Great Fire of Meireki occurs.
• 1682 - 1682 Edo fire
• 1707 - December: Eruption of Mount Fuji; ash falls on Edo.
• 1721 - "First population census conducted (Edo’s population about 1.3 million)."

19th century

• 1853
  • July 8: American Perry Expedition arrives in Edo Bay.
  • Odaiba island forts built in Edo Bay.
  • Hanayashiki garden opens.
• 1855 - November 11: 1855 Edo earthquake occurs.
• 1856 - Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo published.
• 1868 - Edo renamed "Tokyo."
• 1869
  • Japanese imperial capital relocated to Tokyo from Kyoto.
  • Tokyo Shôkonsha (shrine) established.
  • Yokohama-Tokyo telegraph begins operating.
• 1871 - Esaki Reiji photo studio in business.
• 1872
  • Yushima Seido Exposition is held
  • October: Yokohama-Tokyo railroad begins operating.
  • Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun (newspaper) begins publication.
  • "Ordinances aimed at the civilizing of the populace are enacted in Tokyo."
  • Imperial Library headquartered in Tokyo.
• 1873 - Dai-Ichi Kokuritsu Bank established.
• 1874 - Aoyama Gakuin school and Saint Paul's school established.
• 1877
  • University of Tokyo and Fifteen Bank [ja] established.
  • National Industrial Exhibition held.
• 1880 - Mitsubishi Bank and Yasuda Bank established.
• 1881
  • Tokyo Imperial Museum built.
  • Tokyo Vocational School founded.
• 1882
  • Bank of Japan headquartered in city.
  • Ueno Zoo opens.
• 1884 - Railway Yamanote Line begins operating.
• 1886 - "First fixed advertising billboard in Tokyo" installed.
• 1887 - Tokyo School of Art [ja] founded.
• 1888
  • Tokyo Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) begins publication.
  • Tokyo Observatory [ja] established.
• 1889
  • "Tokyo City and 15 wards established."
  • Kabuki-za (theatre) opens.
• 1890
  • Telephone begins operating.
  • Population: 1,155,290.
• 1894 - Tokyo-fu Government Building constructed in Marunouchi.
• 1897 - March: Motion picture first shown.

20th century

1900s-1940s

• 1901 - Tokyo Photography Circle (club) formed.
• 1902 - Industrial Bank of Japan headquartered in city.
• 1903
  • Electric tram begins operating.
  • Electric Hall (cinema) opens.
• 1905 - September 5: Hibiya Incendiary Incident occurs.
• 1906 - Harajuku Station opens.
• 1907 - Tokyo Industrial Exhibition held.
• 1910 - Luna Park opens.
• 1911 - Imperial Theatre opens.
• 1914
  • December: Central Station opens.
  • Taisho Exposition held.
• 1916 - Tokyo Photographers Guild established.
• 1917 - Asakusa Opera [ja] active.
• 1918
  • Rice riot occurs.
  • Neon light installed in Ginza.
• 1920
  • Meiji Shrine built.
  • Population: 3,699,428.
• 1921 - November 4: Japanese prime minister Takashi Hara assassinated.
• 1923 - September 1: 1923 Great Kantō earthquake occurs.
• 1925 - Tokyo Broadcasting Station [ja] begins operating.
• 1926
  • "Public apartment housing" built.
  • NHK Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum established.
• 1927 - Tokyo Underground Railway begins operating between Asakusa and Ueno.
• 1928 - Daiba Park [ja] opens in Tokyo Bay.
• 1929 - Tokyo March song/film become popular.
• 1930 - Population: 4,986,913.
• 1931 - Haneda Airport begins operating.
• 1933 - Dai-Ichi Seimei Building constructed.
• 1934
  • Yomiuri Giants baseball team formed.
  • Hibiya Theatre [ja] opens.
• 1936
  • Konishiroku Honten in business.
  • Japanese Folk Crafts Museum founded.
• 1937 - Korakuen Stadium opens.
• 1938 - Rikugi-en (park) opens.
• 1940 - Population: 6,778,804.
• 1941 - Port of Tokyo opens.
• 1942 - April: Bombing of Tokyo by US forces begins.
• 1943 - "Metropolitan administration system established."
• 1945
  • 10 March: A major air attack kills 90,000 to 100,000 people and destroys a quarter of the city's buildings
  • August: Bombing of Tokyo by US forces ends.
  • Japan Savings Bank [ja] established.
  • Population: 3,488,284.
• 1946 - Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal begins.
• 1947
  • Seiichirō Yasui [fr; ja] elected governor.
  • 23 Special wards of Tokyo created.
• 1948 - National Diet Library headquartered in Tokyo.

1950s-1990s

• 1950 - Population: 6,277,500.
• 1955
  • Tokyo International Trade Fair begins.
  • Population: 6,966,499.
• 1958
  • Japanese National Stadium opens.
  • May: 1958 Asian Games held in Tokyo.
• 1961
  • Suntory Art Museum [ja] opens.
  • Higashi-Ikebukuro Taishôken ramen shop in business.
• 1964
  • Tōkaidō Shinkansen (hi-speed train) begins operating;
  • October: 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo.
  • Tokyo 12 Channel TV begins broadcasting.
  • Hotel New Otani Tokyo built.
• 1967 - Yoyogi Park created.
• 1968
  • Kasumigaseki Building (hi-rise) built.
  • Ramen Jiro eatery in business.
• 1969 - "Tokyo Metropolitan Pollution Control Ordinance [ja] enacted."
• 1971 - Keio Plaza Hotel (hi-rise) built.
• 1971 - The Zengakuren demonstrate in Tokyo against terms for the return of Okinawa from US to Japanese control.
• 1972 - Nakagin Capsule Tower built.
• 1973 - Tokyo Metropolitan Library opens.
• 1975
  • Ward mayoral election held.
  • Population: 8,640,000 city; 11,622,651 urban agglomeration.
• 1979 - June: 5th G7 summit held in city.
• 1988
  • Tokyo Dome (stadium) opens.
  • Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome established.
• 1989 - Bunkamura cultural venue opens.
• 1991 - Metropolitan government relocates to new building in Shinjuku.
• 1993
  • Rainbow Bridge opens.
  • DN Tower 21 built.
• 1995 - March 20: Tokyo subway sarin attack.
• 1996 - Tokyo Big Sight convention centre opens.
• 2000 - Population: 8,130,408.

21st century

• 2001 - October: Asian Network of Major Cities 21 meets in Tokyo.
• 2002 - Tokyo International Anime Fair begins.
• 2004 - ShinGinkō Tokyo [ja] bank established.
• 2005 - Tokyo Metropolitan University established.
• 2007
  • Tokyo Marathon begins.
  • Midtown Tower built.
  • Shinjuku Wald 9 cinema in business.
• 2008 - C40 environmental group meets in Tokyo.
• 2011 - 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami occurs and seriously Fukushima nuclear disaster.
• 2012
  • Tokyo Gate Bridge opens.
  • Tokyo Skytree tower built.
• 2013 - September: Tokyo chosen as site of the future 2020 Summer Olympics.
• 2014
  • Toranomon Hills (hi-rise) built.
  • Yoichi Masuzoe elected governor.
• 2016 - Yuriko Koike elected governor.
• 2020 - March: Ultimately postponement of 2020 Summer Olympics to July 2021 announced due to COVID-19 concerns.