Timeline of Osaka

Prior to 19th century

211 CE – Sumiyoshi taisha (shrine) founded.

593 CE – Shitennō-ji (temple) 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 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.

20th century

1900 – Population: 881,344 city; 1,678,422 prefecture.

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.

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.

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 Mw 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.

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.