| 1945: |
US drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Japan accepts Potsdam Declaration, ending World War II. |
| 1946: |
Japanese Constitution promulgated. |
| 1950: |
National Police Reserve (predecessor of Self-Defense
Forces) established. |
| 1951: |
San Francisco Peace Treaty signed, officially ending
World War II.
US-Japan Security Treaty signed.
|
| 1952: |
Japan joins IMF. |
| 1955: |
Liberal Democratic Party formed through merger of conservative
parties.
Japan joins GATT. |
| 1956: |
Japan-Soviet joint declaration reestablishes diplomatic
relations.
Japan joins United Nations. |
| 1960: |
Beginning of era of high-economic growth.
Revised Japan-US Security Treaty takes effect. |
| 1964: |
Tokyo Olympic Games held.
Shinkansen "bullet " trains begin operation.
Japan joins OECD. |
| 1965: |
Japan-Korea Treaty signed. |
| 1968: |
US returns Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands to Japan. |
| 1970: |
Expo '70 opens in Osaka. |
| 1971: |
Yen revalued ¥308 (16.88% rise) against dollar from
¥360. |
| 1972: |
Winter Olympic Games open in Sapporo.
Japan-China Joint Communique normalizes ties.
US returns Okinawa to Japan. |
| 1973: |
Oil crisis hits Japan.
Japan adopts floating exchange-rate system. |
| 1978: |
Japan-China Peace and Friendship Treaty signed. |
| 1979: |
G-7 Summit held in Tokyo. |
| 1985: |
Plaza Accord signed, leading to yen's rise against dollar.
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone and Japan Tobacco privatized. |
| 1987: |
Japan National Railways privatized, splitting into the
seven JR companies. |
| 1988: |
Japan and US agree to partial liberalization of orange
and beef imports. |
| 1989: |
Nikkei Average hits peak of 38,915.
Emperor Hirohito dies; Crown Prince Akihito ascends to
Imperial Throne.
Consumption (sales) tax introduced, set at 3%. |
| 1990: |
Japan pays first installment of $13 billion contribution
to support UN-backed operations in Gulf War. |
| 1991: |
Real estate and stock market bubbles burst. |
| 1992: |
UN Peace-Keeping Operation Law enacted. |
| 1993: |
Crown Prince Naruhito marries Masako Owada.
Uruguay Round of GATT talks conclude, approving rice tariff
in accompaniment of liberalization of rice imports starting
1999. |
| 1994: |
Single-seat and proportional representation constituency
laws enacted by Lower House of the National Diet. |
| 1995: |
Dollar falls to record low of ¥79.75.
Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake rocks Kobe and surrounding
areas.
Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attack on Tokyo subway system
leaves 12 dead. |
| 1996: |
Japanese version of financial "Big Bang" announced.
US agrees to return Futenma Air Station in Okinawa to
Japan. |
| 1997: |
UN Conference on Global Climate Change (COP3) held in
Kyoto.
Bankruptcy and liquidation of Yamaichi Securities and
Hokkaido Takushoku Bank.
Hostage crisis occurs at the Japanese ambassador's residence
in Lima, Peru. |
| 1998: |
Winter Olympic Games open in Nagano.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin visits Japan.
North Korea test-fires missile over Japan. |
| 1999: |
Nuclear accident occurs at uranium-fuel processing plant
in Tokai Village.
Japan-US defense guidelines enacted. |
| 2000: |
G-8 Summit held in Okinawa. |
| 2001: |
Crown Princess Masako gives birth to a girl; named Aiko.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi takes office.
First BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) case confirmed
in Japan. |
| 2002: |
Japan and Republic of Korea co-host soccer World Cup
2002 tournament.
Koizumi visits Pyongyang to meet North Korean leader Kim
Jong-il.
Five Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea return
to Japan. |
| 2003: |
SARS epidemic hits Japanese companies' operation in
East Asia.
Resona Bank and Ashikaga Bank fail, later nationalized.
Japan, US, Republic of Korea, China, Russia, and North
Korea hold 6 - way talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons
program.
Koizumi decides to deploy SDF to Iraq. |
| 2004: |
Air, Ground, and Maritime SDF dispatched in stages to
Iraq on humanitarian assistance mission. |
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