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.

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  established.
 * 1879 – Asahi Shimbun (newspaper) begins publication.
 * 1880 – 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 –  (newspaper) begins publication.
 * 1890 – Nakanoshima Park opens.
 * 1892
 * December 20: Fire.
 * Population: 479,895.
 * 1895
 * Sumitomo Bank established.
 * Kyōbashi Station built.
 * 1897
 * Parts of and  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.

1900s–1940s

 * 1901 – Satirical begins publication.
 * 1903 – 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.
 * 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.
 * 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 – (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.
 * opens.
 * 1940
 * January 28: Train crash at Ajikawaguchi Station.
 * Population: 3,252,340 city; 4,843,032 prefecture.
 * 1942
 *  (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 – 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 – 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 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.