1459 - 1640
1467 Onin War begins (marks the start of Sengoku Period)
1468 Monks and courtiers begin flight to countryside
1475 Religious uprising in Kaga
1477 Onin War ends; Kyoto in ruins
1480 Religious uprising in Kyoto; hereafter occur annually across country
1489 Silver Pavilion completed (Kyoto)
1499 Dry-stone garden of Ryoan-ji completed (Kyoto)
1500 Great Fire of Kyoto; 20,000 homes destroyed
1506 Religious uprising reignited in Kaga
1511 Religious uprising in Yamashiro
1512 Famine in Kanto region
1520 In bid to end uprisings, shogunate declares moratorium on debt
1531 Asakura clan of Echizen overthrown in religious uprising
1536 Tenmon Lotus Uprising
1542 Ikenobo Sen'o transcribes oral teaching on flower arrangement
1543 Portuguese ship docks at Tanegashima and unloads firearms (NB other theories about first arrival of firearms exist)
1547 Saito Dosan destroys Toki clan and takes control of Gifu
1549 Jesuit Francis Xavier lands at Kagoshima; introduces Christian faith
1555 Battle of Kawanakajima
1555 Japanese pirates prey on Chinese coast
1556 Western-style medicine introduced by Almeida
1556 Saito Dosan fights his adoptive son, Yoshitatsu, and is defeated
1559 Otomo of Bungo open port of Fuchu
1559 Oda Nobunaga takes control of all Owari
1560 Oda Nobunaga defeats Imagawa army at Battle of Okehasama
1565 Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru assassinated
1565 Christian missionaries expelled from Kyoto
1567 Oda Nobunaga pacifies Mino; renames Inokuchi Castle 'Gifu'
1567 Portuguese ship arrives in Nagasaki
1568 Nobunaga marches on Kyoto at invitation of Ashikaga Yoshiaki
1568 Nanban Temple (church) erected in Kyoto
1569 Nobunaga receives Jesuit Lois Frois; gives permission to reside in Kyoto
1571 Nobunaga razes Mt Hiei
1573 Termination of Muromachi shogunate
1573 Nobunaga destroys Azai and Asakura clans
1575 Nobunaga wins Battle of Nagashino through use of firearms
1576 Nobunaga moves to Azuchi Castle
1577 Nobunaga declares Open Markets at Azuchi
1578 Mori clan destroys Amago clan
1579 Nobunaga suppresses Nichizen Buddhist sect
1580 Major religious uprising in Kaga
1581 Nobunaga gives Jesuit Valignano permission to open seminary
1582 Nobanaga takes his life in Honno-ji Incident instigated by Akechi Mitsuhide
1582 Hideyoshi defeats Mitsuhide at Battle of Yamazaki
1582 Boys' Embassy of three Kyushu families (Otomo, Omura, Arima) departs for Rome (-1590)
1582 Hideyoshi conducts Kubo's Cadastral Survey
1583 Hideyoshi defeats Shibata Katsuie
1583 consolidates holdings as Nobunaga's successor
1584 Spanish ship docks at Hirado
1587 Hideyoshi pacifies Kyushu
1587 he and Rikyu hold Great Kitano Tea Party
1587 Hideyoshi expels Christian missionaries
1588 Hideyoshi conducts Sword Hunt
1588 mints oban and koban coins
1588 Hosokawa Gracia converts to Christianity
1589 Hideyoshi founds bronze Great Buddha for Hoko-ji
1590 Hideyoshi, defeats Hojo clan at Odawara, and unifies all Japan
1590 HIeyasu enters Edo Castle
1591 Sen Rikyu commits suicide on Hideyoshi's orders
1592 Hideyoshi launches Korean Campaign
1592 'Vermilion Seal' trading system formalised
1593 Christian press publishes Aesop's Fables and Tales of the Feique (Heike)
1594 Hideyoshi enters Fushimi Castle
1594 naturalisation of Ri Sanpei (Korean potter brought over by Hideyoshi's army)
1594 porcelain production begins in Kyushu
1597 Hideyoshi launches Second Korean Campaign
1597 Twenty-Six Martyrs of Nagasaki killed
1598 Death of Hideyoshi
1600 Battle of Seki-ga-Hara
1603 Ieyasu establishes Tokugawa shogunate
1603 fad for Okuni from Izumo's 'kabuki' dancing
1609 Trade begins formally with Dutch in Hirado
1613 Trade begins formally with English in Hirado
1614 Winter Campaign against Osaka Castle inconclusive, but next year's Spring Campaign decisive
1615 Spring Campaign against Osaka Castle successful
1615 destruction of Toyotomi clan
1616 Death of Ieyasu
1616 European shipping restricted to Hirado and Nagasaki
1639 Formal closure of the country to international intercourse
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