1573 – Tensho Era.
1575 – The Takeda clan is defeated in the battle of Nagashino by Oda nobunaga through the use of fire arms.
1576 – Oda Nobunaga starts building the Azuchi Castle on the eastern bank of Lake Biwa, in Omi province. He starts disarming countrypeople in some territories.
Oda Nobunaga defeats the partisans of the Ikko Buddhism in Echizen and Kaga provinces. Oda Nobunaga’s inner circle now restricted to ten generals: Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Takigawa Kazumasu, Akechi Mitsuhide, Niwa Nagahide, Shibata Katsuie, Sassa Narimasa, Maeda Toshie, Sakuma Nobumori, Ikeda Tsuneoki, and Mori Nagayoshi.
1577 – Oda Nobunaga receives the title of Minister of the Right (Udaijin) from Emperor Ogimachi.
Oda Nobunaga declares Open Markets at Azuchi.
1578 – Oda Nobunaga’s supporters start expanding to lands west of Kyoto. Oda Nobunaga resigns all court offices and titles and transfers them to his heirs.
Mori clan destroys Amago clan.
1579 – Oda Nobunaga suppresses Nichizen Buddhist sect
Oda Nobunaga moves to the Azuchi Castle.
Alessandro Valignano, visitor (supervisor) of the Jesuit missions in Asia, arrives in Japan.
1580 – Major religious uprising in Kaga province takes place.
Jodo Shinshu School surrenders the Osaka Castle to Oda Nobunaga.
Oda Nobunaga defeats Ishiyama Honganji, the leader of Ikko Buddhism.
1581 – Oda Nobunaga gives Jesuit Valignano permission to open a seminary.
1582 – Four Christian Japanese boys, members of some important families from Kyushu Island (Otomo, Omura, Arima), are sent to Rome at the urging of Alessandro Valignano for an audience with Pope Gregory XIII (Mission To Europe of 1582).
Oda Nobunaga is assassinated at Honnoji in Kyoto by Akechi Mitsuhide – one of his generals, while heading to Takamatsu to support Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the battle with the Mori clan. Oda Nobunaga’s eldest son and heir, Oda Nobutada, is also assassinated in Kyoto. By this time, Oda Nobunaga controlled land in 31 of Japan’s 66 provinces.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi returns to Kyoto to defeat Akechi Mitsuhide at Battle of Yamazaki. At Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s insistence, Oda Nobunaga’s three-year old grandson, Oda Samboshi is appointed heir under the guardianship of four generals. The authority over Kyoto is given to Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Niwa Nagahide, Ikeda Tsuneoki, and Shibata Katsuie but Toyotomi Hideyoshi governed actually alone.
1582 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi conducts Kubo’s Cadastral Survey
1583 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi reconstructs the Osaka Castle.
1584 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeats Shibata Katsuie and comes to a truce with Tokugawa Ieyasu thus assuming overall power and national leadership.
Spanish ship docks at Hirado.
1585 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi is given the surname Toyotomi. He starts the unification of the daimyo from Shikoku Island and defeats the Chosokabe house.
1586 – Emperor Ogimachi resigns; Go-Yozei becomes the 107th Emperor until 1611.
1587 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi starts the unification of the daimyo from Kyushu Island and defeats Shimazu din Satsuma.
Christianity is officially banned and Christian missionaries are expelled from the country (although the order was not energetically enforced). Hosokawa Tama wife of Hosokawa Tadaoka is baptized Gracia.
1588 – The swords are confiscated from all subordinate classes from Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s order (Swords Hunt).
1589 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi founds bronze Great Buddha for Hoko-ji Temple.
1590 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeats the Hojo family in Odawara. The unification of Japan is now completed. The social structure is frozen (samurai, countrypeople, and merchant). The class mobility and the change of status are prohibited.
Tokugawa Ieyasu enters Edo Castle
1591 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi appoints his eldest nephew, Toyotomi Hidetsugu, as heir, and establishes him at Jurakutei. He also gives him the title of Kampaku (although Toyotomi Hideyoshi continues to rule), and then takes the title of Taiko for himself. Toyotomi Hideyoshi briefly exiles Sen no Rikyu to Sakai. He is soon called back to Kyoto and ordered to commit suicide.
1592 – Bunroku Era.
1592 – Japanese troops invade Korea with plans to continue the invasion in China. Seoul is occupied within one month.
The Franciscan order enters Japan, builds churches, and begins to proselytize (“Vermilion Seal”).
1593 – The Japanese troops are stopped at P’yongyang by Chinese and Korean forces. A truce is negotiated and most Japanese troops return home. Four fortifications are left in the south-east of the Korean provinces.
Toyotomi Hideyori, Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son, is born.
Christian press publishes Aesop’s Fables and Tales of the Feique (Heike).
1594 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi enters Fushimi Castle.
The naturalisation of Ri Sanpei potter (Korean potter brought over in Japan by Hideyoshi’s army).The porcelain production begins in Kyushu Island.
1595 – Toyotomi Hidetsugu is sent into exile and then is ordered to commit suicide. Shortly thereafter, Toyotomi Hidetsugu’s entire family is executed. Jurakutei is destroyed, and Toyotomi Hideyori is named as the only heir.
1596 – San Felipe Incident: Toyoyomi Hideyoshi confiscates the Spanish Galleon San Felipe, inaugurating his persecution of Catholic missionaries
1597 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi launches the second military campaign in Koreea.
26 Japanese and foreign Christians crucified at Nagasaki by order on Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The total lands are now assessed at 18.5 million koku.
1598 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi dies and the Japanese troops withdraw from Korea.
1599 – Tokugawa Ieyasu enters the Osaka Castle thus assuming overall power.
1600 – Tokugawa Ieyasu defeats most remaining opponents in the battle of Sekigahara. Tokugawa Ieyasu controls the vast majority of Japan, but he publicly swears loyalty to Toyotomi Hideyori, who maintains control of the Osaka Castle and of the surrounding lands.
1602 – The Spanish Galleon Espiritu Santo, blown off course in a storm, arrives in Shimizu Harbour; Tokugawa Ieyasu, who seeks totrade with new Spain (Mexico) releases the crew.
To be continued: Edo (Tokugawa) Period
