| From introduction of baseball to modern baseball |
| 1872 |
Horace Wilson, an American Teacher at Ichiban Chugaku (now Tokyo University) introduces baseball to his students. |
| 1878 |
Hiroshi Hiraoka returns from America and forms the Shimbashi Athletic Club (SAC), the first formal baseball club in Japan. Hiraoka also coaches at schools and other clubs, providing a boost to the spread of baseball in Japan. |
| 1894 |
Kanoe Chuma of Ichiko translates "baseball" into Japanese as "yakyu". |
| 1896 |
The Ichiko team wins an international game in Yokohama against a foreign team from the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club, spurring great enthusiasm for baseball in Japan. Alumni of Ichiko coach at schools throughout the country. |
| 1903 |
The long-standing rivalry between Waseda and Keio universities begins. |
| 1905 |
The Waseda team travels on a baseball tour to the U.S. They bring back up-to-date techniques, and this contributes greatly to the development of baseball in Japan. |
| 1906 |
Games between Waseda and Keio are discontinued due to fan rowdyness. |
| 1907 |
The Keio team invites the Hawaiian St. Louis, the first foreign team, to play in Japan. Admission is charged for the first time. |
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| National High School Baseball Championship begins (Summer Tournament) |
| 1915 |
The Inter-Middle School (now High School) Baseball Championship Tournament is inaugurated. |
| 1918 |
Sakae Suzuka invents rubber baseballs for juveniles. |
| 1920 |
Nihon Undo Kyokai, also known as the Shibaura Association, is established as Japan's first professional team. After the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, it moves to Takarazuka, being renamed Takarazuka Kyokai (the Takarazuka Association) and then disbands in 1929. |
| 1924 |
The Inter-Middle School (now High School) Invitational Baseball Championship Tournament is inaugurated. |
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Koshien Stadium opens. |
| 1925 |
The Tokyo Big-Six League forms, with the joining of Tokyo University and the resumption of Waseda-Keio contests. |
| 1926 |
Meiji Jingu Stadium opens. |
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| Coming of American All-Stars leads to the birth of pro baseball in Japan |
| 1927 |
Inter-City Non-Pro Baseball Championship begins. |
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The first live broadcasting of National Middle School Baseball Championship games at Koshien Stadium. |
| 1929 |
The Emperor attends a baseball game between Waseda and Keio. The Tokyo Big- Six League flourishes. |
| 1931 |
All-American All-Stars headed by Lou Gehrig come to Japan. |
| 1932 |
Baseball Control Ordinance is enforced by the Ministry of Education. |
| 1933 |
Chukyo Commercial Middle School wins the three successive victories in the National Middle School Baseball Championship at Koshien Stadium. |
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The first night game in Japan (intersquad game by the Waseda team). |
| 1934 |
An American All-Star team, headed by Babe Ruth, plays a series of games with the All-Japan team, which is then formed into the Dai Nippon Tokyo Yakyu Club (now the Yomiuri Giants). |
| 1936 |
Five pro teams are organized: Nagoya, Tokyo Senators, Hankyu, Dai Tokyo, and Nagoya Kinko. The Japanese Professional Baseball League, composed of 7 teams, is inaugurated. |
| 1937 |
Nishinomiya and Korakuen Stadiums are completed. |
| 1943 |
Student baseball is discontinued due to the intensified WWII. |
| 1944 |
Pro baseball is discontinued. |
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| Pro baseball resumes after WWII and develops into a 2-league system |
| 1945 |
All-Waseda vs All-Keio, the first baseball game after the war
(November 18 at Jingu Stadium).
Pro baseball resumes with an East-West All-Star game in Jingu Stadium on November 23. |
| 1946 |
Formal resumption of student baseball, non-pro baseball and pro baseball. |
| 1948 |
The first night game by pro teams is held on August 17 at Gehrig (now Yokohama) Stadium between the Yomiuri Giants and the Chunichi Dragons. |
| 1949 |
The San Francisco Seals (AAA) come (the first American pro baseball team visiting Japan after the war). |
| 1950 |
The two-league system, with the Central and Pacific Leagues, begins. The first Japan Series is held. |
| 1951 |
Baseball's first commissioner, Seita Fukui, is sworn in. |
| 1952 |
National University Baseball Championship begins. |
| 1953 |
TV broadcasting of baseball games begins. |
| 1959 |
Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum opens. |
| 1962 |
Sakushin High School wins both the National Invitational High School Baseball Tournament (in spring) and the National High School Baseball Championship (in summer), the first in history. |
| 1965 |
The draft system is adopted. |
| 1969 |
Masaichi Kaneda of the Yomiuri Giants notches the 400th win. |
| 1973 |
The Pacific League adopts a 2-season system (until 1982). |
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The Giants win their 9th consecutive Japan Series under manager Kawakami. |
| 1975 |
The Pacific League adopts the designated hitter system. |
| 1977 |
Sadaharu Oh of the Giants hits his 756th homerun, passing Hank Aaron's major league record. |
| 1983 |
Yutaka Fukumoto of the Hankyu Braves steals the 939th base, passing the major league mark set by Lou Brock. |
| 1984 |
Japan wins the exhibition event in the Los Angeles Olympics. |
| 1987 |
Sachio Kinugasa of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp appears in his 2131st consecutive game, exceeding Lou Gehrig's major league record. |
| 1988 |
Tokyo Dome, Japan's first all-weather domed stadium, is completed.
Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum newly opens inside of Tokyo Dome. |
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| Spectacular showing of Japanese players in the Major League Baseball |
| 1992 |
Baseball is officially admitted into the Olympics at Barcelona and Japan wins the Bronze. |
| 1993 |
Free agency is introduced. |
| 1994 |
Ichiro of Orix BlueWave hits 210 hits, new record for most hits in a season. |
| 1995 |
Pitcher Hideo Nomo (Los Angeles Dodgers) wins the Rookie of the Year in the National League. |
| 1996 |
Japan wins the Silver in the Atlanta Olympics. |
| 2000 |
The combined pro-amateur Japanese team ends in the 4th place in the Sydney Olympics. |
| 2001 |
Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners) wins the Rookie of the Year and the MVP in the American League. |
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Sapporo Dome, the 6th domed stadium in Japan, opens following those in Tokyo (1988), Fukuoka (1993), Nagoya (1997), Osaka (1997) and Tokorozawa (1999). |
| 2004 |
The all-professional Japan team wins the bronze in the Athens Olympics. |
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Ichiro out-hits George Sisler in most hits in a season (262). |
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The Association of Professional Players goes on its first strike in protest against the proposed merger of two baseball clubs of the Pacific League. |
| 2005 |
Interleague play begins.
Japan wins in the first Konami Cup Asia Series. |
| 2006 |
Japan wins in the first WBC.
Japan wins in the second Konami Cup Asia Series. |
| 2007 |
Both the Central and Pacific Leagues hold 2-stage post-season Climax Series with the top three teams participating. |
