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| 1877, Jan.–Sept |
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The SATSUMA REBELLION erupted with some 42,000 supporters, partially in anger at the treatment of the former samurai class by the new government. It was led by Saig Takamori, a leader in the Restoration movement, but was quickly crushed by the modern, trained army of commoner conscripts. Saig committed suicide. A large issue of inconvertible paper currency was used to defray government expenses in quelling the rebels. | 1 |
| Tokyo University was founded, Japan's first national university, then known as the Imperial University. | 2 |
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| 1878, May |
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 kubo was assassinated by followers of Saig. | 3 |
| Laws for local government under the centralized Meiji state were enacted. Yamagata Aritomo led a major reorganization of the army; it was henceforth to report directly, via a general staff on the German model, to the emperor; a reserve system was established, modern armament purchased, a staff college created, and training methods improved. Similar naval modernization efforts were later adopted. | 4 |
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| 1879 |
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Prefectural assemblies, elected by males over age 20 who paid a land tax of 5 yen or more, were convened with powers to determine local budgets. The Ry ky Islands were further incorporated into Japan as a prefecture. | 5 |
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| 1880, July |
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| A revised penal code and a code of criminal procedure, based largely on French models, were promulgated. | 6 |
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| 1881 |
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| An imperial decree promised a constitution by 1889 and the convening of a national assembly in 1890. The organization of political parties was supported in opposition to the bureaucracy controlled by Satsuma and Chsh: the Jiyt (Liberal Party) of Itagaki Taisuke and the Kaishint (Progressive Party) of kuma Shigenobu. | 7 |
| The Ministry of Agriculture and Industry was founded. In 1925, the agriculture section split off, and it merged with the forestry ministry; industry remained in its own ministry. | 8 |
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| 1882, Jan.–July |
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| In a conference on treaty revisions in Tokyo, Foreign Minister Inoue Kaoru failed to secure revisions. | 9 |
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| March |
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| It Hirobumi was appointed to draft a constitution and traveled to the West. He was particularly impressed by the German political system; he returned in Sept. 1883. | 10 |
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| Oct |
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| The Bank of Japan was established as the central bank in the European manner. | 11 |
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